“At every moment keep a sturdy mind on the task at hand, as a Roman and human being, doing it with strict and simple dignity, affection, freedom, and justice — giving yourself a break from all other considerations. You can do this if you approach each task as if it is your last, giving up every distraction, emotional subversion of reason, and all drama, vanity, and complaint over your fair share. You can see how mastery over a few things makes it possible to live an abundant and devout life — for, if you keep watch over these things, the gods won’t ask for more.”
MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS, 2.5
It’s very easy to overcomplicate things, and to fill our minds with too many thoughts. We can’t possibly consider all possible aspects of a given scenario or decision, of course — it’s overwhelming and it’s just too much. We should instead focus on mastering a few things, rather than trying to master all the things. That’s what the quote means in today’s entry of The Daily Stoic.
If we try to ingest all the information coming at us, we end up understanding almost none of it. Trying to become ‘master of all’ effectively ends up meaning you are ‘master of none’. You lose focus, and you can’t keep on top of it all. You find yourself unhappy.
This is what happens to me when I try to keep up on all the developments in my phone’s feed. Whether it’s news from around the globe, or the latest developments in science and technology, or the top 10 tips on how to [business skill] better, or how to become a successful entrepreneur or digital nomad — it’s just too much. There’s no way that one human brain (certainly not my brain) can possibly digest that much information coming at it. It ends up all being a distraction, and I end up remembering none of it. And what’s the point of that?
I have to remove the distractions. I have to put down my phone, and focus on doing a few good things in a day, with consistency. I have to keep it simple, stoic (KISS). And I have to also approach each task as though it was my last, like Marcus says above, to give me clarity and meaningful purpose in my direction.
This will allow me to gain mastery over a few things, rather than a general almost-understanding of a lot of things (which is worth next-to-nothing).
