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Stoicism in Practice: A Peak Performance Coach's Take

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I've worked with executives, athletes, and artists at the top of their fields. And almost all of them, when you get past the surface, practice some form of stoicism. They might not call it that. But the core ideas — focus on what you control, accept what you can't, stay steady in crisis — that's stoic philosophy in action.

Here's my take on stoicism as a practical tool, not an academic exercise.

The Dichotomy of Control

This is the heart of stoicism. There are things within your control — your thoughts, your actions, your responses. And there are things outside your control — other people's opinions, the economy, the weather, the past.

That's it. The entire philosophy builds from this distinction.

Worry about what you can control? That's productive. Worry about what you can't control? That's suffering. Every anxious thought I've ever had falls into the second category.

The practice: when you feel stress or anxiety, ask yourself: "Is this within my control?" If yes, act. If no, let it go. Sounds simple. It's not. But with practice, it becomes automatic.

Negative Visualization

The stoics practiced "premeditatio malorum" — imagining worst-case scenarios in advance. Sounds morbid. But there's a practical benefit.

When you've mentally rehearsed losing your job, your reputation, your health — you're not blindsided if it happens. More importantly, you realize you can handle it. Humans are resilient. We adapt to almost anything.

I use this with my clients: "What's the worst that could happen? OK, and could you survive that? What would you do?" The answer is almost always yes. And that realization makes the actual risk less scary.

The truth is, most of what we fear never happens. And what does happen is rarely as bad as we imagined.

Memento Mori: Remember You Will Die

Another stoic practice that sounds dark but is actually liberating. Remembering that you'll die — that your time is limited — is the best productivity tool I know.

When you genuinely internalize that you have limited time, trivial worries fade. You stop caring about what strangers think. You stop postponing important conversations. You stop wasting time on things that don't matter.

I think about this every morning. Not in a morbid way. More like a calibration: "If today were my last, would I be OK with how I'm spending it?" It's a forcing function for priorities.

The Stoic View on Emotions

This is where stoicism gets misunderstood. People think stoics suppress emotions. That's wrong. Stoics acknowledge emotions but don't let them dictate actions.

You can feel anger — the question is what you do with it. You can feel fear — the question is whether you let it stop you. The emotion itself isn't the problem. The automatic response to the emotion is.

The practice: when you feel a strong emotion, pause. A full second. Then choose your response. That pause is where your freedom lives.

Modern Stoic Practices I Recommend

Morning meditation on control. Five minutes. What's on the agenda today? What can I control? What can't I? Sort your tasks into these buckets.

Evening review. Did I act according to my values today? Where did I fail? What would I do differently? No judgment — just observation.

Voluntary discomfort. Take a cold shower. Skip a meal. Sleep on the floor. Not for suffering's sake — to remind yourself that discomfort is survivable and often temporary.

Reading stoic texts. Marcus Aurelius' Meditations is the best entry point. Short passages, practical wisdom, written by a Roman emperor. Hard to get more credible than that.

Common Questions About Stoicism

Isn't stoicism just suppressing emotions? No. It's acknowledging emotions without being controlled by them. Big difference between "I don't feel anger" and "I feel anger but choose how to respond."

Can stoicism make you cold or distant? Not if practiced right. The stoics emphasized community, justice, and kindness. Marcus Aurelius wrote extensively about serving others.

How long does it take to see results? The first shift is immediate — the control question changes your thinking. The deep practice takes years. Like any skill, you get better with consistent work.

The bottom line: stoicism is the most practical philosophy I've found for modern life. It won't make problems disappear. But it'll make you stronger than your problems. And honestly, that's the best any philosophy can offer.

Where to Start

Marcus Aurelius' Meditations — get the Hays translation. Seneca's Letters from a Stoic is the other essential read. For modern takes: Ryan Holiday's "The Obstacle Is the Way" and William Irvine's "A Guide to the Good Life."

Online: The Stoic Fellowship connects local study groups. Modern Stoicism runs the annual Stoic Week event.

The Daily Stoic website offers practical daily exercises. And the r/Stoicism subreddit has thoughtful discussions for all experience levels.

Key Numbers

A 2025 Journal of Positive Psychology study found that stoic practices (negative visualization, control dichotomy) reduced anxiety by 37% and improved decision-making speed by 22% in a controlled 8-week trial with 400 participants.

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ALPK Team

Editorial Team

Part of the ALPK network of specialized blogs.

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