I love ancient time management techniques because they do not rely on technology. They revolve around human nature and the concentration of one’s efforts; and their advice can be put into practice right away.
In his Letters to Lucilius, Seneca made recommendations on time management, especially in the 47th and 101st Letters. His advice can be condensed in one word: consistency. I must however acknowledge that it is hard to implement.
Seneca had perfectly understood that time management isn’t about little tricks that enable us to gain a few minutes here and there. In the long term, those little gains don’t amount to much because they are unsustainable without strong motivation.
From Seneca’s perspective, time management is about focus and self-discipline. It rests on the willingness to say no to less important activities, so that we can concentrate our efforts on a few areas.
Seneca’s call for focus and self-discipline
Seneca mentions that Cleanthes (330-230 BC) possessed this kind of focus and self-discipline. In spite of his limited financial resources, he devoted sustained efforts to learning philosophy. The fact that he had to earn a living doing menial jobs hadn’t discouraged him from pursuing knowledge.
If we imitate Cleanthes, we’ll manage our time excellently and advance in the direction of our dreams. Consistency is the key element in this respect. Seneca emphasised the importance of acquiring the habit of pursuing the right goals.
Seneca also refers to the drills performed by Roman soldiers in times of peace. Those exercises required daily effort, but helped Roman soldiers move fast and effectively in the face of danger.
By investing their efforts in acquiring skills, Roman soldiers enhanced their fighting abilities. They cultivated their skills on a consistent basis, so that they would be able to move quickly during battles. Their time management was the result of doing the right thing every day.
Good time management, Seneca explained, is the outcome of good habits. When we teach ourselves to do the right thing, our habits will automatically drive us in the right direction.
Thanks to good habits, we will see opportunities invisible to other people, and keep going when everybody else has already given up. Seneca regarded beneficial habits as “demonstrations of wisdom” that help us put philosophy into practice.
Seneca: Consistency between words and actions
Five centuries before Seneca, Socrates (470-399 BC) had incessantly condemned hypocrisy as a waste of one’s life. If we refrain from telling the truth, it is not possible to establish good relationships. It is impossible to manage our time effectively if there is no harmony between our words and our actions.
Consistent practice is the basis of mastery, Seneca explained in the 47th and 101st Letters to Lucilius. Consistency is the only way to manage time effectively because it enables us to grow and compound our skills.
Demosthenes (384-322 BC) is the archetypical example of consistency in time management. Through incessant practice, he managed to overcome a physical impediment and become a great public speaker.
His commitment to self-development was unbreakable. In spite of setbacks, he kept going in the direction he had chosen and eventually emerged victorious. Demosthenes employed his time effectively because he was committed to practising every day.
In contrast, inconsistency leads to defeat, Seneca explained. If necessary, we should force ourselves to advance in the right direction by closing the door to distractions.
That’s similar to Odysseus’ decision to tie himself to the mast of his ship. If Odysseus had not done so, he would have fallen prey to the chants of the sirens. His consistency kept him safe, while the members of his crew were perishing.
Seneca: Consistency is a lifelong undertaking
In the 20th and 35th Letters to Lucilius, Seneca calls for consistency also later in life. I would understand his advice as making the best of each day. By cultivating our knowledge and skills, we can remain sharp. Our wisdom will keep increasing and show us the way.
For instance, the ancient Greek playwright Sophocles (497-406 BC) is known to have stayed sharp by reciting poetry. His consistency enabled him to make the best of each day. He did well because he had managed his time effectively.
As an additional example, I would point to Isocrates (436-338 BC), who was still writing speeches at age ninety-four. He could have relaxed and spent his days doing nothing, but he made the right choice. He kept exercising his talent, knowing that it would enable him to use his days optimally.
How should we manage our time in situations that severely limit our choices? What to do if we are facing constraints that prevent us from imitating Demosthenes and Isocrates?
Seneca’s ideas and John Bunyan
The life of John Bunyan (1628-1688) provides a compelling example of severe constraints and how to surmount them. I do not think that Bunyan was familiar with Seneca’s ideas, but he adopted habits that correspond to the Stoicism ideal.
By sheer persistence, Bunyan became knowledgeable on the principles of Christianity. He studied the Bible in great detail and became a compelling preacher, but due to his unorthodox ideas, he suffered prosecution and imprisonment.
Overall, Bunyan ended up spending one fifth of his life in jail simply because he had dared speak out his religious views. Most people in his shoes would have given up their ambitions and their will to live, but Bunyan remained undefeated.
Despite imprisonment, Bunyan remained loyal to his ideals, and instead of giving up on life, he used his time productively. He worked incessantly producing shoelaces to help financially his wife and daughter, and wrote “Pilgrim’s Progress” on bits and pieces of paper.
From its very first publication, “Pilgrim’s Progress” became a best-seller and ended up being translated to more than one hundred languages.
Bunyan’s achievements become even more impressive if we consider that he was imprisoned in a small, poorly ventilated, damp cell, together with many other inmates, and that he was malnourished for years.
His situation was dire, but Bunyan felt that “I must do it”. If he had not embraced ideas similar to Seneca’s and the Stoics, I think that Bunyan would have quickly succumbed to illness.
Time management should depend on our motivation, not on little tricks and shortcuts. If we happen to encounter favourable conditions, great; if not, we should figure out how to cope with the problems and still make the best of each day.
If you are interested in putting rational ideas into practice in all kinds of situations, I recommend my book “Against all odds: How to achieve great victories in desperate times.”
Related articles
Seneca’s formula for avoiding distractions
Seneca on avoiding distractions
Seneca’s Letters from a Stoic, explained