It’s fun to think about an “operating system” for life.

For example, below are some parts of my OS.

Nutrition:

  • Eat whole foods (meat and vegetables)
  • Eat at meal times only
  • Eat within an 6 hour interval (1-6pm)

Exercise:

  • 1h weights 3x week
  • 1h cardio 2x week
  • 15-20m sauna 5x week
  • Walk/stairs whenever possible (shops, kids school, etc.)

Consumption:

  • Watch 1h of screen per day (ideally a serialized drama or half a movie)
  • Audiobooks during exercise (walking, gym, etc.)
  • Read in the afternoons (paperbacks)
  • Read before sleep (kindle)

Other stuff, I don’t know were it fits:

  • Write daily
  • Go to bed early and rise early (e.g. 9pm-5am)
  • Always have a project where you’re making something (e.g. writing, coding, researching, etc.)
  • Always have an event to look forward to (e.g. travel)

This is all doing scheduled stuff.

Stoicism is a good operating system for thinking.

I asked grok3 that if stoicism is my OS, what are the programs, the answer is helpful:

  • Negative Visualization (Premeditatio Malorum): Mentally rehearse potential challenges or losses to prepare for adversity, reduce fear, and build resilience by imagining worst-case scenarios and accepting them calmly.
  • Amor Fati (Love of Fate): Embrace and accept everything that happens, good or bad, as necessary and beneficial, reframing undesirable events as opportunities for personal growth.
  • The Dichotomy of Control: Focus only on what you can control (thoughts, actions, attitudes) and let go of what you can’t (external outcomes, others’ opinions) to reduce stress and act effectively.
  • Journaling (Self-Reflection): Build self-awareness and align actions with Stoic virtues by writing about your daily actions, emotions, and decisions, reflecting on where you can improve.
  • The View from Above: Gain perspective on problems by imagining yourself from a cosmic vantage point, where personal issues seem small compared to the vastness of time and space.
  • Practicing Voluntary Discomfort: Build resilience and reduce attachment to comfort by deliberately embracing hardships, such as skipping meals or taking cold showers.
  • Memento Mori (Remember Death): Reflect on life’s impermanence to prioritize meaningful actions and focus on what truly matters by reminding yourself daily of mortality.
  • The Discipline of Assent: Pause before reacting to thoughts or emotions, evaluate them rationally, and choose reasoned responses to maintain control over your judgments.