Stoicism, an ancient Greek philosophy, is making a comeback. Discover how adopting stoic principles, with the assistance of ChatGPT, can empower you and provide resilience and grace in the face of challenges
CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared on Forbes
View obstacles as opportunities
Embrace challenges as opportunities for growth. Use this prompt to seek ChatGPT’s guidance to reframe obstacles in your role as avenues for personal and professional development.
“Assume the role of a business coach with a deep understanding of stoic philosophy and its application to modern business. In my current endeavours, I’m facing specific obstacles such as [describe the immediate challenges or situations you’re dealing with]. Can you help me reframe these current challenges as opportunities for growth and learning? How can I leverage these situations to benefit both my business and personal development?”
Hold less emotional attachment
Stoicism teaches emotional resilience. Ask ChatGPT for exercises based on stoic principles to cultivate emotional resilience, maintaining a calm demeanour during intense business volatility.
“During my organisation’s activities, I often face situations that trigger intense emotions. Provide two simple exercises, based on stoic principles, that will help me cultivate emotional resilience and maintain a calm demeanour during these challenging times.”
Focus on what you can control
Stoicism advises focusing on what you can control. Seek guidance on enjoying the process rather than fixating on uncertain outcomes, drawing from stoic principles.
“In my business, I often find myself fixated on outcomes, especially in scenarios where the result is uncertain. Can you provide guidance, drawing from stoic principles, on how I can enjoy the process of doing the work rather than being fixated on the outcome? Additionally, suggest how I can change how I think about inputs to make them more enjoyable.”
Pursue personal virtue
Stoicism emphasises personal virtue and integrity. Seek advice on navigating situations that may compromise personal virtue while upholding ethical conduct.
“Recently, I’ve encountered a situation where I could potentially achieve more by compromising personal virtue, even though I know the right approach would be [ethical alternative]. Drawing from stoic principles, can you guide me on how to navigate this situation while upholding my personal virtue and integrity?”
Practice regular reflection
Create a daily reflective practice inspired by stoic philosophy. Ask ChatGPT to provide a personalised set of reflection questions for continuous growth and learning.
“In my business, I’m working towards the following goals [list your goals]. To ensure continuous growth and learning, I want to adopt a daily reflective practice inspired by stoic philosophy. Create a personalised set of five reflection questions based on what’s important to me.”
Value simplicity
Eliminate unnecessary complexity in your business processes. Seek suggestions from ChatGPT on streamlining and simplifying processes for efficiency and effectiveness.
“In my business, one process that could be unnecessarily complex is [describe the specific business process in detail]. Can you provide suggestions on how to streamline and simplify this process, ensuring it’s more efficient and effective for both my team and our customers?”
Adopt a global mindset
Embrace a cosmopolitan approach and explore ways to serve a broader and more diverse community, resonating with a global audience.
“Currently, my organisation focuses on [describe your organisation]. Can you provide insights and strategies on how I can expand my organisation’s reach and impact, ensuring it resonates with a global audience?”
Stoicism is more than a philosophy; it can serve as a roadmap for achieving excellence. Simplify tasks, reflect on daily choices, and envision your organisation as a force for positive impact.
Be the first to comment