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When you wake up today, there is a strong chance you will encounter someone rude or antagonistic. Coworkers, employees, bosses, or clients will frustrate you. Politicians will be corrupt, inept, or both. Can you be calm despite these difficulties? 

Stoicism teaches us that we are capable of maintaining a tranquil mind – one that is unphased by the challenges we will inevitably face. Tranquility allows us to think more clearly and experience joy despite our circumstances.

How can we achieve this state? One way is to do less – as Marcus Aurelius wrote, to ask ourselves, “is this one of the unnecessary things?” We should focus only on those activities that matter and ignore frivolous or wasteful things.

The trichotomy of control provides a useful framework: there are things we cannot control at all, things we can control, and things over which we have partial control. Don’t waste time on the first; focus on the latter two.