Definition
Morning reflection is a Stoic exercise in which a person, at the start of the day, rehearses the difficulties they may meet and reaffirms the principles they intend to live by. Marcus Aurelius opens his Meditations with exactly this kind of preparation.
It pairs with evening review, in which the day's actions are examined honestly. Together the two practices bookend the day with deliberate attention.
Why it matters
How it works
In the morning the Stoic briefly imagines the day ahead: they may encounter people who are ungrateful, dishonest, or difficult, and events may not go as hoped. Rather than dwelling on these prospects with dread, they remind themselves that such things are ordinary and within their power to meet calmly.
They then restate their aims — to act with justice, courage, moderation, and wisdom — so that when a challenge actually appears, the response is already decided. The exercise takes only a few minutes but reframes the whole day as a field for deliberate practice.