If you would not have a man flinch when the crisis comes, train him before it comes

Today we will introduce a core stoic technique, premeditatio malorum, the practice of preparing for adversity.

In a famous letter to Lucilius, the philosopher Seneca defines the practice:

“It is precisely in times of immunity from care that the soul should toughen itself beforehand for occasions of greater stress, and it is while Fortune is kind that it should fortify itself against her violence. … If you would not have a man flinch when the crisis comes, train him before it comes.”

Praemeditatio malorum, the premeditation of evils, involves imaging ways things could go wrong.

Why would you ever do this?

This exercise can help you be grateful for what you have now. It helps you plan and prepare for the future.

This exercise can also help you turn obstacles into advantages. As the saying goes:

unsuccessful people don’t deal with the hardship, successful people survive hardship, but the best people become better because of it. The best people are antifragile, they flourish in high-stress environments.

Before any activity, note ways in which you may face adversity. Use this to prepare for adversity, often its sting lies in the imagination, not the world.

Imagine that you’ve failed to achieve your goal — what do you think the most likely cause would be? Now ensure that you prepare for that.

See if you can turn adversity into advantage, before obstacles come, know what levers you can pull to move ahead.

You can do this in all areas of life from relationships to work to health. You can practice this while meditating.

As you go throughout your day, question your assumptions and ask, how could this go wrong? When things go wrong, ask how can I use this to my advantage?