The Ancient Art of Setting Limits: A Stoic Approach to Modern Achievement

My recent column "How to Achieve More with Less" examined the practical applications of the Pareto principle and Parkinson's law. This week, we take Pareto's 80/20 rule one step further by exploring a principle first introduced to me in the letters of Lucius Annaeus Seneca—one that offers timeless wisdom for the ambitious reader.

Wisdom from Ancient Rome

If you live according to nature, you will never be poor; if you live according to opinion you will never be rich.[1]

Seneca the Stoic attributes this maxim to the sceptic philosopher Epicurus in one of his 124 surviving letters to his friend Lucilius. In this correspondence, Seneca warns about unnatural desires that have no limits—particularly those arising from others' opinions. According to Seneca, natural desires will always be bounded:

When you are travelling on a road, there must be an end; but when astray, your wanderings are limitless. Recall your steps, therefore, from idle things, and when you would know whether that which you seek is based upon a natural or upon a misleading desire, consider whether it can stop at any definite point.[2]

This ancient wisdom aligns remarkably well with modern business practices. We're often asked to set SMART objectives—specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Stoic philosophy suggests that the "T" for time-bound should be followed by a definitive full stop. Without clear endpoints, our ambitions become wandering journeys with no destination.

Juxtaposed against this is the observation that greed and laziness can so often fuel the innovation that drives progress[3]. Perhaps, a sage would be greedy and lazy but be wise enough to set limits to both inclinations.

The Power of No

Seneca understood that setting effective limits and boundaries is a vital skill for maximising effectiveness. Almost 2,000 years later, this principle has never been more relevant. Stoic philosophy champions ignoring the majority of external factors over which we have little influence, focusing instead on variables within our control.

Saying "no" isn't as easy as it sounds, but it's essential for improving efficacy. That means declining things that have a negative or negligible impact on our aims and happiness. My personal "no bucket" includes:

• Checking email more than once a day[4]
• Consuming news outside my zone of influence
• Alcohol (this week at least...)
• Time spent with people who don't share my values

Each "no" creates space for a more meaningful "yes" to activities that genuinely matter.

Presence Through Limitation

The mental clarity that emerges from setting limits on our ambition and desires can significantly benefit our happiness and relationships. By honing our ability to sit and enjoy the present moment, we quiet what the Stoics called our "reasoning faculty"—that part of us that looks forward, often with apprehension.

Instead, being present allows us to find peace and beauty in even the most mundane aspects of daily life. This practice isn't unique to Stoicism—it forms the unifying thread among major world religions, where practice often involves focused prayer, meditation, and reflection.

Fixed Destinations vs. Self-Limiting Beliefs

My interpretation of Seneca's advice has helped me set and understand my own long-term objectives relating to wealth, investment, family, and legacy. I'm confident in my ability to achieve these objectives precisely because I've defined fixed endpoints for my ambition.

It's essential to distinguish between setting a fixed destination and holding self-limiting beliefs. Setting a destination "in accordance with nature," as Seneca advocates, places control internally. We set limits based on what we believe we can achieve by influencing factors within our control.

In contrast, self-limiting beliefs arise from comparing ourselves with others. This places the lever of control outside our grasp. Consider this statement: "A BMW M3 is the best car ordinary working people like you or I can hope to attain." This assumes an artificial boundary between "them" and "us," suggesting that working people face externally imposed achievement limits, when in reality, the limitation comes from within.

Finding Consistency

If you'd like to learn how to spot more opportunities where others see adversity (which, if you've read this far, I suspect you do), I urge you to revisit Epicurus's maxim that opened this piece and reflect on your own long-term objectives.

I'll close with a final gift of wisdom from Seneca:

Hasten to find me, but hasten to find yourself first. Make progress, and, before all else, endeavor to be consistent with yourself.... Consider whether you desire the same things today that you desired yesterday. A shifting of the will indicates that the mind is at sea, heading in various directions, according to the course of the wind. But that which is settled and solid does not wander from its place.[5]

In setting limits, we find not constraint but freedom—the freedom to focus deeply, achieve meaningfully, and live consistently with our true nature.

Alex is a director of Penpole Consulting, a Digital Transformation and Cyber Security service provider. Penpole helps clients increase productivity and reduce organizational risk with their expert CISOs, programme and project managers, change specialists, data migration experts, and technical specialists in testing, training, integration, and configuration.

Want to connect? Reach out to Alex directly at alex.franklin@penpole.co.uk.