Stoic Evening Review (Examen)

What is Stoic Evening Review (Examen)?

Seneca's nightly practice: review your day in 3 questions — what went well? What went poorly? What can I do better tomorrow? Not self-criticism — self-audit. The most practically useful philosophical exercise ever created.

Is there evidence for it?

How do you do Stoic Evening Review (Examen)?

1. 1.Every evening (ideally as part of your wind-down routine), spend 5-10 minutes reviewing the day
2. 2.Ask 3 questions: 'What did I do well today?' (notice your wins, however small), 'Where did I fall short of my own standards?' (be honest but not harsh), 'What will I do differently tomorrow?' (specific, actionable)
3. 3.Seneca called this 'prosecuting himself' but it's not guilt — it's data collection. You're a scientist studying your own behavior
4. 4.Write it down (journal, note app) so you can track patterns over weeks. You'll see the same situations repeatedly — those are your growth edges
5. 5.Pair with morning journaling for the full Stoic cycle: intention in the morning, review in the evening. This creates a feedback loop that accelerates personal growth

How long does it take?

5-10 minutes each evening.

Is it hard to start?

easy.

This is one entry from the library Shift matches against. It is general information, not advice about you, and nothing on this page came from anyone's conversation.