Simplicity and Meaningful Goals
Lessons from Seneca and Dickens
The first days of 2025 flow quickly, and many of us find ourselves striving to keep our resolutions. Ambitious goals — losing weight, earning more, mastering a skill — dominate our lists, fueled by a cultural narrative that pushes us to achieve more and be better. Yet, year after year, statistics show that some resolutions fail. Perhaps the problem lies not in the act of goal-setting itself but in how we approach it.
We live in an age of immediacy. Technology allows us to produce, access, and consume almost anything at lightning speed. The “ideal” life, as curated on social media and marketed by countless influencers, is portrayed as easily attainable, creating an illusion that success, happiness, and self-improvement should come effortlessly. This mindset seeps into our resolutions, leading us to expect quick results from Herculean efforts. When progress feels slow or challenges arise, we often grow weary, abandoning our ambitions entirely.
But what if we approached resolutions differently? By turning to Seneca’s “On the Shortness of Life” and Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, we can explore a refreshing alternative: a path of simplicity and meaningful action, where small, deliberate steps lead to lasting transformation.
Bridging the Cornerstones
Re-reading A Christmas Carol for my blog post last month drew me to the parallels between Charles Dickens’ timeless narrative and Seneca’s essays.
While many thinkers can be linked to the themes explored in A Christmas Carol — from Karl Marx’s critiques of class inequality to John Stuart Mill’s advocacy for collective happiness — my reflections led me to Seneca. Perhaps it was the introspective mood of the season or my ongoing interest in simplicity and intentionality. Still, I found myself returning to his essays, particularly On the Shortness of Life.
Seneca’s Stoic perspective on the value of time and meaningful action felt like a natural counterpart to Dickens’ tale of redemption and transformation. Though their forms and contexts differ — one a deeply philosophical treatise and the other a richly woven fictional tale — they converge in their emphasis on simplicity, the fleeting nature of time, and the transformative power of meaningful action. Together, they illuminate pathways to living more fully, offering distinct yet harmonious perspectives on how we might rethink our resolutions and focus on what truly matters.
From Trivial Pursuits to Timeless Wisdom
“Life is long enough if you know how to use it,” writes Seneca in On the Shortness of Life. His argument revolves around the importance of living intentionally, prioritizing inner peace, meaningful relationships, and personal growth over fleeting pleasures or societal expectations.
Seneca’s writing struck a chord with me recently as I reflected on my own moments of distraction — scrolling endlessly through social media, chasing fleeting goals, or succumbing to the pressure of productivity culture; I feel like I dont have any time or I'm late for everything.
However, as Seneca suggests, life doesn’t feel short because of its actual length; instead, it is because we often allow trivial pursuits to dominate our days. His call to prioritize inner peace, meaningful relationships, and virtuous living feels like a much-needed reminder to pause and realign our focus.
Just like Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, who is driven by greed and self-interest, he hoards wealth and alienates himself from meaningful human connection. Dickens paints Scrooge as a figure consumed by trivial concerns, writing:
“Nobody ever stopped him in the street to say, with gladsome looks, ‘My dear Scrooge, how are you? When will you come to see me?’ […] But what did Scrooge care? It was the very thing he liked. To edge his way along the crowded paths of life, warning all human sympathy to keep its distance, was what the knowing ones call ‘nuts’ to Scrooge.”
In the narrative, Scrooge’s transformation occurs when the Ghosts of Christmas encounter him with his choices and their results. While Dickens immerses us in Scrooge’s reflections on his past, present, and potential future as ours, the author highlights the consequences of living without intentionality.
Mortality as a Wake-Up Call
Scrooge’s ultimate awakening mirrors Seneca’s reminder to focus on what truly matters: relationships, time, and a life lived with purpose. But how did this realization happen? Both Dickens and Seneca use a very real but neglected reality as a wake-up call: mortality.
For Seneca, awareness of death is an essential tool for living well:
“Do you want to know for how short a time they live? See how they desire to live long: broken-down old men beg in their prayers for the addition of a few more years.” He emphasizes how many people realize too late that they have squandered their lives on meaningless pursuits, lamenting that they “declare that if they only survive this sickness they will spend the rest of their lives at leisure.”
Similarly, in A Christmas Carol, Dickens brings Scrooge face-to-face with his mortality through the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. This spectral figure, silent and foreboding, leads Scrooge to the ultimate reckoning: the vision of his own lonely and unmourned death. Dickens writes:
“The Spirit stood among the graves and pointed down to One. […] Scrooge crept towards it, trembling as he went; and following the finger, read upon the stone of the neglected grave his own name, Ebenezer Scrooge.”
Just like when we get very drunk. After a night of drinking too much, mindlessly overdoing it, and, as a result, feeling unwell. It cannot be compared with facing death, but don’t we realize how fragile our bodies are and swear that we will never drink again? However, forgetting or ignoring the experience is easier than the harsh reality of death because our bodies recover quickly, and the discomfort may reoccur.
The thoughts on mortality are particularly striking for me because it underscores the fragility of the time we take for granted. What if we faced our own mortality today in a more critical situation? How would we measure the value of our lives? Would we, like Scrooge and Seneca’s “broken-down old men,” be filled with regret for time wasted, or would we feel a sense of peace knowing we’ve lived with intention and meaning?
Both writings urge us to realize the futility of chasing temporary gains at the expense of our genuine fulfillment; they also point to living with intention and presence. Just as Scrooge decides to turn his life around through small acts of generosity, Seneca’s insight dares us to “invest” our time with prudence to ensure no time is used for anything devoid of meaning.
My Takeaways for Modern Decisions
Scrooge wakes on Christmas morning and exclaims, “I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year,” after facing the stark reality of his actions and eventual death through the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. This statement encapsulates his newfound commitment to small, enduring acts of kindness and compassion.
Besides Dickens, Seneca provides timeless lessons on how to approach the start of a new year with intention and humility. They remind us that transformation is not confined to January 1st but is an ongoing process that resonates with the daily rhythm of life.
Here are five principles we can draw from their wisdom:
- Reflect on What Truly Matters
Before setting resolutions, take time to identify your core values. Ask yourself: What do I want my life to stand for? These reflections can guide you toward setting goals that align with your authentic self. - Embrace Simplicity
Avoid overloading yourself with an ambitious list of resolutions. Instead, focus on one or two meaningful and achievable goals. Dickens and Seneca suggest simplicity allows us to concentrate on what truly matters and reduces the risk of burnout. As Seneca aptly warns:
“You fear everything, like mortals as you are, and yet you desire everything as if you were immortals.” - Act in Small, Meaningful Ways
Grand resolutions can often feel overwhelming, leading to burnout or abandonment. Instead, focus on small, consistent actions that have a ripple effect over time. Scrooge demonstrates this by embracing kindness in small but profound ways — sharing his wealth, reconnecting with his family, and showing care to others. These actions embody Seneca’s idea that life feels long when lived with intention. - Practice Gratitude and Generosity
Both Seneca and Dickens emphasize the transformative power of generosity. Scrooge’s acts of giving show how generosity enriches both the giver and the receiver. Likewise, Seneca’s stoic philosophy reminds us that true wealth lies in how we enrich others’ lives. Consider making gratitude and generosity the cornerstone of your resolutions. - Reassess Regularly
Transformation is an ongoing process, not a one-time event. Make moments of reflection into your routine to assess your progress and adjust as needed. This aligns with Seneca’s advice for daily contemplation, reminding us to continually strive toward a life of purpose and alignment.
A New Year, A New Approach
As we journey into 2025, the pressure to chase superficial benchmarks can feel overwhelming. Social media is flooded with ambitious goals, productivity hacks, and the ever-present urge to “do more.” But what if we resist this pressure and embrace a simpler, more intentional approach?
Scrooge’s transformation and Seneca’s timeless insights teach us that a richer, more meaningful life doesn’t come from lofty ambitions or relentless striving. Instead, it begins with the quiet power of intentionality — choosing to live deliberately and focus on what truly matters.
By taking life one small step at a time, we can create lives that are not only productive but also deeply fulfilling. Transformation is not about perfection; it’s about progress. And it starts today.
