A little over a year ago, I knew it was time for me to make a change.

I was miserable in my job, and despite moving and getting involved in Detroit, I still felt disconnected. I didn’t know what to do, who to reach out to, and slowly slid into depression.

I’d be lying if I said everything was perfect since I started working towards shaping my ideal life. There are still slow days, long nights, and sadness and anger that, try as I might, will not be pushed away.

It was during this dark time that I discovered James Altucher. At first glance, he appears a mad scientist, a futurist, a writer who is brutally honest about how he changed his life through small and steady steps. His main driver is what he calls The Daily Practice.

What is The Daily Practice? It’s simply but really quite powerful. You write down ten ideas a day. They can be about anything. Not five, not twenty, just ten. Ten ideas about improving your writing. Ten ideas on how to improve the dining experience. Ten ideas about anything!

I’d be lying if I said I was good at doing this. I’ve been terrible at it actually. But I really enjoy James’ weekly blogs, where he features accomplished professionals in a variety of different fields. Little did I know another influencer I recently discovered would soon be interviewed by James on his show.

During a more recent dark period I experienced (Do I have seasonal depression? Probably.), I discovered Ryan Holiday and the ancient Greek and Roman philosophy of Stoicism. Again, the premise is simple, and can be drawn to something more would be familiar with: The Serenity Prayer. Our lives become clearer when we accept that the only thing we can control are our thoughts and emotions. How we react (or don’t react) to daily changes. How we feel every part of the emotional spectrum.

Now to tie James and Ryan together: James recently interviewed Ryan about his books, his life changes from a large advertising firm in New York City to a small rural town in Texas, and dug deep into the beliefs and practice of Stoicism.

What I like about combining The Daily Practice and Stoicism is that they address two key elements to what I would consider a happy, successful life: Creativity and Discipline. What’s important to remember is there are some days that you will forget or be unable to write down ten ideas. There will be days your emotions will get the best of you.

No one is perfect, but by apply small changes to our everyday life, self-improvement is within anyone’s grasp.