Tolstoy circa 1855. (Credit: Imagno/Getty Images) [Der russische Autor Lew Nikolajewitsch Tolstoj. Photographie. Um 1855.]
Tolstoy circa 1855. (Credit: Imagno/Getty Images) [Der russische Autor Lew Nikolajewitsch Tolstoj. Photographie. Um 1855.]
Tolstoy was a self-improvement junkie.
Inspired in part by the 13 virtues Benjamin Franklin spelled out in his autobiography, Tolstoy created a seemingly endless list of rules by which he aspired to live. While some seem pretty accessible by today’s standards (in bed by 10 and up at 5, with no more than a 2-hour nap; eat moderately and avoid sweet foods), others offer insight into Tolstoy’s lifelong struggle with his personal demons; such as his desire to limit his brothel visits to just two a month, and his self-admonition over his youthful gambling habits. Beginning in his late teens, he would sporadically keep a “Journal of Daily Occupations,” minutely accounting for how he spent his day and clearly plotting out how he intended to spend the following day. As if that wasn’t enough, he also compiled an ever-growing list of his moral failures, and even found time to create guides governing everything from listening to music to playing cards while in Moscow.
