Statesman, author, inventor, printer, and scientist, Benjamin Franklin was one of the most extraordinarily talented men in all of history, and his autobiography gives us some clue to the way in which he used journaling to define his values and live a virtuous life, starying true to the ideals he had laid out for himself.

I’m referring of course to Franklin’s thirteen necessary virtues. The list of character traits that he believed were necessary for living a morally good life.

Whilst thirteen might seem an arbitrary number, the thinking was that multiplied by four, you get fifty-two or the number of weeks in a year. Franklin would reportedly choose one of his thirteen virtues and then spend a full week journaling and thinking about how he could best embody it, where he was best living up to them and where he was potentially failing to live them up to them, focusing on that one value. When the week was up, he would choose the next one, and then work his way through the list before repeating, ensuring he had time to focus on each virtue.

His thireen virtues were:

1. TEMPERANCE. Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.
2. SILENCE. Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.
3. ORDER. Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.
4. RESOLUTION. Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.
5. FRUGALITY. Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.
6. INDUSTRY. Lose no time; be always employ’d in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.
7. SINCERITY. Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly.
8. JUSTICE. Wrong none by doing injuries or omitting the benefits that are your duty.
9. MODERATION. Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.
10. CLEANLINESS. Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, cloaths, or habitation.
11. TRANQUILITY. Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.
12. CHASTITY. Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dulness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another’s peace or reputation.
13. HUMILITY. Imitate Jesus and Socrates.

What I like about this is that it’s much more than just a thought excercise. Franklin was actively trying to live aligned to his values and be more proactive in demonstrating and embodying them.

Today’s journal prompt is:

How are you living up to your core values? Where are you misaligned? What could you do to better live in alignment with your values for the next week?

Happy journaling.