A Hark Audio Curated Stoic Playlist for 2026

At the start of a new year, there is often an unspoken promise that things will somehow be different. Calmer. More ordered. More predictable.

Yet life rarely follows that script.

Delays disrupt flights, plans break down, people drift away, and life brings events we cannot control. What we can work on, and what Stoicism has always focused on, is not the world itself but how we meet it.

That spirit shapes “Approach the New Year Like a Stoic,” a playlist hosted by Benny Voncken, edited by Jorge Patino. Benny Voncken introduces and hosts the Hark Audio list, gathering Stoic insights from podcasts, including The Via Stoica Podcast.

What Is Hark Audio?

Hark Audio is a podcast discovery platform that curates short, meaningful audio moments into themed playlists. Instead of scrolling endlessly, you can listen to carefully selected clips around a single question or topic.

This particular playlist focuses on Stoic wisdom that speaks directly to the challenges of the year ahead, without promising shortcuts or false certainty.

What You Will Hear in This Playlist

The Hark Audio list weaves together voices from different shows, each approaching Stoicism from a slightly different angle, but all grounded in the same core idea: character matters more than circumstance.

Here is what you can expect.

Six Stoic Rules for an Unconquerable Year

Drawing on the lives and writings of Marcus Aurelius and Seneca, this segment explores leadership as self-mastery, not domination. Host Ryan Holiday of the Daily Stoic reflects on why both men focused on conquering their own impulses rather than chasing status or recognition.

Listen to this segment here.

Walking as a Tool Against Anger

Long before productivity apps and breathing techniques, philosophers walked. From Aristotle to the Stoics, walking was seen as a way to restore balance and perspective. In this segment, Adam Piercey explains why movement can be one of the simplest ways to interrupt anger before it takes over.

Listen to this segment here.

Stop Measuring Success by Outcomes

One of the clips from The Via Stoica Podcast focuses on a deeply Stoic idea: success is not measured by your job title, income, or physical results. It is measured by who you are becoming.

The central question is not “Did I achieve?” but “Did I act well?”

Listen to this segment here.

Control What You Can, Release the Rest

Few Stoic ideas are as well-known, or as often misunderstood, as the distinction between what is up to us and what is not. In this segment, Chuck Bryant and Josh Clark unpack why this simple insight from Epictetus remains so powerful, especially in uncertain times.

Listen to this segment here.

Why New Year’s Resolutions Fail

The second Via Stoica clip addresses a familiar frustration. Resolutions often collapse not because we lack willpower, but because we misunderstand how change works. Stoic practice focuses less on forcing outcomes and more on preparing the mind to respond differently, one choice at a time.

Listen to this segment here.

Why This Playlist Matters

What makes this Hark Audio list stand out is that it does not treat Stoicism as a motivational slogan or a productivity hack. Instead, it presents Stoicism as it has always been understood: a practical philosophy for navigating uncertainty, loss, ambition, and everyday frustration.

It is not about becoming invulnerable. It is about becoming steadier.

Listen and Explore Further

If you would like to listen to the full curated list, you can find it in the Hark Audio app or on their website. And if the Via Stoica clips resonated with you, you are welcome to explore more episodes of The Via Stoica Podcast, where Stoic ideas are explored slowly, practically, and with attention to real-life situations.

A new year does not promise an easier world. But it does offer another opportunity to practice meeting it well.

WANT TO EXPLORE MORE STOIC PRACTICES?

Book a free consultation with one of our Stoic Coaches to get support. Or read more about Stoicism for Everyday Life. Listen to The Via Stoica Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.

AUTHOR BIO

Benny Voncken is the co-founder of Via Stoica, where he helps people apply Stoic philosophy to modern life. He is a Stoic coach, writer, and host of The Via Stoica Podcast. With nearly a decade of teaching experience and daily Stoic practice, Benny creates resources, workshops, and reflections that make ancient wisdom practical today.