The goal of Stoic philosophy is the avoidance of disappointment and the pursuit of happiness through the exercise of controlling what we can and not trying to control things we cannot.

Epictetus gives us the advice "consider what precedes and follows" before taking on a task in order to achieve happiness through completion and avoid the disappointment that arrives with failure. We must know how to prepare for the task at hand. If one knows what he must do in order to successfully complete the task and feels that he is capable of it, "then, if it is for your advantage, engage in the affair." If one takes on a task without first "having thought of the consequences, when some of them appear, you will shamefully desist." By taking on a task without knowledge of the preparation needed and of the consequences possible, one is more likely to...