In a world now overloaded with notifications, social media, and constant connectivity, many of us have adopted and finessed morning routines to ground ourselves before the day's chaos begins. Whether you use the nourishing Pause Breathe Reflect app, participate in Miracle Morning sessions on Clubhouse, or have your own personal ritual, these practices help us approach each day with intention. 

But long before smartphones and meditation apps, Benjamin Franklin—founding father, inventor, diplomat, author, and printer—developed his own powerful daily practice centered around two simple questions:

    Morning:  "What good shall I do this day?"
    Evening:   "What good have I done today?"

Franklin's Virtuous Life

What makes Franklin's practice particularly compelling was his commitment to living according to clear principles. He thoughtfully developed a system of thirteen virtues that he tracked daily in a small book. Rather than trying to master all virtues simultaneously, Franklin wisely focused on one virtue per week, cycling through all thirteen over the course of a quarter, then repeating throughout the year.

    1. Temperance:   Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.

    2. Silence:  Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation. (This virtue remarkably foreshadows modern practices like nonviolent communication, which similarly emphasizes mindful, purposeful speech.)

    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; waste nothing.

    6. Industry:  Lose no time; be always employed in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.
 
    7. Sincerity:  Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and 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, clothes, 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 dullness, weakness, or injury of your own or another's peace or reputation.

    13. Humility:  Imitate Jesus and Socrates.

(Those were Franklin's words.)

Franklin wasn't perfect—he freely admitted his struggles, particularly with order and humility. Yet, what sets him apart was his consistent effort to improve himself while contributing to the greater good.

And honestly, Ben was probably much closer to perfect than I'll ever be. Looking at his list of virtues reminds me of all the growth work I still have ahead. Thankfully, he only listed 13 virtues - that gives us four weeks a year to practice each one - if we are faithful to the practice. Progress, not perfection. Isn't perfection a bit overrated anyway? The real treasure is in the growth process itself - and so we develop our practices. 


Why This Practice Matters Today

In our divided times, Franklin's morning question — "What good shall I do this day?" — offers a powerful reframing of how we approach our daily lives. Rather than beginning with a focus on personal productivity or achievement, the question orients us toward service and positive impact.

This simple question complements existing mindfulness practices:

- If you use Pause Breathe Reflect or other meditation apps, consider adding Franklin's questions as bookends to your practice.
- For Miracle Morning practitioners, Franklin's questions align perfectly with the visualization, affirmation and scribing components of Hal Elrod's method.
- Even if you have no formal morning routine, asking "What good shall I do this day?" takes mere seconds but can profoundly shape your day's direction.

Small Actions, Meaningful Impact

Franklin's accomplishments were extraordinary—he helped draft the Declaration of Independence, founded America's first public library (yay!), invented the lightning rod and bifocals, and negotiated crucial alliances with France during the Revolutionary War.

Yet, his daily practice reminds us that greatness comes through consistent small actions guided by clear intentions. When Franklin asked himself "What good shall I do this day?" he wasn't planning to invent something revolutionary each morning. Rather, he was orienting himself toward positive contribution in whatever form it might take that day. He was creating or sharing his goodness. 

The Evening Reflection

Equally important was Franklin's evening question: "What good have I done today?" This reflection creates accountability and helps us recognize the impact of our actions, however small. It also fosters gratitude for opportunities to contribute and celebrates moments of connection and service that might otherwise be forgotten in the day's busyness.

Franklin's Questions as Mindfulness Practice

Looking at Franklin's daily questions through a contemporary lens, we can see how they naturally incorporate the three key elements that mindfulness practitioners like Dr. Dan Siegel, Jon Kabat-Zinn, Thich Nhat Hanh, and Tara Brach emphasize:

    Attention:  Franklin's questions direct our focus toward goodness and positive action
    Intention:  They set a clear purpose for our day and our interactions
    Awareness:  They cultivate consciousness of our capacity to contribute and the impact of our actions

While Franklin might not have used today's mindfulness terminology, his practice demonstrates remarkable alignment with these principles. His morning question sets intention, his daily virtue tracking maintains attention, and his evening reflection develops awareness.

Your Invitation

For the next week, I invite you to join me in adopting Franklin's practice:

1. Begin each morning by asking: "What good shall I do this day?"
2. End each evening with: "What good have I done today?"

You might jot your reflections in a journal, share them with a friend, or simply hold the questions in mind. However you approach it, notice how this simple practice might shift your awareness toward opportunities for kindness, service, and positive impact.

To deepen this practice, consider the three reflections we explore in our Seeing Goodness gatherings:

• Goodness in Others: What acts of kindness, generosity, or courage have you witnessed in those around you?
  
  
• Goodness in the World: Where have you glimpsed wonder, beauty, or the sacred in nature or the wider world?
  
  
• Goodness in Yourself: How have your thoughts, words, or actions contributed something positive, however small?
  
  (We'll explore the forward-looking components to these goodness practices in a future post.) 

In a world that often feels fractured, Franklin's questions remind us that seeing, invoking, taking initiative, and sharing goodness begin with daily intention and attention, culminating in heightened awareness of our interconnectedness.

What good will you do today?

           
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Please feel free to share your experiences with this practice in the comments below or join our Seeing Goodness community on Facebook or Instagram to connect with others on this journey. (LinkedIn coming soon, I hope.) 

For more information about Franklin's virtues and daily disciplines, visit Benjamin Franklin Historical Society (too many ads). For serious inquiry see Yale's The Franklin Papers at Yale University.

Bonus! Here's a four hours Ken Burns' documentary about Benjamin Franklin. 

P.S. If anyone would like to go on a road trip with me, I'd love to visit the Franklin, MA Public Library which houses the nation's first public library collection of books. It was donated by Ben Franklin himself.