“It is absurd not to rejoice in the soul’s health, and rather to sorrow over the change in food and to appear to favor the pleasure of the stomach over the care of the soul. After all, while self-indulgence gratifies the stomach, fasting brings gain to the soul” (St. Basil the Great, First Homily on Fasting).

Asceticism has played a role in every age of human civilization. From the very beginning of mankind, the Lord called man to fast. He commanded Adam and Eve to abstain from the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil (see Genesis 2:17). Esau lost his birthright when he failed to fast (see Genesis 25:30-34). Samuel was given to his mother when she fasted and prayed (see 1 Samuel 1:13-16). Samson’s unconquerable heroism was brought about by fasting (see Judges 13:4). The list goes on.

When you say no to your whimsical impulses, you become stronger. When you say no to the weakness of the flesh, both the flesh and the soul are emboldened. And when you say no to vice, you say yes to virtue. As St. Basil says, “True fasting is being a stranger to vice” (First Homily on Fasting). The virtuous life is the life of the free man.

Elite performers measure their progress to signal whether they are advancing toward their goal. The disciplines tab on this was designed to help you track your progress throughout this exercise.

You can mark each discipline as complete each day, and the app will track your streak. This kind of habit tracking is helpful because it: it acts as a visual cue to remind you to complete the disciples. It motivates you to make progress and build up your streaks. It is satisfying to see the results. As you check off the disciplines you complete each day, you will start to see your strengths and weaknesses. This can give you helpful insight into where you need to improve. Building a habit of virtue takes time—a whole lifetime, really. You may not see the fruits immediately. So count these small wins as they occur. It is both helpful and encouraging to see small streaks begin to develop.

Each season contains a specific list of ascetic disciplines to help you find uncommon freedom. These practices are not empty penances. They are God’s roadmap to freedom.

By committing to this list of ascetic disciplines, you and tens of thousands of other men will seek the uncommon freedom to which the Lord is calling you. This list of disciplines touches most aspects of daily life. As you read this list, some of the disciplines may sound very easy, and some may sound impossible. Be open to whatever the Lord is asking of you—do not harden your heart.

Read Kings of Summer Reading & Reflection | We will follow the stories of the Kings Saul and David in 1 Samuel, looking at how they responded to God’s will but also fell into sin. God called them both to serve his people. Saul fell into prideful disobedience, while David, despite his failures, remained a man after God's own heart. Their examples help us to take in the ultimate stakes of our daily battle and how we can rightly order things within and around us in a kingly fashion.

20 Minutes of Silent Prayer | Set aside a minimum of 20 minutes for silent, personal prayer before the Lord.

Weekly Fraternity Meeting | Once a week, everyone in your fraternity should meet to check in about their fidelity to their Plan of Life and pray together. Stay faithful to this commitment you made to your brothers. Do your part to make your fraternity a committed band of brothers.

Cold Shower Fridays | On Fridays, offer up a cold shower. A comfortable, hot shower is a good thing in and of itself. Yet, when we place the comfort of the hot shower perpetually in the place of a sacrificial, uncomfortable, cold shower, we choose to perpetually trade an opportunity to sacrifice for fleeting personal comforts.

Examine your Day | At the end of the day, prayerfully examine your actions (and inactions) throughout the day. Where did you see God working in your life? Acknowledge where you responded to God's grace and where you chose to do otherwise.

Make one Holy Hour each week | Take an hour for silent, personal prayer before our Lord at least once per week. Plan your chosen day to fit this in.

Celebrate the Lord's Day | Every Sunday is a Little Easter and should be observed with joyful celebration and rest. How many of us unknowingly resent the Lord's Day by succumbing to the Sunday blues? Pattern your day for prayer, family, and friends.

Start now!

You can also add your own personal disciplines on the disciplines tab. You may be going to pray a rosary every day or get out of bed by a certain time every morning. You can add any disciplines you are committing to at the bottom of the disciplines tab.

For a full guide, check out "How Do I Add a Personal Discipline?"