Controlling the Controllables
Part of the AURIS approach to identity, stability and human development.
- Foundation
- Free
- Certificate on completion
- About 60 minutes
A tool most people in high pressure service roles already use without ever learning its name. This course names it properly and gives you a structure to use it deliberately.
This course is free. You will be asked to sign in or create a free account, then the first lesson opens.
Who this course is for
“I am worn out by things I cannot do anything about.”
Effort spent on what will not move costs the same as effort that works. Sorting the two is the first practice, and it takes minutes.
Where this course sits
- Part of the Discipline and Self Command pathway: How do you stay steady when you cannot change what is happening?
A pathway is a suggested order, not a requirement. This course can be taken on its own.
About this course
A free course on sorting what you can act on from what you cannot, using a two column method you can run in minutes on anything that is weighing on you.
What you will learn
- Sort a live situation into what is and is not within your control
- Act on one item from the controllable column the same day
- Notice when your effort is going into the column you cannot move
- Use the two columns as a repeatable method rather than a one off
Why this matters
Primary pillar: Regulation. Secondary pillar: Awareness. This course builds Regulation by sorting a live situation into what you can act on and what you cannot, so your effort goes where it can land.
Course curriculum
4 lessons. The lesson content itself opens once you start the course.
Lesson 1 · about 15 minutes
Two columns
Learn the method itself, on something that is actually live for you rather than an example.
- Draw the two columns for a live situation
- Tell the difference between an outcome and an action
Lesson 2 · about 15 minutes
Why the sorting is hard
Understand why people put uncontrollable things in the controllable column, and what it costs.
- Spot the items you have put in the wrong column
- Notice responsibility that was never yours
Lesson 3 · about 15 minutes
What to do with the right column
Learn to set down the uncontrollable column deliberately, which is processing it rather than switching off.
- Set down an uncontrollable item without pretending it does not matter
- Name what you would do if the worst version happened
Lesson 4 · about 15 minutes
Making it a habit
Turn a one off exercise into something you can run in five minutes on a bad day.
- Attach the two columns to a fixed point in your week
- Run the method in under five minutes
What is included
- Audio narration
- Guided reflections
- Practical activities
- Assessment
- Certificate on completion
Before you start
None. This is the entry point for the Discipline pathway.
After you finish
You have the method. Staying Switched On builds the attention this method depends on.
Research and evidence
Primary source: Epictetus, Enchiridion, chapter 1, on what is and is not within our power. LeBon, T., Brown, G., DiGiuseppe, R., Karl, J., Fischer, R., & Lopez, G. (2025). The development and validation of the stoic attitudes and behaviours scale. Cognitive Therapy and Research. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-025-10635-9
Common questions
- Is Controlling the Controllables really free?
- Yes. It is free to enrol on and stays free. There is no trial, no card and no upgrade needed to finish it, and you only need a free account so your progress and certificate stay with you.
- Do I get a certificate?
- Yes. Finishing the course issues an AURIS Certificate of Completion in your name. It records your learning. It is not a qualification, accreditation or licence to practise, which is what the separate AURIS Practitioner Certification is for.
- How long does it take, and is it self-paced?
- It is self-paced. Once you enrol, every lesson is open, there is no deadline and nothing expires, and the course is designed to take about 60 minutes in total.
- Do I need to do anything before this course?
- None. This is the entry point for the Discipline pathway.
Course progression
- Foundation
- Applied
- Practitioner
This is the entry point for the Discipline pathway. It opens the pathway the same way Introduction to AURIS opens the Foundations tier. This also relates to Five-Day Reset, which builds the same pillar a different way. This also relates to Emotional Regulation, which builds the same pillar a different way.
Related courses
Previous course
Understanding Change
Course details
The evidence behind this course
Evidence
Enchiridion, chapter 1, on what is and is not within our power — Epictetus
The primary source for sorting a situation into what is within your power to act on and what is not.
The development and validation of the stoic attitudes and behaviours scale — LeBon, Brown, DiGiuseppe, Karl, Fischer and Lopez, 2025 (source)
Stoic attitudes and behaviours can be measured, which is the basis for teaching these practices as trainable habits rather than as a philosophy to agree with.
How AURIS interprets it
- AURIS reads the sorting method as a Regulation practice with Awareness alongside it, because effort spent on the column you cannot move is effort taken from the one you can.
- AURIS teaches the method by its function first and names the tradition later in the pathway, which is an AURIS teaching decision rather than a finding from the research.
What you do with it
- You sort a live situation into what is and is not within your control, and act on one item from the controllable column the same day.
- You use the two columns as a repeatable weekly method rather than a one off.
Ready to begin?
This course is free. You will be asked to log in or create a free account.