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.
What you'll leave with
You have the method. Staying Switched On builds the attention this method depends on.
Watch the course introduction
Watch this before you begin
Before you work on control, hear how another person separates what can be acted on from what cannot. The point is not to copy their answer. It is to notice where attention, energy and responsibility are being spent before you build your own two-column practice.
This course is free. Start the first lesson now without creating an account.
Course illustration
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.
Suggested learning pathways
Where this course fits
- Where it sits
- A permanent free AURIS Academy starting course.
- What usually comes before
- Nothing. The three free courses are independent starting points. Choose the one that fits your situation.
- What usually comes next
- Choose another free course or a specialist course only if it fits what you need next. Browse the courses.
A pathway is a suggested order, not a requirement. Nothing here has to be bought to make this course work.
The pathways it belongs to
- 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 and why it matters
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.
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.
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
Course curriculum · 4 lessons
Course curriculum
4 lessons. The lesson content itself opens once you start the course.
Lesson 1 · about 15 minutes
Two columns
Prepare accurate evidence and use the legitimate appeal route while recognising that you cannot guarantee its decision.
- Sort preparing an appeal, the decision and a duty of care, then select a justified action.
- Explain the reasons for a response and recognise what cannot be inferred from this exercise.
Lesson 2 · about 15 minutes
Why the sorting is hard
A carer can arrange appropriate help and communicate a concern without guaranteeing another person's recovery.
- Explain why responsibility can remain even when an outcome is not guaranteed.
- Explain the reasons for a response and recognise what cannot be inferred from this exercise.
Lesson 3 · about 15 minutes
What to do with the right column
If transport is cancelled, check an alternative and inform the person expecting you.
- Write one practical response, one contact and a stopping point without imagining every worst case.
- Explain the reasons for a response and recognise what cannot be inferred from this exercise.
Lesson 4 · about 15 minutes
Making it a habit
With changing shifts, “after checking the next rota” may fit better than Sunday at a fixed time.
- Choose an event-based cue for a changing work pattern and explain when to adapt or drop it.
- Explain the reasons for a response and recognise what cannot be inferred from this exercise.
What is included
- Audio narration
- Guided reflections
- Interactive exercises
- Practical activities
- Downloadable worksheets
- Assessment
- Certificate on completion
Before you start
None. This is the entry point for the Discipline pathway.
After you finish
After you finish
You have the method. Staying Switched On builds the attention this method depends on.
Common questions
Is Controlling the Controllables really free?
Yes. It stays free, with no trial, card or upgrade needed to finish it. Eligible free lessons can be started without an account. Create a free learner account only if you want AURIS to save your journey across visits and devices or issue a named certificate.
Do I get a certificate?
Yes. Complete every lesson and pass the required assessment to receive an AURIS Certificate of Completion in your name. It records your learning. The separate Practitioner Certification is an internal AURIS programme; neither certificate is an externally accredited qualification or a clinical licence to practise.
How long does it take, and is it self-paced?
Study at your own pace. Lessons open in sequence after you complete the previous lesson; there is no daily waiting period for this course, and the course is designed to take about 60 minutes in total.
What work do I need to complete?
Lessons include practical activities and saved reflections. Some courses also require portfolio entries and an assessment; the lesson and assessment pages identify required work. Use ordinary or fictional examples where appropriate and avoid identifying details. Reading or listening alone does not complete a lesson.
Do I need to do anything before this course?
None. This is the entry point for the Discipline pathway.
Next steps and related courses
Course progression
- Foundation
- Applied
- Practitioner
Practical Skills pathway 1 of 5. This is an applied-practice pathway, not a sixth AURIS pillar. Sources are distinguished as Stoic philosophical provenance, psychological/behavioural evidence, or AURIS synthesis.
Evidence, sources and limitations
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
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 (Read 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. Start lesson one now without an account. Create or connect a free learner account only when you want to save your progress.