A ritual gives you a touchstone – a series of actions you've committed to performing regardless of all else – regardless of time, mood, energy. A ritual is what you know you must do.
The rituals I am putting into place are many, but three in the evening have saved my day today. Getting my family together for the talk/read/pray 30 minute session is an excellent touchstone to keep balance in my domestic life.
But after that, things went a bit haywire. The TV was on in the background, and instead of opting for a Change, I ended up doing some pretty basic social media exercises and watching America's Got Talent. At midnight, I was faced with a major choice: go to bed OR follow through with my ritual. I knew that if I gave up on the ritual of reading 15 pages in Atlas Shrugged, I'd be falling behind very early in the game. If I didn't do my push-ups, I'd have gone 2 days without exercise. And if I didn't do those things, I would hesitate to even write a post! Not that the rest of my day had gone incredibly sour, but it was not as productive as Monday or Tuesday.
So I followed through. Did my 12/10/7/7 set of pushups, then maxed out at 23 – I believe my highest ever. Read the book. Now I sit here typing. While I didn't have a perfect day, the rituals have helped me keep promises to myself. Now I need some morning rituals!
What can you commit to that will keep you feeling good about your productivity or lifestyle that is easy to do each day, but still moves you forward to a goal? Build ritual into your daily life, and you will build victories into your daily life. Victories beget victories – as well as energy and confidence.
What ritual will you start today?
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