Daily Rituals

We spend so much time talking about what we want to do but we often never really get started.  Yet, there are in fact many things we do perhaps almost automatically and unconsciously.  These are our habits and they all started small.  Habits such as our morning rituals that we do daily.  Every day.  Ever wonder how those habits began?  What makes those habits stick for us such that they are things we do without thought or prompting?

I believe that in order to move from what we talk about or even hope to do requires us to create new habits or rituals.  The process of creating these habits is most effectively accomplished when we start small.  Let’s take a simple habit like our daily cup of coffee.  Many years ago when I started drinking coffee it was centered around relaxation and a social activity.  I would “go for coffee” with people from work.  That activity was intended to be a break from the work, which is what I wanted.  The coffee was just an activity.  Coffee was located in an area of the office where people would gather and sit for a few minutes.  It was common to enjoy your coffee in the break room before returning to work.  That simple routine was relaxing, did not take a large amount of time, and created many memories of conversations with friends and colleagues.  Over the coming years going for coffee became something that was then done before arriving at work.  Then it was the idea of stopping at a familiar place to get that first morning cup.  The quality of that cup of coffee was really high and it became a central ritual to my morning.  As time passed the morning cup of coffee became something that I made at home seeking to replicate the quality of that cup that I purchased at my local coffee shop.  Ultimately making that morning cup of coffee became so automatic that it was a part of my daily routine.  It required little thought.

Looking back on that small ritual I realize that the creation of new rituals in many ways may be as simple as having a daily cup of coffee.  Start with thinking about what you want (a moment of relaxation).  Next determine some small movement towards what you want (go to the break room for a few minutes).  Then, determine what you will do in that small increment of time (have a cup of coffee).  Finally, just do that every day.  Moving from desire to routines and ultimately habits is just this simple.   

As we seek to make improvements in our lives we must move our desires to a point of action and daily routines.  Small and simple acts that move us from where we are to where we want to be.

What do you want?  What simple act can you take to move in that direction?