When I sat down to write this post today, my mind went blank.
I typed ‘Go Team! 2024:’ in the title bar and then realized I didn’t know what to say.
So, I grabbed a small piece of paper and started drawing stars until one of them seemed ‘right’, then I coloured it and decorated the background.
And then I knew what to write about.
When I first started these posts a few years ago, I used to include photos of star decorations in my house (I have a lot!) or photos from online and that worked out fine but it didn’t add anything very much to my daily practice of reaching out with an encouraging post.
So, at some point, I started using star drawings instead (I have a lot!), and then I began drawing stars specifically for each post.
Sometimes I draw stars inspired by the post’s content and sometimes I use the drawing process as a ritual to help me write the post.
Sure, I guess I could say that drawing a star is part of my Go-Team-post-writing routine but calling it a ritual sounds fancier, magical, and more fun to me.
And it does feel more like a ritual than a routine.
It does feel like I am drawing (ha!) something out that I wouldn’t have otherwise been able to access.
And given that I know I can rely on my ritual to help me write, even if my mind is blank at the start, I’m wondering if a ritual would be helpful for your practice as well.
What kind of activities or actions could help you switch from another task to your habit-building task?
What small rituals can make your practice feel more fun or more magical or fancier? (if fanciness is appealing to you)
If you have to bundle up before going on your daily walk, could you consider donning your hat and mitts as a ritual? Could you add something to the process to make it more fun/magical/fancy?
If you plan to do some meditative drawing, could you start by lighting a candle or by laying out your supplies in a certain way or by putting on specific music? Would those changes make it more magical, a little more special? Would they help soften the sense that this is something you *have* to do and bring it closer to something you *want* to do?
Anything that you want/have/plan to do can be enhanced by a ritual, whether you add extra elements to the activity or “just” reconsider how you approach it.
(Putting on your mitts can be just putting on your mitts or it can be a step in the ritual of preparation, depending on how you look at it.)
Is this all silly? Perhaps a little.
But adding a little silly fun can make a big difference and help you shift from thinking about doing something to actually doing it.
And having that ritual, that process, has its own momentum that can ease you forward to the next step without overthinking it.
I’ve often seen trainers advise people to put on their exercise clothes first thing in the morning or right after work so they will be in the ‘gonna exercise’ mindset.
I think the same thing applies to an ritual you attach to your practice. Aside from adding fun, it makes the practice almost inevitable.
Sometimes, it just seems to be easier to start a ritual than to jump into a practice.
And I’m all for anything that makes things easier.
And we don’t have to get precious or prescriptive about our rituals, we all know that we *can* do our practices without doing a ritual.
I could have also come up with a post (a different one, obviously) by making some lists, looking at past posts, using writing prompts, or just typing until something started to make sense but the ritual felt easiest today.
(In my case, it also helps that the drawing is part of the post so my ritual isn’t just about getting me started, it’s also getting me closer to done.)
So, a ritual is really one tool in your toolbox to help keep your practice going. It’s one you can use regularly, when things get challenging, or, if it doesn’t seem useful, you can just leave it to rattle around at the bottom of the box.*
And ritual or no ritual, here is your gold star for your efforts today.
I wish you ease, self-kindness, and peace of mind. 💚
* In my imagination, your habit building toolbox is one of those red metal toolboxes with the removable tray so the rattling makes sense to me. If you have a more orderly toolbox in mind, feel free to choose a different end for that sentence. 😉