This year, invite rituals into your days
It’s the first day of a new year, which means renewal is in vogue again. While I don’t place much belief in the ‘new year, new me’ fad, I do appreciate the palpable energy of reawakening in the air.
This got me thinking about rituals. And routines.
Rituals are signals; they tell the world who we are and what we represent. Ancient civilisations engaged in ritualistic behaviour to maintain society. While many rituals remain rooted in culture and tradition, we take a more personal approach in modern society.
But a ritual is not the same as a routine.
A routine is a series of habits that offer consistency, structure, and convenience to our lives. They help us be efficient and at times, on autopilot.
Taking a walk after lunch might be part of your routine. But walking with a friend is a cherished ritual.
The morning coffee is a routine staple but with a certain intention, it becomes a ritual. Like pairing your coffee with journaling or music—or both!
Rituals welcome your interests; it’s when you’re most mindful and creative. Activities that bring richness to your life naturally blend into rituals.
Activities that challenge or torment you into procrastination might also benefit from its enlivening nature, so try turning them into a ritual. As an example, writers have been known to indulge in the affluence of rituals to get into a creative mindset, where words flow easily and the pen doesn’t stop. ( I eat 3 grapes and start writing at 3 minutes past the clock - I’m joking… that’s a superstition, not a ritual! )
But not everything can and should be a ritual. Some activities deserve the ‘let’s get it done’ quality of routines. In fact, some start of as routines before they can be enjoyed as rituals.
As we begin a new year, self-rumination will be commonplace and so I offer you a snack to include in your reflections: Think deeply about what you want in abundance this year and explore how rituals can help invite them into your days.
Happy new year, friends!
I enjoy adopting ‘happy habits’ that turn into personal rituals. They help me design my life and its days, in an orderly fashion and to take forward steps at my own ‘tortoise’ style pace. 🐢
It’s taken a longtime but I’ve almost (sigh) left behind the echos of “you are so slow!” from the ridiculing ‘hares’ who, despite their energy consuming ‘activity’, don’t always achieve much.
And…, many are decidedly miserable. :-(
Anyone else for ‘slow and happy’?