rituals
“Rituals stabilize life by structuring time.”
-Byung-Chul Han
I used to be anti-rituals or strict routines.
I was afraid of becoming robotic by following the same daily routine; I was afraid of being superstitious by having the same pre-game ritual before basketball games; I was afraid of becoming complacent by doing the same thing every day.
While I think there is a risk of just going through the motions when following rituals and routines, I have begun to appreciate the value of rituals, especially when those rituals help you get into a state of mind and being that allows you to be the best version of your Self.
I’ve been relaxed over the years with my rituals and routines, partly because of the concerns I shared above, but also because I didn’t have something that required me to elevate to a higher state–or maybe I didn’t know how much better I could be. Over the last couple of years, as I discovered valuable rituals, I practiced them regularly enough to maintain my alignment of spirit, mind, body, and money, but not consistently enough to stay in my highest states of mind and being.
Now I understand and appreciate that, as Byung-Chul Han tells us, rituals also help structure time.
Time…that’s the thing I’ve failed to realize how important my rituals are for me. And that’s one of the things I value the most and need to maximize.
My rituals not only help me stay aligned, but I’m seeing how they help me accomplish everything I need to in my professional and personal life, which is crucial as I feel I’m in the “busiest” phase of my life.
I don’t know if the value of rituals is the alignment and elevated consciousness that comes from them, and the time structuring is the cherry on top, or if the value of rituals is the time structuring, and the alignment and elevated consciousness is the cherry.
It doesn’t matter to me.
All I know is that they give me both, and I desperately need them.
As I’ve become more disciplined with my rituals, I’ve noticed that I don’t feel robotic as I do them and stick to a routine. In fact, I have realized I’m far from robotic as I enter into a state of flow each day with the rituals.
Coming from someone who has resisted being too structured and relying too much on rituals, I recommend that you begin to identify which rituals help elevate your state of mind and being, and then prioritize them.
If you’re wondering, some of my professional rituals include (some of these are as recent as the last two weeks):
Waking up early
Working out with a friend/trainer (weights)
Meditating
Journaling
Yoga
Time blocking for professional tasks
Breathwork
Limited social media
Grayscale phone
Earlier bedtime
See you tomorrow and keep pursuing,
JC
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