discipline vs. ritual - Prasada

As the seasons change, we all begin to see the end of the year like the end of a path. There is no denying it, another year has passed. Like in Monopoly, we pass go again and collect $200 dollars and reflect on what changed and what has stayed the same. Often the end of the year is hard because we clearly see exactly where we are. The things we did not achieve always seem to loom larger than what we did get done.

Our health also gets a critical review. You tried to get to the gym…really. You said no to the potato chips a few times. You took the stairs a few days instead of the elevator.

The bad news is most of us lack the discipline to make changes when we rely solely on self discipline. Studies show you have the self discipline you’re going to have. And it’s probably not going to increase. That’s the bad news. The good news is that you really don’t need that much. According to Ben Tal-Sharer, Harvard Professor and best selling author of several books about happiness, you don’t need more self discipline. You need more rituals.

So it’s just semantics you’re saying. Well maybe but he’s done a lot of research to support this claim. Rituals are behaviors you automatically do over time fueled by some deeply held value. Brushing your teeth is a ritual. We just do it with little energy. In the book, “The Power of Full Engagement” the power of rituals is that ” they insure that we use as little conscious energy as absolutely necessary, leaving us free to strategically focus the energy available to us in creative, enriching ways.”

So what if taking care of your body was a series of rituals…it already is in a way. You shower and brush your teeth and go to the dentist. What if you could ritualize more things so taking care of your body and mind were second nature?

Want to know more about developing positive rituals? Tune in next week.

Be well,

Alice Dommert
deliver me wellness
alice@delivermewellness.com