How do you feel about systems and structures?
We ask this question to clients a lot when we’re teaching them about habits. Some people love and live by their systems, and some people feel resistance to the very thought of them.
In an earlier chapter of my life, when I was pursuing classical singing, I followed a diligent practice schedule. It was necessary to maintain the high level of performance that I had to do with choir and solo work.
Being a classical singer helped me develop a strong work ethic, but sometimes, the intense hours spent running through scales and vocal exercises left me feeling uninspired and constrained. I knew it was necessary, and I did it because being in front of an audience was an amazing experience.
When I left that world, the pendulum swung the other way as I sought a feeling of more spaciousness and freedom in my days. I’d spent so many years steeped in structure that I rebelled against the very thought of it.
But now, as I navigate working in corporate wellness and the many hats I wear at Prasada, I’m reminded of the necessity to return to that structure, and I’m choosing to view structure as support rather than restrictive.
One of our favorite habit experts, James Clear, says “You do not rise to the level of your goals; you fall to the level of your systems.” So as you contemplate our theme of PRACTICE this month, what habits are the systems that support you in thriving in your daily life?