7 Rituals to Help You Move Heaven and Earth

By Alice Calch on July 30, 2015 - Fact checked by Dumb Little Man

by Alice Calch July 30, 2015

The things that we do to help ourselves only have ongoing positive effects if we make them into habits. Positive change is even more profound and more permanent when those habits become rituals. What is the difference between a habit and a ritual? A habit is simply something that you do on a regular basis without the need to force yourself to do so. A ritual is something that you are compelled to do because it is meaningful to you, and you feel a deficit in your life when you when that ritual goes missing. If you are seeking overall life improvement that is permanent, try these 7 (one representing each day of the week) rituals.

Table of Contents

1.Reward Yourself with an Hour of Physical Activity Each Day
2. Pick a New Healthy Eating Habit Each Month: Then Implement it Daily
3.Make a Significant Weekly Commitment to Personal Education and Enrichment
4.Consciously Disconnect Once a Week
5. Commit to a Project
6.Embrace a One thing in One thing Out Mentality: Then Make it Happen
7.Write Each Days To-Do List as if You’ve Already Accomplished it

1.Reward Yourself with an Hour of Physical Activity Each Day

Yes, reward yourself. After all, what could possibly have a higher pay out than increased health and longevity? If that sounds a bit “rah-rah” for your tastes, that’s okay. Physical activity isn’t fun for everybody, but if you commit to it, you will begin to feel better. That feeling can lead to a habit, and that habit could become a ritual. Here are some examples of exercises that a beginner can use to get started.

Why should you commit to an hour? Because it sends a message to others, and yourself that you are worth a solid sixty minutes of time.

2. Pick a New Healthy Eating Habit Each Month: Then Implement it Daily

When it comes to eating habits, the worst thing is an epiphany. This is because most diet related epiphanies aren’t really epiphanies at all. They are simply temporary and dramatic reactions to moments of frustration about the way we look and feel. Ultimately, there are no epiphanies here. As adults, we know what is good for us and what is bad for us to put into our bodies. So, instead of swearing off sugar altogether or becoming a vegan in one day, why not make a single commitment each month to adopting one healthy eating habit and then acting on that commitment every single day.

3.Make a Significant Weekly Commitment to Personal Education and Enrichment

If you are not able to create a habit or ritual out of anything else, please work on this step. There is nothing you can do that can improve your life in more ways than to focus on your own educational development. Once upon a time, it was very common for corporations to allow employees 4 hours each week for personal education and development. Why not give yourself the gift of that time each week.

4.Consciously Disconnect Once a Week

You owe yourself and those who interact with you, a commitment to spend time each week away from your phone, computer, tablet, and other devices. Believe it or not, your brain really does need a break from that kind of stimulation in order to stay sharp and focused.

5. Commit to a Project

Yes, you are busy. Yes you get a lot done during the day. You still need a project. It can be anything that you wish, but it should be something that obligate yourself to work on regularly. The focus of your project should be your own enjoyment and development. If your project becomes a means by which you connect with a loved one, this is also a good thing. One final rule, you are not allowed to beat yourself up over the progress that you are making. You can only criticize yourself for not dedicating the time that you should be.

6.Embrace a One thing in One thing Out Mentality: Then Make it Happen

Clutter has such a horrible impact on productivity. We know that people have different approaches to organization, but the beauty of one thing in one thing out is that it can work for anybody. The basic concept is that for every new thing that comes into your life, you send another thing away. Could this concept be applied metaphysically? Sure it could, but for now spending a bit of time each week finding things to donate, pitch, or repurpose is a great way to balance out what you have consumed. Eventually, some people find their ritual in the purging of goods. Others crave the process of donating items or making them into something new.

7.Write Each Days To-Do List as if You’ve Already Accomplished it

There is nothing more important than what you tell yourself. Start with your to-do list. Phrases such as “need to” “want to” or “must do” give you permission to push things off as either being optional or something that can wait. On the other hand, phrases like “I can”, “I Have”, and “I did” will promote a feeling of obligation to reach your goals.