Top 10 Rituals You Need To Implement to Change Your Life

2014

[box type="note" align="alignright" ]I'm excited to be sharing the following post with you. " Consistency: Moving from Habitual to Ritual " is part 2 of 2 in the " The Foundations of Simplify to Amplify " series by Clay Brizendine. If you missed part 1 a few weeks ago, click here. Now go ahead, read on, take notes and enjoy! ~ Moose[/box]

How to get consistent with life: Moving from Habitual to Ritual

I've heard people say to me “I wish I had that kind of willpower” if I turn down a piece of cake at a gathering. I've actually said it myself to friends and family as they pass on a brownie that I’ll most likely eat in one bite. I've heard it time and time again when it comes to keeping a workout routine or living what is generally a healthy life.

What you need to know about Will Power

[three_fifth] Willpower is a funny thing. The American Psychological Association has written at length about it, quoting from a survey that “participants regularly cite lack of willpower as the No. 1 reason for not following through with such [healthy lifestyle] changes.” Some at Johnson and Johnson , through their own studies, have generally accepted the 95/5 rule… 5% of your energy is there to change habits and routines, while the other 95% is, in fact, your current habits and routines. [/three_fifth][two_fifth_last]

Participants regularly cite lack of willpower as the No. 1 reason for not following through with healthy lifestyle changes.

[/two_fifth_last] But regardless of how you want to look at it, our lives make it pretty clear: change is difficult, most of us resist it, and when faced with difficult decisions, the majority of the time we take the path most traveled. But what if you don’t want to? What if you do want to change?

That’s where Consistency , Simplify to Amplify’s second foundation principle, comes into play.

What's the difference between a "habit" and a "ritual"

First, a couple of definitions…

A habit is something that you simply do, and it could be physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual. From how you put on your pants and how you hold your pen all the way to how you deal with emotional stress and when you choose to focus on things… these are all habits that you've formed over time.

Will power quote james gordon #mooseisloose

In contrast, a ritual is something done the same over time (like a habit) but in support of a greater good or purpose. Reading bedtime stories to your kids because you want to be a great parent, drinking more water to support a healthy lifestyle, etc. are examples of rituals… they are in support of a greater good.

And let’s use the 95/5 rule for a moment as well. If I only have 5% of my energy to devote to changing something in my life, that leaves me little wiggle room to do much more than try to change 1 or 2 things at a time. For example, have you ever tried changing your diet before? How much of your physical, emotional, and mental energy did it take to accomplish it? Did you try to change anything else in your life during that time? It’s almost impossible as adults to change a lot at once as we've spent years creating the habits that help guide our lives.

So you want to change something… something important… something that goes above and beyond the daily and mundane? Good. Use this list to help you through the process...