What you do everyday forms your future self. The small actions that you do everyday forms who you ultimately become. By consciously deciding and choosing your everyday actions you can ensure that you are crafting the person you need to be in order to achieve the outcome you desire. These everyday actions, known as habits and rituals, when replicated over the course of a week begin to form the basis for change. As you replicate these habits and rituals over the course of a month you will start to notice a tangible difference in how you see yourself, your thoughts and attitudes, and your perception of your outside world. When you repeat these habits and rituals over the course of a year or more you may find that you no longer recognise the person you used to be – you will have changed. There is power in each and every small habit and ritual you replicate over time. For better or worse, your habits and rituals determine who you will ultimately become.
Look at the habits and rituals you have in place or need to establish that are linked to your outcome. This is your opportunity to consciously determine who you need to become in order to achieve the outcome you seek.
What habits do you need to start doing, stop doing or continue doing to develop the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual discipline required for the outcome you desire?
Habits and rituals are small actions that you can do consistently everyday for a sustained period of time or indefinitely. It is important that you consider four areas to establish the habits and rituals to support who you need to become. These four areas are:
- Physical (exercise, maintenance, nourishment)
- Mental (education, stimulation, challenge)
- Emotional (play, writing, experiences, expression, dialogue)
- Spiritual (prayer, meditation, reflection, serving others, nature immersion)
Generally people tend to focus first, and sometimes exclusively, on the physical habits and rituals e.g. diet and exercise related actions. However, it is critical that you establish habits and rituals on a holistic level which means you need to implement habits and rituals to support your mental, emotional and spiritual self.
Generate a list of all the habits you do under each category – Physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. Capture those that you are currently doing and also generate one’s that you know would be ideal to support the person you need to be. Against each habit and ritual listed, identify if it is something you need to start doing, stop doing or continue doing.
Ensure your final list of habits and rituals are achievable on a daily or consistent basis and are able to fit into your daily life. This will give you the best chance and sustaining these actions amid the chaos of life.
