The Importance of Ritual

For years I baulked at the idea of routine, I wanted to be free, to do as I wish, I was excited by retirement from a very demanding job, and I dreamt of getting up whenever I felt like it and taking it easy. Soon enough I realised that I would achieve very little that way. Whether one is working an 8-5 job, studying or working part-time and managing a home and children, a structured day helps us fit in the aspects of the personal time, professional time and family time. If we do not make our routine our ritual, very soon a myriad of demands will surface, and we will be left with that feeling of frustration in which our own health and wellbeing are sacrificed on the altar of family or professional needs.

This idea was brought home to me this morning as I was listening to an interview with Ryan Holiday who has been studying stoicism from a young age and has written a number of books on the subject. He made the point that at some stage your daily routine can become your ritual whether or not it is imbued with spiritual elements.

I have developed a morning routine which to some degree has the element of ritual. I find that a showering in warm and then in ice cold water first thing in the morning, getting dressed, and doing a 15-minute meditation followed by a few strength and yoga exercises, then making my espresso coffee and heading out on a daily power-walk is a series of actions that have turned into my morning ritual, granting me a sense of achievement before other demands encroach on my day.

In my work with my clients, I hear struggles akin to my own. How to manage time, get enough sleep, exercise, prepare and cook good food, spend time with family, work efficiently and effectively - these are all more common than uncommon. Planning and setting in place a routine that over time becomes your ritual, something almost sacred, are the key to achieving the change you want in your life.