Routine vs. Ritual
How to make the mundane a ritual you'll look forward to.
Routine bores me. It always has and probably always will.
I’ve never found solace in it, and to be honest, I don’t really understand how anyone could do the same thing over and over again and not be bored by the end of it. For those who do, good for you. I envy your ability to be routine-oriented and I’m almost certain that you have your life together in a way that’s much more stable than mine - and for it, I applaud you.
As for me, I’ll be here writing chaotically, traveling the world, and changing countries at the most minor inconvenience in attempt to call it a life - kidding, kind of :)
Here’s the thing - routine bores me but ritual ignites me. Which is where a new way to look at the things, habits, and itemized to-do lists that you call ‘routine’ comes in.
Let’s say that you prefer to work out three times per week. You have your favorite classes, your preferred instructors, and you like to throw a solo gym-sesh in there just to keep things interesting. Love this. Do this. Am all for this. But going to the same classes in the same place week after week, year after year, BORING. Even for the most ritualized of individuals. My suggestion is to bring some lightness into the routine you so adore. Let’s say you typically do pilates on Tuesdays and yoga on Thursdays. Switch it up. Go to different classes in different neighborhoods, with different teachers, at different times of day (or different cities and countries if you’re like me). It will make your Tuesday pilates and Thursday yoga a ritual you love instead of a routine you tolerate. And, I promise you, life will feel different.
There’s something light about trying something new, and the benefits to your body, mind, and spirit are astonishing. You use your intuition in selecting the classes you go to, the body benefits from the change of movement and instruction, and your mind gets to feel like it’s wandering all while still following that routine you know and love. The difference is that it becomes ritualized. And that ritual will soon feel like a date with yourself rather than a task you need to ‘check-off’ of your to-do list.
The same goes with coffee orders, breakfast routines, work settings (when possible), and the way that you choose to dress, do your hair, drive or commute to work, etc. There’s a possibility for ritual in every routine, and every routine has the ability to become a ritual (even walking your dog, if you fancy).
There’s no right or wrong way to do routine, but there are some rules to ritual if I may make some suggestions:
Commit to it. A ritual is a part of your routine, so you want to ensure that you do it regularly and with some grit. It doesn’t mean that it has to happen every week, and beating yourself up for missing a day isn’t helpful. What it does mean is that it’s something you look forward to, you want to prioritize for yourself, and that’ll you’ll do consistently as a ritualized routine that you just do. If you’re really committed to the bit, people could even come to know you for it. Which, in my opinion, is so chic.
Do it with joy. Here’s the thing that truly separates a routine from a ritual - you look forward to it. Most of it is perspective (99%), but the change really helps you feel as if your normal coffee stop or dry-cleaner pick-up becomes something you want to do rather than something you have to do. Buying yourself flowers after a workout or not so desirable errand has become a personal favorite. Sometimes the switch of the word makes all of the difference (trust).
Don’t take it for granted. Gratitude is one of those funny
adjectivesnouns that becomes a verb when you do it regularly and with intention. We take so much of our lives for granted, and it really takes the cake when we do the same things day in and day out. We barely even notice the pretty new flowers outside of our workout studio or the new faces in our coffee shop. The routine becomes the norm, which is where the magic of the ritual comes into play. Treating every moment and every stop like you’re meant to be there really puts the magic back into life and the ‘everyday’. It’s worth the extra effort - promise.
Before we go on this one (and imma let you go, I promise), take a moment to think about your everyday routines. What workout classes do you go to (or what ones do you wish you went to)? Where do you go everyday or every week that has started to feel a bit bleak over time? Can you switch up that place? Maybe try a new coffee shop or take a different route to school pick-up? Maybe buy yourself a rose or two before swinging by the dry-cleaner on your way home? This is how we create rituals to replace our routines, and lighten the load when it comes to the ‘have-to’s’. Letting those to-do lists and tasks become ‘want-to’s’ can seriously change your life.
Drop me a note below. What routine are you going to transform into a ritual this week? How do you expect it to transform your weeks and months ahead? And, what are you most looking forward to getting out of this experience?
❤️
Sending you so much love. thanks for reading x
With a full heart,
Katy M.