Turn Your Mini-Rituals (Habits) Into a Life-Changing Practice
Things you already do each day can lead you to the creativity, abundance, wholeness you seek
Developing an intentional daily practice, by doing things you’re already doing…
~ by merging your usual routines and habits into a practice that elevates your ability to consistently feel grounded, abundant, whole.
What sorts of things do you do (mostly) every day?
Also known as habits, for our purposes here — creating a daily routine or practice that you enjoy, that inspires you to live with intention and purpose each day — let’s call these tasks, activities, and behaviors mini-rituals. Things like…
making coffee or tea, a morning beverage
making your bed
taking a shower
getting dressed
eating your first meal
creating something
reading a book
exercising
working
driving
Take a minute to jot down on scrap paper, in your phone notes, or make a mental list, of all of your daily habits & routines (good and bad). Here’s a screenshot of some of my notes…
How can you turn your routine, habitual tasks, activities, and behaviors into a daily practice that moves you towards the bigger picture, that bigger vision you have for yourself, for your life…catapulting you into one who attracts your desires on a consistent basis?
What routines do you need to add to your daily ritual list?
For me, it’s consistent exercise in the form of a daily walk and yoga practice. And when I can’t take a walk, then it’s a 100% commitment to a longer yoga practice.
Why a daily walk? Because when I’m out in nature, feeling the air and sunshine on my skin, hearing the birds chirp and chatter, feeling the earth beneath my feet…when I’m aware of my body in motion…when my mind is focused on something other than my annoying thoughts…
I find synchronicities in the mundane that I might otherwise overlook.
Ideas flow to me - for work, for writing, for giving, for a peaceful day.
My body feels good and my breathing feels full.
God & Mother Nature speak directly to me.
On a walk this week, I was lucky enough to spot a cold dragonfly on the sidewalk…not moving, and in danger of being killed accidentally. How often do you get to look a dragonfly in the eyes, to watch move its little legs, one by one, onto a flower and then a stick so it can be moved to safety? What message was being sent to me in this beautiful, magical moment?!
What routines do you need to remove from your daily ritual list?
Last week I decided it was finally time to remove my beloved coffee from the daily practice. I was drinking way too much, it no longer tasted good, and it took too long to consume - which delayed my other, actually productive, morning activities.
I had given up coffee for more than a year back in 2017-18, brewing instead a chicory based tea that tasted closer to coffee (Teeccino - flavor: Java), and I enjoyed it a lot. It’s still my go-to for making 1/2 regular 1/2 decaf coffee…weird, I know!
Instead, I’ve started crafting a London Fog each morning, which feels more like a sweet, quiet ritual I want to have in my day…and, for the last week, I’m feeling clear-headed, more awake, and lighter. And to make it an even more enjoyable ritual, I bought the cutest little electric teapot, and am warming and frothing skim milk…I’m also planning a run to Williams-Sonoma to buy their Lavender syrup to add a little something special! Now I’d call this an upgrade to my morning practice…because I’m creating something lovely, versus setting the coffee pot the night before to brew a beverage I no longer enjoy.
The New Morning Practice…
Now my day includes this pairing of rituals that I intend to have compound in manifestation outcomes in months to come…
Wake a little earlier to take out the dogs (not enjoyable, but a must…and the burst of fresh Florida air is a nice treat when the world is still quiet)
Dressing for exercise
Crafting my London Fog
School drop off and sweet conversation
Walking
Yoga
Meditation & Prayer
Writing, Publishing, Sharing, Serving
This practice, filled with 8 rituals, feels just right. It feels spacious, safe, and allows me the ability to surrender to a boundary of time where I can be creative and disciplined and free…and one where, over time, I will be able to create the bigger picture, the destiny I desire.
Three Tips for Creating Space for Your Ritual Practice: If you haven’t already…
Set screen time limits, especially for social scrolling. Even if you break the limit, you get the warning (every 15 minutes for me), so you can either skip the warning or stop the scrolling. At least there is a time boundary…you choose to honor it or break it.
Use the focus feature on your phone. I like to use the Mindfulness focus setting because it doesn’t show the focus status in my text messages. It’s set to only allow my husband, daughter, and her school to come through in messages and phone calls, and it helps my focus tremendously.
Hide group text message notifications. I’ll admit, I’m not a very good group texter. I always feel like I’m saying something stupid or “arriving late to the party” or interrupting someone else’s day. But, on the other hand, by hiding these message alerts I’m able to commit time to them when I’m ready which also gives better focus to those in the group…and keeps me within a good boundary of time.
This work is not just about building your rituals into a practice…it’s about creating a practice that is more like a beautiful ceremony, fueled by intention…one that’s going to help you achieve your goals and dreams.
There’s power in the
intentional combining of habits…
What is the intention behind a certain combo of rituals?
That’s up to you!
What do you desire more than anything? Do you have a plan for attracting this desire into your life? (Think in the areas of: health, wealth, relationships, lifestyle)
For example, by combining my morning walk, yoga, meditation, and prayer, and writing into a practice that happens Monday through Friday between 7:45am and 11:00am, I move closer to attracting (manifesting) my dream business. I also reduce nervous energy (anxiety, worry) because I’ve removed social scrolling from that window / period of time. Compounded day after day, week after week, I’ve created something significant…through ritual, practice, and intention.
Self-Guided Workshop: Combining Rituals into a Daily Practice
Tools Needed (some or all):
journal, blank paper OR your Notes app on your phone OR a blank doc on your computer
pens, pencils, pastels, paints
a quiet space for contemplation and working
Feel free to pause this 10 minute audio before you begin the exercise, when directed, or whenever it feels right, so you can make notes in your journal.
It’s now time to zero in on your intention (the fuel), and write out your ritual lists that you’ll combine to create your daily practice (your vehicle).
Step 1: List Making
Write down all the things you do on a daily basis. No matter how wonderful and important they are, or how mundane, unhealthy, irritating, and wasteful they seem…write them all down, the good and the bad. You may want to take a day to do this…keeping pen and paper with you, or your phone to note what you’re doing, so you have a full list you can review and pull from when you’re ready to create your practice.
When your list feels complete…
Circle the rituals you enjoy, love, crave, need…the ones that cause you to feel fulfilled, healthy, like you’re moving towards the goal(s) you set for yourself.
Cross out the rituals you don’t like. These are the habits you’ll need to begin releasing by not giving them space within your day…or at least within the space of your practice. (Don’t worry…it will take time, but you can do it!)
Step 2: Quiet Body, Quiet Mind
Get really quiet. Focus on your breath. Find yourself centered and grounded in your body. Take some time to get there. Perhaps you take a brisk walk or do a little invigorating exercise first…this will help you quiet your mind, which is necessary for this step.
Step 3: Writing Thoughts, Ideas, Notes
While you’re in quiet-mode…continue to focus on your breathing…maybe your eyes are closed…maybe you’re saying a prayer…then…free write your thoughts when something juicy, interesting, insightful, nagging comes to you. None of it has to make sense…just write. No need for editing or judging. Just quietly breathe and write.
Step 4: Getting to Intention
Perhaps you already know what it is you truly desire, you can see clearly the bigger picture you want to have in and for your life. Maybe you’re not quite sure.
Either way, take some time while you’re quiet to begin to feel what it is you really want, not just visualizing it in your mind, but feeling it in your body.
How does the life you see yourself living feel in your body?
How do you walk?
What do you wear, eat, smell, see, hear, create?
How do your loved ones behave, move when they are around you?
Where on this planet are you waking up, living, working, enjoying life?
What are you doing…perhaps your rituals and daily practice have changed now that you are this future version of yourself. What does your day look like now?
How are you breathing? Feeling? Behaving?
What is the energy that fills your body like now? Calm, peaceful, joyful…something else?
When you take the time to explore yourself and how you feel in the actual future you desire to create for yourself…you then find your intention.
Final thoughts…
I hope you’ve been able to see how the things you already do each day can lead you to living a life filled with all the creativity, abundance, and wholeness you desire.
If you bring in and enhance the “rituals” that feel right and good to you each day, and release the ones that no longer serve you and move you towards the goals you set for yourself, you are on your way to living a life you love...one that is carefully, tenderly, lovingly crafted with the most beautiful of intentions…yours!
If you’d like to explore these steps more deeply, create your ultimate daily practice, or find your intention, the fuel you need to move you forward each day…let’s do it together!
Book a free 30-minute Zoom call so we can set you on the path to your bigger picture!
If you’ve found this to be useful, please feel free to share it with someone else who might benefit!
Until next week, I wish you magical moments and intention-filled days!
xoxo Michelle