I find this time of year filled with various rituals. Ritual is vital and here is why. For child rearing, kids value ritual. They need consistency as they are being raised or they’d be a mess. Can you imagine if one day they went to school and the next day the didn’t?

Or if they went to bed at 8 pm each night but then they started to go to bed at 1 am? Their little lives would be a mess and as a parent, you could have more than a handful of craziness to deal with.

There is something to be said for ritual. It builds consistency in an ever changing world.

We need ritual to connect and bring people together to celebrate certain rituals.

We have religious ritual and ceremony. It gives us meaning, we share in the experience, the methodology and teachings.

We have work rituals, or best practices, systems and procedures. Ritual in a work or business sense is a series of proven steps that get certain results.

Lastly, there is a health and wellness ritual. Where you work out each day, or eat carefully, healthy and you practice mindfulness around exercise and eating well.

The dictionary defines ritual as this…”a religious or solemn ceremony consisting of a series of actions performed according to a prescribed order.”

But if you look at the word ritual…it has deeper meaning than that. For example a baseball player or athlete might have a certain way of preparing for the big game.

A performer might have various ways of getting ready for opening night on the stage!

Peak performers such as successful business owners have habits, ritual and routines they follow in order to achieve success!

This time of year some of my favourite rituals include weekly prayer, or doing year end planning, goal setting, visioning and revising my business plans as well as my personal plans.

I buy new inspirational wall calendars, a new day timer, a new pen, tools that help me to be more successful. I even re-do my mission statement and a new vision board! (see below)

I go inside more, rest more and at Christmas time, I love to do a deep clean or de-clutter job, I also love seeing a holiday show, movies over the Christmas break and maybe even help the homeless.

Humans historically love rituals. And it turns out that rituals can play an important role in giving your life meaning and in finding success.

Rituals are repeated, intentional, and give you more energy. They can be used to punctuate low points of your day where you need an extra energy boost.

I love my morning ritual of meditating, doing a gratitude journal, writing out my affirmations and exercising before work. I am up at 5:30 most weekdays and I do this routine without fail or my day isn’t as good!

I also watch a power video for 5 minutes with Darren Hardy, publisher of Success Magazine.

So, why do rituals work?

Below are 5 keys to the power of having ritual in your life, business and wherever else you might need.

The power of rituals

You set yourself up for a win. Whatever your ritual, once you accomplish it, you feel good about yourself. This one small success gives you a sense of purpose and confidence that empowers you to take on your next challenge.
You gain a sense of control. When you mindfully practice the same routine every day, it gives you a focused, calm energy that gives you more control
You condition your mind. When you perform the same ritual at the start of a low energy period or before a big challenge, your mind grows accustomed to how that period or challenge begins. It allows you to relax, get out of your own way, and easily get into the flow of the task at hand.
You’re more engaged. Rituals force you to be mindful, involved, and consumed in the experience (rather than just going through the motions haphazardly.)
You perform at a higher level. During rituals, you’re mindful and break down the task into individual steps. You can improve upon each step individually, bettering your overall level of performance.

So as you move through this final quarter of the year, what are some rituals you can put in place? Let me know what you’re up to and what maybe working now as far as ritual goes.

Make it a great week in the meantime!

Cheers/David Cohen