It’s time to get naked. Metaphorically speaking of course. This is the post where I pull back the covers on my personal daily ritual. Not as a formula — you shouldn’t try to apply this exact routine in your life. This ritual was built for me by me, and you must do the same. I present it here as a framework, or more accurately an example. My hope is that by exposing myself in this way I can provide you some inspiration, some sparks of thought, and some idea of how to approach building your own routines and rituals.
With that said, I present to you, the 6 R’s:
- Run (and workout)
- Read (physical and audio books)
- Rest (meditate)
- wRite (journal daily, blog weekly)
- Relax (creatively)
- Reflect (gratitude journal before bed)
I chose these daily actions based on my personal goals and aspirations. Some of these tasks directly support tangible goals. For example this year I intend to run 1,000 miles, read at least 50 books, and publish at least 100 individual works. You can see how running, reading, and writing support this directly.
Other activities in my ritual support less tangible aspirations less directly. For me, meditation (“rest” on my list) is a mindfulness practice that allows me to be more in touch with my thoughts and emotions and thus more centered and in-control throughout each day. This leads to both greater happiness and greater productivity. Similarly, reflecting on the best things that happened each day in my gratitude journal before bed also helps make me happier in general, nicer to other people, and more resilient in the face of adversity.
And many of these things serve multiple purposes, both direct and indirect, both tangible and intangible. That’s the beauty of a personalized daily ritual. Over the past few years I have customized it to include the highest impact activities. The things that drive the most productivity and positivity in my life while also moving me closer to completing my goals and ultimately fulfilling my chosen purpose.
What’s more, the whole system is built to get me into flow more regularly and reliably. Flow and peak experience is a rabbit hole we won’t dive into today, but you can learn more about habit, routine, and ritual…
