Estimated Reading Time 6 Minutes
Hey You! Welcome to a new year and you guessed it, a new episode of The Vibrant Life Podcast. I’m Emily Romrell and I’m happy to be here with you as we dive into what it means to live your best life.
How has this first week been for you? Are you excited about a fresh start and setting some amazing goals? I hope so, but I also hope that you won’t be discouraged if you haven’t. Or maybe you have already slipped up a bit on your ambitions. I’ve already fallen short a couple of times, so you’re not alone. You know, there’s a lot of pressure that we sometimes put on ourselves at the start of a new year. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and get down on ourselves. Don’t give in to those feelings, friends. I think it’s vital to remember that we’re all human and making mistakes is part of the process. The important thing is to just keep going. Try again tomorrow. And gradually we grow into the people we are working so hard to become.
If you’re looking for a little help to get going with your goals, you should check out The Vibrant Life Goal Planner. This all-inclusive goal tracker, calendar, and personal journal will maximize your potential and help you create a life you truly love.
Also, we’re into the second year of the podcast. Can you believe it? This last year has been so rewarding for me as I’ve put my energy and effort into this show. It’s amazing what a commitment to a higher focus each week can do. If the podcast has been of value to you, I’d so appreciate a quick review on Apple Podcasts. And don’t forget to share the love with your friends and family.
Alrighty, Peeps, let’s get down to it. One thing I do that’s incredibly meaningful is to choose a word or a phrase as my focus for the year. This year my theme is The Power In Patterns. I want to pay closer attention to patterns in nature, patterns with people, making connections wherever I find them, and of course, I want to strengthen my commitment to good habits and routines in my day-to-day life.
2021 was a whirlwind with lots of highs and lows. I think y’all can relate to that, and I let myself get blown a bit off course. My daily routine has suffered and I’ve found it difficult to be consistent in those healthy habits that make or break your day. So with the new year, I’ve pondered a lot on the importance of habits and routines. Why is it so difficult to stick with patterns that I know make my life better?
A small lightning bolt of inspiration struck my mind and my heart as I contemplated these weaknesses. You need to transform your routines into rituals. The thought literally bowled me over and I had to sit down on my couch to wonder at the idea.
Let’s take a moment and look at the word “routine” and the emotions that come with it. Personally, my chest gets heavy and immediately wants to sigh. I think of phrases like “the daily grind”, and I associate it with words like “dull” or “boring”. Because while repetition is necessary in so many parts of life, the human soul craves newness and variety.
Now let’s think about the word “ritual” and the emotions that emerge. Rituals are sacred. Rituals are symbolic and full of meaning. Rituals require participation and rituals are events that people look forward to. Mixed feelings of solemnness, anticipation, excitement, and importance come to my heart and mind.
Rituals have been a part of human existence as long as there has been human existence. Every culture has its own ceremonies and traditions. Every religion associates meaning to sacred rites. But even if you aren’t a religious person I can guarantee you have rituals in your life. Athletes are famous for their good luck rituals on game day. Maybe your family has a ritual in Sunday dinner every week. You get the idea.
So what’s the difference? It’s intention, right? It’s being thoughtful and deliberate in your actions. It’s finding the purpose in the practice that you choose to do daily.
There’s a fabulous talk by Jennifer Brinkerhoff Platt entitled Walking in the Light of His Love that was given at BYU back in 2015. I have a link in the show notes, and you should definitely check it out. Her position at that time was a visiting professor of ancient scripture, so I’m guessing she knows a little bit about rituals. And she confirms that knowledge in this talk. I want to share just a brief excerpt with you:
Bringing meaning to our day-to-day tasks helps us to walk in the light of His love. I believe that many of us do good things every day but perhaps have become complacent and routine in our performance, forgetting to acknowledge or recognize the power of doing small and simple things with great meaning and purpose. For years now I have studied the power of ritual and the impact intentionality has on the most mundane occurrences. Rather than performing our day-to-day routines with little thought or effort, the most ordinary event can become rich in meaning. This is a practice of emulating Christ’s approach to life by bringing purpose into the details of our lives. We can ritualize the ordinary. Rather than associate the word ritual with pagan ceremonies or animal sacrifices, consider a ritual as performing an act with sacredness by seeking for symbolic meaning.
And a bit later she goes on to say:
Understanding how to approach a ritual helps us to make the ordinary into meaningful, symbolic experiences. According to Barbara Fiese, a ritual is a symbolic event that has three fundamental parts: preparation for the event, participation in the event, and reminiscence of the event. These three elements of a ritual can (and often do) overlap, with participation being the predominant element. For instance, an individual may remember and reflect on past participation in a ritual while preparing for a future event. Within the context of a ritual, a group or community defines themselves and demonstrates their values and beliefs through the use of artifacts, symbols, and communication.
Any ordinary occurrence can become sacred when the act is planned for, participated in with purpose, and then reminisced. This can be applied to making your bed, driving the carpool, studying for an exam, eating a meal with a loved one, studying the scriptures, praying—everything we do. We can emulate the life of the Master by doing ordinary things with great intent.
I love those words so much. And I think they describe my point today brilliantly. By assigning intent to our actions we can find deeper meaning in our daily tasks and habits.
So what’s the “how-to” side of this? Like every worthwhile concept, it’s one thing to understand and another to actually do. I have a few suggestions for you that I’m working on implementing into my own life.
1. Pray. I am a religious person, so you’ll just have to accept that if you’re not. And if you’re not, I still love you and I’m so glad you’re here. But here’s the truth: there is power in prayer, and if you ask Heavenly Father to help you remember the meaning in your actions, he will. But if you are resistant to praying in a formal sense, I’d strongly recommend meditation and taking time to sit quietly and ponder about this. I know it will make a difference.
2. Post It Notes. Literally put reminders nearby in the areas where you perform different actions. You might put a note reminding you to be thankful for your beautiful body on your mirror so you can think about that when you brush your teeth. Or you could tape an inspiring quote onto your water bottle. The simple act of writing things down embeds them deeper into your brain, and that message will of course come through again when you see the notes in the places that you left them.
3. Music. Whether it’s instrumental stuff in the background that enhances the atmosphere or a favorite song that pumps up your daily workout, music can make a big difference in how you feel about daily tasks.
4. Include Others. I recently joined a group challenge to be healthier over the next 12 weeks and it’s been so fun to see the encouragement that comes through our little text group. When you include others, you feel accountable to them which helps you stay on track. They also provide reminders of why your goals are important and support you when you need them.
I think we all can acknowledge that routines are important to a successful life. We need positive daily habits to stay healthy and keep life organized. But if we can transform our routines into rituals, I think we will find ourselves looking forward to those tasks that we used to avoid. We can add a layer of deeper meaning and intentionality into our lives. And that my friends will lead to a more vibrant life.
Have a terrific week, everybody. Let’s do this.
