This Year Build Rituals, Because Resolutions Are So Last Year
Intro
So, as we tick over into a new year, don’t get caught in the trap of making the same old resolutions:
- “This is going to be my best year ever”,
- “I’m going to exercise more, eat less and just generally be a better person”.
It is an excellent notion and one that many people try and stick to. But, even I know the shine on the apple wears off quick. The biggest thing I discovered last year was that goal setting is essential. Building rituals are much more critical to long term success and happiness.
So, a resolution is a goal.
- “I’m going to cut out sugar from my diet.
- I’ll to lose 5 kg”.
- “I want to do my first freestanding handstand push up”. (My goal for this new year).
The only problem with this is we can’t predict the future. Which is all a goal is, a prediction.
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The Difference Between Making Goals And Building Rituals:
Say you’re a runner: Your goal is to run a marathon this year. Your ritual needs to be completing a weekly run.
Or, Your goal is to lose weight. Your ritual is going to the gym, lifting weights three times a week, and doing cardio 2x a week.
The goal is excellent, and you can pat yourself on the back when you achieve it. But you must ask yourself the question, “if you completely ignored your goal and only focused on the ritual, would you still get the results”?
If you stopped weighing yourself weekly but kept up your gym ritual of lifting weights and doing cardio, would the weight still drop off? I think so.
Why Goals alone don’t work:
So, my goal for a couple of years ago was to do a strict ring muscle-up. However, I had set it as my goal for the year. I had to build rituals to achieve it. I could already do a kipping muscle-up (using momentum to propel me up). But this led me to the false assumption I was close to achieving my goal already.
So here I was in September, nine months into the year and my progress hadn’t even begun. I had not practised. I had not even searched “how to do a strict ring muscle up” on youtube. I had failed to build rituals. Suddenly I put myself in gear and planned out how I would get there. First step: I googled it. I got all the information I needed and set aside 30 mins a day three times a week to work on the skill.
And five weeks later, I got my first strict muscle-up. I was stoked. But in the process, I ended up inflaming a muscle in my shoulder. I’d rushed through progressions. I was focused on the result and not the process. I didn’t allow enough time for my muscles or joints to cope with this stress from the new exercises. I hadn’t devoted enough time or effort to my mobility or stability routine.
I set a short-term goal instead of a long-term ritual. In the last couple of years, I think I have done about ten strict ring muscle ups (every once in a while, I will bust one out to make sure I can still do it). But it was primarily a waste of time and effort.
Why Building Rituals Are So Much Better Than Setting Goals:
Yes, I achieved my goal, and I felt good momentarily. But it didn’t change anything. Building rituals and making them a habit provides internal motivation. If you are going to make going to the gym a practice, you better develop a routine that will help your muscles and joints recover. In as little as 10 minutes per day, you can improve mobility and flexibility, which will help you move better, feel better, and perform better. (By downloading the 5 Day Toe Tap Challenge above.)
If you move better and perform better, you will pull up after your gym session better and not risk missing a session because you are sore, too tight or, even worse, injured. If you can spend more time at the gym, you will be more likely to develop into a ritual and help you reach whatever goals you want to achieve related to health and wellness.
I’m not saying goals are useless and a waste of time. They are great for planning and provide the framework for implementing rituals. Plans help give direction and allow us to give ourselves a pat on the back for a job well done, but habits will make a change to your life, health, wealth, and happiness. Committing to a routine is what matters and will get you much closer to your goals and desires this year and beyond.
If you have set yourself a health and wellness goal but aren’t sure how to build your ritual, or even what ritual to build, why not give us a call or book in online to see how we can help.
