I think we would all like to believe that we make our way through life, choosing to do each thing in the moment, pulling ourselves together. All of our mornings are taken step by step and are effortless, right?
The truth is that we really are not really all that motivated to make good in the moment decisions. I don’t stumble out of bed and go, “YES! I want to go to the gym right now! Let me finish this devotional and then breeze around my apartment, gathering all the things I need!”
Honestly, it’s amazing that I can even tie my shoelaces in the morning.
Trying to make good decisions without planning and routine will fail us over and over again. That type of failure rate means we need to make certain things in our life are automated.
Enter: rituals.
When you do the same thing, the same way, over and over, it doesn’t become a futile exercise of trying to get all the steps done. It doesn’t feel unnatural. There is a rhythm to it, a purpose. It gets ingrained.
My morning ritual (when I actually stop hitting snooze, which could be a WHOLE blog post in itself) is as follows: wake up; read five minute devotional so I have Scripture on the brain until I’m awake enough to study; brush teeth; throw on gym clothes; grab PRE-PACKED gym bag; walk out the door.
I have a ritual for before I go to bed. I have a ritual for when I leave my apartment to travel. I have a ritual to start my day at work. I even have rituals for writing.
Don’t overcomplicate things to the point of never becoming second nature. For example, instead of a lengthy pre-bedtime ritual maybe yours looks like mine: make sure all bags are packed for the next day; take meds; brush your teeth and take off makeup; fill up water bottle; read a few verses; SLEEP.
If there is an area of your life where you’re struggling to achieve #EFFORTLESS, take heart. Setting up a life ritual can turn that around really quickly. You need them – better get started putting them into place.
KELVEY OLIVIA VANDER HART 