Turning a Chore into a Beloved Experience

Routine’s definition is a customary or regular course of the procedure. It also means commonplace tasks, chores, or duties as must be done regularly or at specified intervals; typical or everyday activity and regular, unvarying, habitual, unimaginative, or rote procedure.

Ritual’s definition is any practice or pattern of behavior regularly performed in a set manner.

Routines and rituals are similar, yet people discuss habits more often. However, having an elevated way to view a habit could be a daily ritual.

• Daily Routine — drinking a morning cup of coffee.
• Practiced Ritual —using the time while drinking a morning coffee to reflect on your day as well as reading, journaling, and gratitude.
• Daily Routine — rocking your baby.
• Practiced Ritual — using the time to relax and be in the flow while rocking your baby. Not rushing the process and thinking of new ideas during the time. It is calm and happy for both you and your baby. (Can you tell I changed my daily routine into a practiced ritual? I have had many creative ideas during the time.)
• Daily Routine — taking a walk.
• Practiced Ritual — having an intention for the walk and pairing it with another activity like listening to your favorite music, Podcast, or audiobook. Pairing these two activities can be a ritual to bring calm and relaxation into your life.

Let’s discuss what causes the change from daily routine to practiced ritual. It isn’t adding to your chores but shifting your mindset of the action. We are so busy we want to rush to the next thing i.e. “ I’m tired and I don’t want to do this anymore”, sound familiar? Know you’re not alone. However, you’re doing the task, so bring some joy to it.

Think of a current daily routine you do and how you can turn it into a practiced ritual. It does not need to be perfect answer but an idea of changing your mindset of a “chore” to a “beloved experience” and if an idea does not come to you immediately, that’s ok — it will.