The Power of Rituals: How to Build Meaningful Habits

liberationist.org/the-power-of-rituals-how-to-build-meaningful-habits

Gustavo February 11, 2020

Razzetti

“You are what you repeatedly do.” — Will Durant

Our future is not shaped by big decisions or events, but by our daily habits. What you
repeatedly do — your choices — defines who you become.

Rituals give us a sense of control. I’m not talking about religious ceremonies, esoteric
chanting, or obsessive-compulsive behaviors. Rather, the more practical and down-to-
earth kind of ritual that makes us feel in charge.

Think about a job interview, a presentation in front of a large audience, or a first date.
When facing uncertain situations, rituals help us focus, deal with anxiety, or feel more
confident.

Rituals increase our performance by turning small, everyday acts into more significant
ones. They add meaning and joy to our lives.

The Power of Rituals

Driving change in your life requires more than a formal method — no approach will
work if your heart isn’t in it. Rituals are symbolic enactments; we engage our emotions
to jump into action.

We turn to rituals when facing situations where the outcome is important, uncertain, or
beyond our control, as Bronislaw Malinowski suggests.

The anthropologist discovered that Trobrianders practiced magical rituals when fishing
in the open sea — they wanted to ensure safety. However, they didn’t exercise any such
ceremony when fishing in the inner lagoon, where they were no sharks.

We usually associate rituals with maintaining the status quo. In religion, for example,
ceremonies create a sense of belonging and continuity. The repetition of an act makes
us feel at home.

Though the nature of rituals is highly emotional, research shows they are more rational
than we think.

“We see in every culture — and throughout history — that people who perform rituals
report feeling better,” says behavioral scientist Michael Norton.

Rituals performed after a loss help us alleviate grief, while rituals performed before
high-pressure tasks reduce anxiety and increase confidence.
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Studies by Michael I. Norton, Francesca Gino, and colleagues prove their multiple
benefits, even among those who don’t believe in the efficacy of rituals.

Participants had to write about either the death of a loved one or the end of a
relationship. Those who performed a ritual after suffering a loss reported feeling both
more in control and less aggrieved.

Surprisingly, the majority of the mentioned rituals were neither religious nor
communal. Rather, they were personal, private, and occasionally angry. “One woman
wrote about gathering all the pictures of her and her ex-boyfriend, taking them to the
park where they met, and tearing them up. She made a point of saying ‘even the ones
where I looked good,’ which I loved.” — Norton shares.

Additional research suggests that practicing rituals mitigates grief caused by not only
life-changing losses, but also from more mundane ones (like losing the lottery).

The power of rituals goes even further — they can shape our self-perception.

Why Doing Is Believing

“When you compete every week, when you play under pressure daily, you find your
rituals to be 100 percent focused on what you’re doing.” — Rafael Nadal

Studies show that superstitious rituals are effective too — we don’t become luckier, but
they boost our self-confidence.

People who received a “lucky golf ball” or had someone tell them “I’ll cross my fingers
for you” performed much better compared to others who didn’t receive those stimuli.
Superstitious rituals enhance people’s perceived abilities — they motivate greater effort
and an improved subsequent performance.

Sports psychologists know that pre-performance routines improve focus, execution, and
confidence.

Rafael Nadal, one of the best tennis players in history, is full of quirks, rituals, and tics.
While they may look like superstitious or obsessive-compulsive behavior, he insists they
help him focus on his game. Before every serve, Nadal repeats the same sequence —
butt scratch, shoulder, shoulder, nose, ear, nose, ear, right hand in pocket.

As anthropologist Barbara Myerhoff put it, “Not only is seeing believing, doing is
believing.”

Tony Robbins believes that movement not only energizes us, but changes our state of
mind too. He gets himself in the zone before taking the stage — Robbins is known for
bouncing on a trampoline to get his body “awake and alive.” The motivational speaker
uses rituals to boost his energy so he can keep up with his demanding audience.

Rituals kill procrastination — they reduce anxiety and help us launch our projects.
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As Francesca Gino explains in Sidetracked, “If you engage in a ritual prior to a
potentially high anxiety task, like singing in public or solving difficult math problems,
you end up being calmer by the time you approach the task, and more confident.”

Daily rituals build a positive mindset and drive us into action.

Rituals Create Emotional Connection

Habits are something that we do without thinking.

We all brush our teeth daily without thinking. That’s the benefit of habits; once we
repeatedly do something, the behavior becomes automated. Rituals, on the contrary,
are more meaningful — they increase mindfulness.

According to sociologist Robert Wuthnow, rituals are any actions or events that have
symbolic meaning beyond their instrumental value.

You’ve probably watched the folding of an American flag in a movie. This ritual is not
about easy storage or showmanship — each of the 13 folds has a symbolic meaning. The
first fold of the flag is a symbol of life. The second fold is a symbol of our belief in eternal
life. The third fold is made in honor of the veteran departing rank. And so on.

A ritual is like a celebration — it involves our emotions and full attention.

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Rituals are ultra-specific step-by-step instructions that are easily repeatable and help
you get to a specific outcome. A ritual is something done to prepare for action while a
habit is something done repeatedly for the purpose of performing the action itself.

Automated versus mindful acts: Habits develop without us knowing it — after

various repetitions, our brain switches to automatic mode. Rituals, on the other hand,
are done with deliberate intention and focus. A ritual requires intent and engagement.

Maya Angelou had a very specific writing ritual. She would rent a hotel room and
remove all possible distractions such as photographs, books, or TV. She started working
every day at 7 AM sharp armed with a bottle of sherry, a deck of cards, legal pads, a
thesaurus, and the Bible. She would spend hours writing in this carefully designed
environment.

Singular versus multiple focused: A habit usually involves one specific action that
you do over and over again. Flossing your teeth or drinking water once you wake up are
habits. Rituals involve different elements and activities — they include multiple habits.

Mark Twain got into his study early in the morning and remained writing there until 5
PM. He always skipped lunch and no-one dared interrupt— they would blow a horn if
they ever needed him. After dinner, he would read that day’s work to his family.

Action-oriented versus system-oriented: A habit is an action that you started at

some point and now continue doing without thinking — it’s action-oriented. A ritual is a
sequence of activities that are performed in a particular place and according to a set
progression.

A ritual must have a clear beginning, middle, and end.

Take rites of passage as an example. They have three clear phases: separation,
transition, and incorporation.

In the first stage, the initiates are separated from their old identities. The second stage
is full of ambiguity — they are transitioning from their old identities, but have not yet
acquired a new one. In the final stage, the initiates are symbolically incorporated in the
new community.

Rituals are habits that have become sacred because these carry a deep meaning to
those involved.

How to Build More Meaningful Habits

1. Rituals increase appreciation

Rituals turn the ordinary into something meaningful.

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Toasting before we drink is a common ritual. It doesn’t affect the quality of what we
drink, but it makes it taste better. Rituals create a more positive mindset and also
increase our attention — we learn to appreciate the whole experience.

Ever feel that you aren’t stopping to enjoy the small things in your life? Build a ritual
that can bring together what you love with what you have to do.

Rituals increase awareness and appreciation in our daily lives — we stop living on
autopilot.

2. Rituals transform the mundane

It’s necessary to create a special space and practice to protect what matters to us.
Whether it’s taking a bath, reading a book, practicing meditation or just winding down
and listening to music, our personal time is precious.

Benjamin Franklin took time to reflect twice every day. Warren Buffett spends 80% of
his day reading because it builds up his knowledge “like compound interest.” Sheryl
Sandberg feels guilty for leaving the Facebook office when it’s light out, but she
promised herself she’d always be home by 6 PM to have dinner with her children.

Frustrated with never having the right moment to do what you want? Design a ritual
that will help you protect the space, time, and energy to take care of yourself.

Rituals turn ordinary experiences into sacred ones.

3. Rituals help celebrate life

We’re usually so busy that we miss noticing the good things in our lives. Rituals provide
an emotional and rewarding way to celebrate good news — no matter how small or big.

Camino Information Services buys an Angry Bird desk plush toy for every new hire —
people pick one to fit their personality. Taboola has a sales bell they ring every time
they close a new contract. The 6px team has gamified its workflow to encourage
completing tasks and create enjoyable conversation — they add a word to a hashtag
after completing a significant task. Everyone keeps building from there.

Do you feel like you don’t appreciate progress? Create a ritual to remind yourself to
celebrate small victories.

Rituals are not obsessive behavior, but a way of celebrating life.

4. Rituals build a stronger community

We cannot change the world alone. Collective rituals are as important as individual
ones.

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The human megaphone used by Occupy Wall Street protesters was more than an
ingenious solution to NYC restrictions on electric ones. It became a ritual for
participants to publicly live their values of do-it-yourself sufficiency and collectivity.

Frustrated with people not collaborating? Design a ritual to reinforce the emotional
connection between your team — rituals are much more effective than words.

Rituals bring people together around a shared experience.

5. Rituals help us jump into action

A good ritual creates an emotional connection with our tasks. Work doesn’t feel like
work, but something more interesting.

Stephen King writes every day of the year — no matter his birthday or holidays. It’s no
surprise he’s one of the most prolific authors ever.

Ernest Heming followed a strict writing regimen: “done by noon, drunk by three.” He
wrote furiously and kept count of how many words he achieved every day.

Joan Didion holds her books close to her heart — literally. When she’s about to finish
one, she’ll sleep beside it in the same room.

Tired of experimenting with productivity hacks? Build your own ritual. Create an
experience that’s true to who you are and will create excitement.

Rituals are anything but passive — they move you into action.

Rituals are personal — find and design an experience that fits your emotions and needs,
not someone else’s.

Rituals help you enjoy the journey and provide a sense of purpose in your life. They
offer a sense of renewal — a time-out from your everyday routine.

Rituals are evolving daily practices. What works today might not be so effective
tomorrow. A ritual isn’t the destination, but a path to start your journey.

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