As I delve into making my aspirational routines stick, several key strategies have emerged. In ‘Atomic Habits,’ James Clear highlights how environmental cues can significantly aid in habit formation. Simple reminders can be associated with a desired habit so that your environment naturally leads to you keeping up with the desired habit.

I have strategically utilized my environment to reinforce my habits as follows:

1. Keep my book on my nightstand.
2. Keep a book on the living room table.
3. Set my workout shoes by the door.
4. Carry around my bottle for water.
5. Keep my personal laptop out on my work desk as a reminder to work on personal projects.
6. Store my camera on my desk.
7. Keep my meditation beads in a visible place.

These simple reminders have helped me keep up with my desired habits. We’re only a couple of weeks into 2024 but I’m optimistic. I’ve worked out consistently for the first quarter of the year, have been drinking more water, have meditated more, have been reading more, and have been doing more work on python and photography projects.

Another thing that I’ve been thinking a lot about is how do I beyond “maintaining good habits” to “this is who I am as an individual”. The audiobook ‘Rituals’ sharpened my focus, revealing an unexpected insight: freeing our minds from daily decisions is a powerful tool for fostering creative thinking. One unexpected takeaway I’ve had from the audiobook has been the realization that one tool we have to enable creative thinking is freeing the mind from day to day decisions. The book is largely a list of the day to day habits of some of humanity’s most creative minds. It doesn’t matter what the ritual as much as it matters freeing the mind from day to day decisions. The audio book highlights all kinds of rituals from extravagant dinners, eating nothing but croissants, working from bed, chain smoking cigarettes, all the way to working a 9 AM – 5 PM and then writing two hours after work. The important thing isn’t the ritual itself but freeing the mind from these decisions.

Reminders are well and good but they do little to help in the way of motivation; often the most difficult part. This is another area where I’ve been able to apply the concept of rituals. It may seem simple but just thinking about my habits has helped me reframe them from being something that are difficult to keep up with to just something that I do.

1. Rituals don’t have to be painful. In fact, they can be enjoyable.
2. Ritual definition: Similar to a habit a ritual is something that you’re compelled to do.
3. Example:
   • 30 minutes of mediation at night
   • Listening to my podcasts while working out
   • Walking Walter in the afternoons
   • Making Dana coffee before I have my coffee
4. Is there a difference between habits and rituals?
   • Habits are something you aspire to while rituals are part of who you are.
   • Rituals can and should change overtime as you change as an individual.