What rituals do you have that help you strengthen your professional life?

I came across this powerful article by Michelle Martin on the importance of including rituals in your work life.  Unlike habits, which we do without thinking, rituals are deliberate acts that help us focus on our work:

A ritual, though, is something done with consciousness and intent. There’s a mindful quality to it that raises that activity from the level of unconscious action into something deeper and more considered. Ritual is about taking a moment and honoring the activity. Rituals energize.  It’s the intention behind rituals that makes them so powerful.

This distinction is important to remember in establishing rituals for yourself. Being mindful about what you are doing provides the power for your rituals to ground you in your life.

She lists daily, weekly, and quarterly strategies you can implement today that will help you become more thoughtful in your work life. Please bookmark and share!

This article spoke to me as I have been trying to become more thoughtful about my work.  In the past few months I have focused on waking up early to have breakfast, coffee, and to read.  I honestly cannot understate the difference this makes in my day.  Just waking up early and enjoying my morning helps me feel as though I have more control over my day, as opposed to feeling rushed and as if the day is happening to me.  At the same time, I am interested in adding more reflection to my work life.   Here are two rituals I am adopting:

End of Day Journal: One sentence reflections may help me be more mindful in my work.  I must admit, though, that I have done this before, and found myself being frustrated if I didn’t feel as if anything particularly interesting to say.  Is this feeling just another example of the problem of working mindlessly?  I want to try an end of day journal again because when I did have something to write, I felt better able to prioritize my work.  Her suggestion of writing only one sentence may help take some of the pressure to be a wordsmith.

Sunday Reflection:  I absolutely LOVE these questions.   While they can be answered according to my professional life, they work for my personal life as well.  I am realizing that many areas of my personal life (friendships, health, romance, etc) need just as much thoughtfulness and attention as my professional life.  As a result, I am all for questions that help me develop rituals for professional and personal benefit.

I’d love to know what rituals you have or are considering adopting.  What has made a big difference in your work life?  What resources do you recommend?  What challenges do you face in being more thoughtful about your work?

I’d also love to know if there are communities where folks share their professional reflections/challenges.  I could do this on my blog (is that something folks would be interested in?) but I find that when I can connect with others around a goal, I have access to more support and resources.