I believe that we all need daily practices to keep ourselves in check.
They can consist of one or more of any number of activities. Those activities might include daily yoga practices with postures, therapy, meditation, exercise, prayer, or spending quality time with loved ones and children.
A daily practice is done with earnest intention. It is the thing that keeps us grounded and focused.
My daily practices for health and wellness began in 1985 at age 15 after getting sober from marijuana addiction. When I first got sober I was very worried about picking up a smoking habit that I had quit a year earlier. It was sad that I had cross addiction issues at that age. I had rituals and routines that I used to keep myself from going back to my old behaviors. I had rituals that I did every day, and they gave me strength.
In those early days I was really young and quite immature and my mind was filled with a lot of nonsense. So I had to do things that were really simple, because that’s all I could handle at the time. I’m not sure that I would have been able to grasp more, even if I had better teachers, because I just wasn’t conscious enough.
So the rule of thumb is that you do whatever you can at whatever stage of your life and discovery process that you’re in. Work more, try harder. Find good people in the real world to be inspired by, not celebrities, actors, or fantasy figures.
You should determine what your ideal practice is. You should then diagram it and/or write it out for use in times of trouble. I made a diagram of what I consider to be my daily practice. I have to look at the image every day, read the words over and over again, and then reflect on whether or not I’m living in that way.
I don’t think that I will ever be perfect. But I surprise myself day after day when I think about my life. I ask myself, “Does this diagram represent the person that I am for the most part?” I don’t think it’s necessary for me to answer that question for the rest of the world. The answer is for me and me alone.
I have lots of little diagrams that I pin to the wall so that I can reflect, constantly improve, and constantly hold myself to the highest standard.
I am grateful that I became the type of person who does well at organizing these kinds of things. Make a diagram or list to help you with self-improvement and review it every day.
Here is a list (in no specific order) of the things that I do day-to-day, aiming for progress, not perfection in mind:
Pray, Do Positive Actions, Breathe Deeply, Think Positive Things, Say Positive Words, Speak Truth, Respect Earth, Serve Others, Drink Clean Water, Be Charitable, Keep an Open Mind, Laugh, Care for Family, Believe in Something Good, Meditate, Love, Be Present, Eliminate Processed Foods, Work Hard, Play, Be Grateful, Rest, Forgive, Groom the Body, Avoid Drugs and Alcohol, Maintain the Home, Exercise.