We need to take the same approach toward any change we want to introduce. For most of us, brushing our teeth at least twice a day is a ritual and therefore does not require special powers of discipline. Top athletes have rituals: They know that at specific hours during each day they are on the field, after which they are in the gym, and then they stretch. Initiating a ritual is often difficult, but maintaining it is relatively easy. According to Loehr and Schwartz, “Building rituals requires defining very precise behaviors and performing them at very specific times-motivated by deeply held values.” In their book The Power of Full Engagement, Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz provide a different way of thinking about change: they suggest that instead of focusing on cultivating self-discipline as a means toward change, we need to introduce rituals. It turns out that self-discipline is usually insufficient when it comes to fulfilling our commitments, even those we know are good for us-which is why most New Year’s resolutions fail. Much research suggests that learning new tricks, adopting new behaviors, or breaking old habits may be harder than we even realize and that most attempts at change, whether by individuals or organizations, fail. In this excerpt from his book Happier: Learn the Secrets to Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment, Positive Psychology professor and Kripalu presenter Tal Ben-Shahar, PhD, explores the notion of what it means to be truly happy, and what tools we can use to practice the art of happiness.
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