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In his book the Pathless Path, Paul Millerd talks about rituals and rites of passage a lot, and how with so many people doing their own thing, our shared "fixed points" of adulthood or success are changing, and it's important to create rituals like you do. I found it fascinating and think about it a lot, and it's cool to read the stories of people out there really doing it as an entrepreneur and creating their own rituals.

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I follow Paul on Twitter and have been meaning to check out his book. Sounds like it's up my alley!

Likewise, I find it fascinating to hear what's working for different people. It's crazy to think of how much learning and inspiration we would miss out on if writing online wasn't part of the equation.

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Great read Alexandra. Love the pic from Paris!

I don't have a ritual as such, but I do want to be intentional with whatever I do. I feel like going into something with that mindset will help smoothen the process. Just be very deliberate with your actions.

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Thanks, Ishan! It’s hard to take a bad picture of Paris so I had an advantage. :)

And agreed, it’s all about being deliberate and finding/creating enjoyment in the process. Someone shared this quote with me a couple of years ago:

“It’s only once you make the process the goal that the big dream can follow.”

Love that sentiment!

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"I no longer feel like I have to “keep going” to achieve my dreams. Instead, I’ve engineered enjoyable ways to “keep flowing” toward them." The sentiment of "keep flowing" resonates so much. I love this reframe. Crazy how switching up just one word can totally shift a mindset too.

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Thanks, Sandra! And 100%. Words create visuals and visuals are powerful. So it’s all the more reason to be ultra intentional about the words we use.

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This newsletter was just what I needed, as my first week of 2023 has started with a very long to-do list and a fair amount of stress about keeping up.

I love the image of flowing toward goals like a lazy river, and your framing of rituals as both pleasurable and ways to bridge the gap between current reality and desired outcome.

Thank you! I'm going to give some thought to my rituals this week.

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I'm glad serendipity is at play, Chris!

I agree, the start of the new year can be equally inspiring as it is daunting once you start to think of everything you need to do.

Look forward to hearing what rituals you come up with!

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Thanks for an insightful reflection on rituals.

You prompt me to consider the following: what routines have I established that feel frictionless? How can I remove friction from other routines so that I enjoy work & life in a flow state?

Routines -> removing friction -> rituals

And I have a love-hate relationship with Bulgarian split squats!

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Words are so important. And rituals is just the word that has enabled me to think about some of the things I do and frame them as rituals that go with a coffee and a view out of the window! I loved this. Really resonated

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It was so nice reading. Making rituals seem to be so easy now, I need implement your ideas. I came here from Chris Cordry newsletter but for sure I will stay here longer. Greetings!

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