This chapter delves into the significance of rituals among high-achieving individuals, focusing on the routines of athletes like Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal. It explores how rituals impact performance and emotions, shaping individuals and fostering unity within communities. The discussion challenges skepticism towards rituals, highlighting their social and psychological importance beyond their physical effects.
We crave meaning and purpose, yet obtaining them can feel beyond our control, like they're merely products of luck and circumstance. Fortunately, researchers who’ve studied the power of ritual have found they’re more in our control than we think.
In this interview, I talk to one of these researchers, psychologist Michael Norton. He shares how rituals, especially ones we create, can provide the meaning and purpose we crave. And, unlike habits, rituals operate on an emotional level that deepens the experience.
In his book, The Ritual Effect: From Habit to Ritual, Harness the Surprising Power of Everyday Actions, Norton shares what rituals are, why they matter, and how they can help bolster us throughout our lives.
Episode Links
The Calming Power of Rituals
Forget Habits in the New Year. Find Joy in Rituals with Others
Breaking up Can Be Easier if You Have a Ritual
Interview with Eduardo Briceno on The Performance Paradox
The Team
Learn more about host, Gayle Allen, and producer, Rob Mancabelli, here.
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