But wait, what is the difference between a routine and a ritual?n

• Routine: I have coffee every morning.
• Ritual: Every day I wake up, walk to the kitchen wearing my pajamas, connect a Brazilian podcast, and listen to my mother tongue while I prepare coffee. That's the magic time when I feel somehow connected with my roots. When it's not a podcast, it's a friend's audio. I love both.

nDo you see the difference?n

Routines are things we "need" to do, whereas rituals are actions with a sense of purpose, in a very meaningful way. I don't drink coffee for the sake of being awake (talking about caffeine here). For me, it's beyond that, it's about the moment, the atmosphere, the thoughts I have in mind once I wake up and start my day - while having a cup of coffee. Got it?

nFor creative people, rituals are even more important.n

And if you want to become more creative, that's a way to start. Let me tell you why.

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I will use myself as an example.

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I used to hate routines when I was young (I'm still young, but I am a mature young woman now, haha).

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I didn't like the sense of repeating the same thing every day.

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• Commuting 3h a day from home to University, and back;
• Having the same lectures;
• Seeing the same people;

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Knowing what's going to happen at the end of the day? That was so boring!

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The routine would drive me crazy, so I was naturally creating rituals in my life, without knowing I was doing it.

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Why? Because I am a creative soul, I need newness. I need innovation. I need to create. All the time.

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For example, I would always have a coffee with Cris, right before or after the french classes we used to attend. It was a routine, but not a real routine, because we would always choose a different place and talk about different things with a french accent (just because we could!).

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In order to break down the boring engineering routine of my student life, I would frequently attend artistic events, get involved with designers or people which I admired. Just as a way to energize me. Ritual or routine?

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When I was preparing for Vestibular (the exams you take at the end of high school to get in universities in Brazil), I would go, EVERY DAY, to the library of Paço da Liberdade. This place was on my way to school, I'd go there 1h before the lecture, just to read the daily news on the newspaper, and get myself energized by the "cult" atmosphere of that place. I would sit next to retired grandpa's, and I would check the news. That was my ritual. THE ritual. These moments yielded me several blog posts, by the way.

nLogically, it all sounds like a routine, but think, it's a mindset.n

It's all about the way you see things. Do you find a magic purpose in those little moments? Or you just go with the logical reasons behind that?

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You are the kind of person who drinks a coffee just to wake up, or you do it to properly enjoy the time with yourself or with someone you love (or even with a stranger, nowadays is so common to use coffee as a connection).

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Writing in different places helps me to have new ideas and insights. A) Writing in a cafe B) Writing on the train

nAdd rituals into your routine. Or turn your routine into several rituals.n

This is going to change your life.

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If you, just like me, have this inner need of expressing your ideas through art and creations, rituals are going to improve your creativity and boost your productivity. I'm telling you, that really works.

nFind the rituals which will fit your lifestyle.n

Is it a 10 minutes yoga before breakfast?

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Swimming in the morning, taking a walk in nature, calling your parents, friends, reading a book, meditating, taking photos, meeting new people, repairing things at home, writing in the morning, journaling, learning new things, dancing, cooking a new recipe, buying fresh bread every morning (...)

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Rituals can be so many things. Make a plan on how you can add these little rituals in your routine, make it happen, and then talk to me in a few weeks. Tell me about your results. 

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P.S. I started a ritual of writing every day on Medium (Content in Portuguese).

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I explained why - here.

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