Why You Practice Every Day

Practice doesn’t make perfect. Practice just makes practice, which inevitably leads to a habit, good or bad. It’s the every day occurrences we don’t even realize we are practicing that become habits. So to add something positive in your life, like eating healthy, journaling, exercising, or meditation, I am a big believer in practicing every day to create and maintain a positive habit. Here’s why:

1. We are more successful in following through when things are structured and scheduled. Every day is every day and there is no waiting until tomorrow, or when you feel like it, or when you can’t think of a great excuse, because it is already determined it is every day.
2. The results of a good habit are cumulative and when you start to really feel good as a result of practicing it (for example yoga, even for 15 minutes) you get positive reinforcement.
3. You may have already heard it takes 21 days to make a habit, but a study NASA did on space orientation in the sixties found it actually took 28 days for the astronauts to rewire their brains and become reoriented. This of course was 28 days, every day.
4. Do you want to feel good every day or just some of your days? Why wouldn’t you practice something every day to benefit every day? Even if it’s only 5 minutes, the frequency of a daily practice is much more important than how long you do it for.
5. There is great power in doing something daily. It gives you a measurement of your commitment, and every day you get to check in with yourself on a physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual level to remember what is most important.

We are not our habits, but what we practice is what we become. This can be over-eating, complaining, staying up late, or eating in moderation, speaking positively and going to bed to get your 8 hours in.

What are you practicing every day?