Bless Yourself With Daily Practice

As the year draws to a close it is natural to review where we've been and where we want to go. Rather than concentrate on the choices I face in the coming months, I've decided to concentrate on cultivating a strong center. I want to be able to make and follow plans and also to accept, integrate, and transform the surprises that come along. That's why the one plan and one resolution that I am implementing in the new year is to perform a simple, daily integrated practice.

Here are some things I'm keeping in mind as I make this commitment:

• Practice is it's own reward. Success, failure, and plateaus will occur along the way, and they are largely incidental to the value of the practice itself.
• The way to start is to start, not to wait until I can do all parts of my practice perfectly.
• To manage the gremlins of perfectionism and procrastination, I use the 4/5/7 approach: Practicing seven times is of supreme value; practicing five times is success; practicing four times in a week is my non-negotiable bottom line.
• Community amplifies the benefits of practice.
• An integrated practice exercises body, mind, and spirit.
• A practice log or journal helps sustain my commitment.
• The practice that fits my life and that is simple is the one that I will sustain. Keep it simple.

My favorite model for an integrated practice is the one described at length in The Life We Are Given, by George Leonard and Michael Murphy. If you prefer to design your own practice, I recommend Leonard's book Mastery, for its insights into the relationship between practice and accomplishment. Both books are listed in recommended reading below.

Whether you are feeling powerful and energized or overwhelmed and victimized, a daily practice brings focus, discipline, and serenity into your life. Daily practice is a blessing you can choose now.

Have a great last week of the year, and a purposeful and prosperous new year.