Top 10 Ways to Start and Keep a Meditation Practice

Most people I meet have tried meditation. And most people I meet don’t have a regular meditation practice, though they would like to. You know the research – reduces stress and anxiety, improves the quality of sleep, creativity, and relationships. Improves our health. Self-Awareness. Why is it so hard? 

There are so many things that get in the way. The practice is a lot more subtle than the rest of our lives. 

It takes some effort, and it’s worth it. 

With the right system in place, your meditation practice can feel as normal as brushing your teeth. Here are my top 10 ways to make your meditation routine flourish:  

1. Intention 

Like most things that are not part of our routine, it’s important to have some idea of “why?” If we don’t have something we’re motivated either towards or away from, it’s unlikely that we’ll stick with any practice. It could be to reduce anxiety, sleep better, or have more creativity. It could be that we want to deepen our level of self-awareness or personal mastery. Whatever it is, get clear. 

2. Find Your Practice  

Do you know the most powerful type of meditation practice that you can do? It’s…the one you’ll actually do. Find what works for you. Take a class. Take twenty different classes. Try an app. Try all the apps. Insight Timer is free (mostly) and has a massive selection of different teachers (yep, I’m there as well). Wise @ Work is built to deal with the needs of those of us in the workplace. Headspace, 10% Happier, Whil, and Calm are also popular options. Find what works for you. Then expand and explore even further to keep it fresh. 

3. Ritual – Same Time, Same Place 

One of my favorite quotes about habits is from James Clear and his book Atomic Habits. He says “Our lives do not rise to the level of our goals. They fall to the level of our systems.” In other words, unless we build in some supporting systems, we have very little chance of changing our lives and living to our intentions. 

For me, a good system for my daily practice is “same time, same place, every day”. My morning routine is to get up early, go outside under my California Oak Tree, and do my practice. Places have energy. Time has memory. Or…maybe places have memory and time has energy? You decide. Either way, there’s something about creating a ritual which creates a supporting system to keep a practice. Where’s your place? What time works best for you? 

4. The Accountability Buddy 

I’ve used the Accountability Buddy system for things like gratitude practice, biking, and push-ups. It’s simple. It’s powerful. It’s effective. I’ve been seen doing push-ups in an airport terminal waiting for my flight because it was push-up day, and I didn’t want to let my accountability buddy down. Enlist a buddy and jointly commit to something. What you commit to is only for you. It’s not a competition. You and your buddy are there for each other to be supportive. Each day, text, email, or call each other to check in. 

5. Keep a checklist 

Put seven boxes on a sticky note, one for each day this week. Check them off after you practice for the day. Or put checkmarks on your calendar. There’s something satisfying about having a list full of checkmarks. Or for me, if I see a week mostly unchecked, it’s a good motivator to get back at it. 

6. Schedule it 

Put in on your calendar. Don’t have time? It’s not about having time. It’s about making time. We seem to have time for lots of other things – social media, TV, video games. If the practice is important to you, schedule it like the priority it is.  

7. Journal 

Keep a journal. Write down your experience with your practice. Write down some of your wins, your frustrations, your realizations. The practice can be subtle. Sometimes we start a practice when we’re in crisis. Then when we start feeling better, we drop the practice. Well, not only can crisis be contained, it can be avoided as well! Keeping a journal will help us realize how we’re changing. How life seems to be changing around us. When I’m having a day where I’m reacting in a way that I’m not proud of, I ask myself “Have I put in the work?” The answer is almost always “no”. Keeping a journal helps us keep things in perspective and deepens our self-awareness. 

8. Tell People About It 

The more you talk about it (ok, to a certain point – don’t be *that* person), the more you are likely to keep to your practice. I used to do a mountain bike race every year. It was so hard! If I didn’t train properly, the race would be agony. I’d sign up in November for the April race, so I had some motivation to stay fit over the winter. Then, I’d tell people about the race. If anyone ever asked me how my training was going (mostly they didn’t), I never wanted to say “Umm…well…” I find it to be a powerful motivator, which is really about… 

9. Identity 

The other big Aha from Atomic Habits is about identity. When we start identifying with a desired future state, it becomes so much easier to exhibit the behaviors that will get us there. Change “I sort of meditate sometimes” to “I am a meditator. I am someone who meditates.” 

10. Just Start 

You don’t have to know much or do much to start. Just start. Don’t worry if it’s not perfect. That’s part of the beauty of a practice. There’s no such thing as perfect. Just start. 

These are ten good tips that have worked for me. I’m sure there are a hundred more. Shoot me a note and let me know your favorite ways to stay on track. 

Go out there and be an ambassador for compassion today!  Shine your light brightly. Be well. 

Scott 

info@scottshute.com