In the world of Aristotle, the Greek word arete, also known as “excellence”, was the ultimate expression of human greatness – morally, spiritually, and physically. This weaved together with the notion that we should fulfill our life purpose, and reach our full potential.
“Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.” – Aristotle
Our habits are what contribute to our success.
Our habits are what creates true change.
Our habits are what propels us forward.
When our habits are intrinsic to our lifestyle they come to us naturally and sit in harmony with our big picture.
Sports and strength training, for instance, provide a valuable platform for us to be “excellent” as we harness our commitment, consistency, and creativity to design training routines that sculpt our body and fine-tune our athletic prowess. This expression of discipline simply wouldn’t work without the cultivation of healthy habits, focus, and purpose.
If we allow ourselves to ebb and flow with life, according to the day-to-day shift of feelings and emotions, we end up with erratic patterns of action. It’s the grounding power of our daily rituals and habits that allow for creativity and growth.
That’s where Kai comes in
As part of your daily interactions with Kai, you’ll get better at incorporating healthy routines into your life – routines you can commit to. Mindfully setting aside time for your wellness practice each day offers much-needed stability, especially when the boundaries between work and home (and work from home) have blurred completely.
The sculptor and the chisel
In his first chip with the chisel at a piece of rock, the sculptor does not see something that resembles art. Rather, it is the repetitive act, over time, that allows the shape of the sculpture to form, and the artwork to reveal itself. The same holds true for the repeated behaviors we adopt everyday. It is our daily repeated actions and habits stacked up that provide the path to personal excellence through conscious choice and conviction.
“Success is the product of daily habit, not once-in-a-lifetime transformations. All big things come from small beginnings. The seed of every habit is a single, tiny decision.” – James Clear, author of Atomic Habits
In this light, the “holy grail” of habit change is not a big and mighty single improvement, but rather a continuous commitment to your habits and practices that make-up some real, kick-ass change. Getting 1% better every day counts for a significant amount in the long-run, whether it comes to your work, exercise, or your meditation practice as you sit for a minute longer each day. Cardio can be seen as a challenging and grueling task that drains energy and wears you down. On the flip side, you can view it as a way to develop skills and strength as you build endurance and get faster.
Track your habits, track your progress
Tracking your habits can keep your motivation high as you see those marginal gains start to move the needle. In your personal Kai journal, you can reflect on your central life themes and see how the daily commitment to simply writing down your thoughts and feelings can lead to insights that create life-changing transformation over weeks and months.
A few final words…
Every transformational habit begins with a single conscious choice that grows clearer and stronger with every time we practice. By using meaningful reminders and prompts, like those sent by Kai every day, you can design your life in a way that makes it easier for these choices to stick.
