I'm a big believer in both routines and rituals, but, although they have some similarities which might lead to some confusion, they serve very different — almost opposite — purposes.

A routine allows you to accomplish ordinary tasks — like getting out the door in the morning — without extra thought or the need to recreate the wheel. You have a routine so that you don't have to decide which household chores get done on which night and so that you can be virtually sure that everyone will walk out of the house in the morning with everything they need to get through the day. A routine lets you get through your parts of your day without obsessing over everything.

If a routine facilitates mindlessness, a ritual creates mindfulness. A ritual helps you transition from one state to another, be it ordinary (from work to home) or sublime (from single to married). Rituals can be elaborate — like a coronation — or simple — like lighting a candle to mark the transition from work time to rest time.

What routines and rituals mark the moments of your life?