What's The Difference Between Superstitions and Routines

“Race morning I slipped into my new yellow, blue, and white racing singlet and shorts. I lingered a little too long in front of the mirror wondering if the uniform made me look fast, meaning I wondered whether I was fast. Make it fast; go make that uniform fly.” - Excerpt From: Deena Kastor & Michelle Hamilton. “Let Your Mind Run.”

How many times have you put something on and you said, “I look like a boss in this.”

How many times have you put on your “lucky” socks thinking they were going to help you accomplish something?

How long have you gone not washing a pair of underwear because they were the reason you were doing so well?

The truth is, you were a boss before you put that on and you were prepared to accomplish that activity before you put those socks or underwear on.

The Difference Between Superstitions and Routines

I asked a group of athletes I work with, “What’s the difference between superstitions and routines? Here’s what they said:

Athlete 1: A superstition is something that you do because you’re scared of the outcome. A routine drives trust in your preparation.

Athlete 2: A routine is something you work towards. Superstition is something that’s just there.

Athlete 3: Routines help you calm yourself and get into your ideal performance zone.

Athlete 4: Superstitions are wacky and irrational.

Athlete 5: Superstitions are a cop out.

Athlete 6: Routines help you focus and help hold you accountable.

A superstition takes away your control. A superstition doesn’t take into account all of the hard work you’ve put in. It doesn’t care about your attitude. It doesn’t care about the productive thoughts and actions you’re taking, and it definitely doesn’t care if you learn from your mistakes or downfalls.

Superstitions give you something to blame. They are a way to defend yourself if you mess up. They give you something to complain about when you didn’t get your desired outcome.

“I didn’t do well on that presentation because I didn’t eat those french fries for lunch.”

“Oh, I struck out because I forgot my silly socks at home.”

“I didn’t hit that lift because I didn’t have my lucky workout water bottle.”

“I didn’t make that free throw because my teammate wasn’t where he was supposed to be. I give him a high five before every shot and he wasn’t there. It’s not my fault I missed it…”

Question: Did you eat fries before all of those times you practiced the presentation? Were you successful in the past without those socks on? Did your water bottle help your muscles lift the weight? Did you have your teammate stand there for every practice free throw you had to?

Are you really that bad to where you need something outside of your control to go right for you? How long do you plan on practicing self-doubt? At what point are you going to decide to take control of your thoughts, actions, and life?

A superstition leaves things up to chance, while a routine PROVIDES you with the best chance to succeed.

A routine:

• Gives you the confidence to step up knowing that you’ve done everything in your power up until that moment to perform at your best.

• Helps you consistently get to that place in your mind where you can say, “I’m ready and regardless of the outcome, I know I’ve given it my best shot.

• Drives energy, attention, and focus in the desired direction you want

• Is something that you’ve spent time honing, crafting, and working at

• Gives YOU the control

It’s not about eating those fries or eating those nachos. The most successful out there are also the most consistent with what they can control. If you want to be more consistent with your energy, attention, and focus at work, school, or in your hobby, check out your routine and your system.

What’s your routine look like around working out, around nutrition, around recovery? What about your mindset and awareness building?

Are you hoping your socks will bring you success today because you know you slacked off the last few weeks or are you confident in the preparation you’ve put in?

Deena (the lady I quoted at the beginning of this article), took back the control. She didn’t leave “being fast” up to her uniform. She made being fast up to her.

Are you someone that life happens to or that life happens for?

Are you someone that lives intentionally or do you feel like you’re just floating?

If you are interested in building a routine so you can live more intentionally - set up a call with me below. I’d love to chat.