The Ritual Effect

The ground-breaking and inspiring guide to turning everyday habits into rituals, from renowned Harvard psychologist Professor Michael Norton.

Think of the quirky traditions that you have with your friends. Or the unusual ways you and your family mark special occasions. Or the gifts your partner gives – and what you’d think if they’d bought the same for an ex. These are rituals: practices that are imbued with symbolic meaning. And they have the power to turn black-and-white moments into technicolour.

In The Ritual Effect, Norton shares stories from sporting superstars (Serena Williams always bouncing the ball five times before her first serve), million-dollar companies (Zipcar urging staff to destroy their old desktops with sledgehammers) and ordinary people (inventing their own “ritual signatures”) to reimagine everyday moments, build camaraderie and spark joy.

Rituals can help us to forge winning teams, heal families experiencing grief and encourage us rise to challenges, big or small. Now it’s time to create yours.

Review

Habits are powerful, but, as Michael Norton demonstrates in this fascinating book, there are other patterns that are essential to the well-lived life: rituals. Featuring lively storytelling and cutting-edge science, The Ritual Effect sticks with you as it shows how to build the rituals needed to perform under pressure, savor an experience, or construct a memory that will last forever. -- Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit and Supercommunicators

If you are looking for purpose, better family dynamics, or simply a happier life, Michael Norton just might be the answer. In The Ritual Effect, Norton masterfully shows that, from the religious to the secular, rituals in your life play a central role in reaping full value from each moment. -- Arthur C. Brooks, Professor, Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Business School, and #1 New York Times bestselling author of From Strength to Strength

A masterclass in ritual presented by one of my very favorite behavioral scientists! The Ritual Effect opens our eyes to the rituals we already perform―and the ones we can choose to create―which have the remarkable power to infuse the mundane with meaning and emotion. -- Angela Duckworth, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Grit

Mike Norton has crafted an endlessly fascinating exploration of the rituals all around us, and the remarkable power they have to shape our moods, identities, and performance. The Ritual Effect will stir you to see your beliefs and relationships with fresh eyes―and spur you to transform ordinary activities into sources of wonder and delight. -- Daniel H. Pink, author of The Power of Regret

Norton gives the reader a witty, thought-provoking guide to some of our species' oldest and quirkiest behavior. If you want to understand and harness the psychological power of rituals to live and think better, this is the book for you. ― Laurie Santos, Chandrika and Ranjan Tandon Professor of Psychology at Yale University and host of The Happiness Lab podcast

Illuminating and inspiring…The Ritual Effect gives readers new insights into the everyday actions that shape our lives. Weaving fresh examples with scientific insights, this book can empower you to make deliberate, meaningful changes that will increase your health and happiness -- BJ Fogg, author of Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything

Brilliant . . . A really great guide to bring meaning into the everyday ― Philippa Perry, bestselling author of The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read

A comprehensive, engaging and fascinating dive into the powerful ways in which rituals can enhance our everyday lives ― Richard Wiseman, bestselling author of The Luck Factor

About the Author

Michael Norton is the Harold M. Brierley Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, where he serves as a Research Director and is a member of the Harvard Behavioral Insights Group. Dr Norton's research focuses on behavioural economics and wellbeing, and as well as being widely published in academic journals has appeared in popular media outlets such as the Wall Street Journal, CNN, Forbes and The New York Times. Co-author of Happy Money, The Ritual Effect is his first solo-written book.