Keeping vows is not a one-time thing. Though we may mark our first commitment to a vow, it’s important for us to keep finding moments for aspiration. In our daily lives, how can we remember the vows we’ve taken?

One suggestion is to take a moment during the “hinge” parts of our day– when we are getting in or out of the car, when we’re in the shower, when we walk out the front door– and recite our vow or aspiration.

In these hinge moments, we take space in the middle of our everyday busyness to ground ourselves in a higher purpose. And that’s what aspiration is all about.

If you want to give this a try, write it down. Write down what word/phrase/vow you want to repeat, and where you plan to repeat it. Make a list, and keep it somewhere handy. (The bathroom mirror is always a good option.) Soon, your intention to recite your aspirations in these every day moments will become part of your habit. Maybe you can change them up, based on the season, or life stage you’re in.

Finding moments for aspiration creates more than just a habit. It actually transforms the way we embody our vows. One of the pillars of the Eightfold Path in Buddhism is Right Recollection. The Buddha says right recollection is “the only way.” In other words, we can’t walk this path if we don’t pay attention and walk with intention.

Right recollection means much more than just reciting our vows in the car. But reciting our vows throughout the day brings us into the purpose of the present moment. It brings us focus. And eventually, it also brings us resolve.

What “hinges” can you find in your daily life this week to practice aspiration?

This post is part of the Paramita Project, where I’m practicing one paramita each month. Read all my posts on pranidhana, aspiration, here.