Good habits are easy to break

Why is it that our bad habits (you know, like eating chocolate chips by the handful behind the closed door of the pantry) are practically impossible to break, while good habits fall by the wayside so quickly?

I read somewhere that it takes at least three weeks of consistent effort to make a new habit, and I've been blogging regularly for a lot longer than three weeks, but I'm struggling. When my mom was here last week I didn't blog at all, and now that she's gone, I'm finding that my regular "blog time" (during Isaac's nap) has become my mandatory nap time.

It's not just blogging that's falling by the wayside either. My reading, the one pastime I hold totally sacred, is lagging too. I think I read too many similar books in a row, and now the one I'm working on (Cinderella Man, at Eddie's suggestion) puts me to sleep every time I open it. I can't tell you how many of the first fifty pages have drool on them. I tried really hard to get my lazy butt to the library this morning, but as soon as we turned off our street, Annie's little friend Tia picked a booger from her nose and was dangling it off her finger. Annie was so grossed out that she threw up. So we're back home and I don't know when I'm going to replenish my stash of fun literary material.

This morning I really, really didn't feel like running. I think the morning sickness that I've been eagerly anticipating for the last couple of weeks is finally settling in, and I couldn't think of anything I wanted to do less than go for a three mile run on the treadmill. But I sucked it up and did it anyway. I just can't break another good habit right now. I think the reading thing is just a temporary slump (I have those from time to time) but if I get out of the exercise habit, it could be a good year before I get into it again.

We're finally in a good scripture reading/family prayer routine too. It has taken us more that nine years of marriage and six years of parenthood, but it's working. I know it's one of those good habits that would be so easy to break. A date night and a late-night outing with the kids and we'd be out of the routine. So I'm digging my claws in and hanging on to this good habit for dear life.

It just doesn't seem fair-- one cup of pebbled ice from Sonic and chewing ice becomes a bad habit for life, but after one day of eating all of my good green vegetables I'm still craving pizza the next day.

So even though I don't have a lot to say today, I'm putting in the face time on my blog, because you guys are a habit I really don't want to break.

--originally published 5/9/06