It's a habit

Ever notice how bad habits are hard to break, but how easy it is to pick one up?

I don't know what really made me think about this, or ponder it, or decide to openly admit that I have these habits on my blog, but its something that has been on my mind recently. Maybe because I'm being internally convicted to give them up...

I have some serious bad habits - some are worse than others, some are kinda funny, but, obviously, none of them are "good".

1. I live by lists - grocery list, to do list (what I call my daily TDL), email list, workout exercise list, etc. If it's not in a list, most likely I won't remember do it. Not that lists are bad in and of themselves, but living and breathing by lists, and having to have everything planned out is not so good. God already knows how my day is supposed to turn out, and what I'm supposed to do or not do, and His plans are more important than what is on my list. I think it comes down to control. I have to learn to surrender to Him and His large picture (one that I cannot see) and not get so focused on the details that I think are more important, i.e. daily tasks.

2. I don't take my make-up off at night before I go to bed. It's one of the easiest things to do in my nightly list routine, but for some reason, I just don't. And ask anyone, any dermatologist, any beauty queen, any woman out there practically, and she will say the best thing you can do for your face and your complexion is to take your make up off at night. I have the make up remover and the cotton balls waiting for me. Yet I'm too lazy and tired. This should be any easy habit to fix.

3. I love peanut butter. I mentioned in a post a while ago how much I love peanut butter. Peanut butter in and of itself is not necessarily a bad thing. Like every thing out there, in moderation, and the right kind (freshly ground, natural, etc) it's not bad. However, when it's a comfort food, and you eat it by the spoonful straight out of the jar, then it's a problem habit. A spoonful here and a spoonful there add up, especially when it's not freshly ground all natural. But oh so good....

4. I leave my shoes wherever I take them off - which happens to be anywhere in the apartment but in the closet where they belong. Under the table. By the door. Next to the bed. On the couch.

5. I don't communicate well. I'm not a verbal person - never have been, probably won't ever be. I'm a listener, not a talker. An introvert, not an extrovert. I consider this a bad habit because I use it as an excuse sometimes to not talk when I probably should talk. I need to grow up, learn how, and practice my communication skills. 'Nuff said

6. I wear my pajama pants Paul's old scrubs on days that I stay at home or as soon as I get home from work. However, it may not be the best thing for me, or actually my husband. My friend posted this link on her blog, and it's something that I heard before but had pushed out of my mind because I "just wanted to be comfortable". It's something to consider and a habit that probably needs to be broken. It's on a guy's blog, but was guest written by a woman - should wives be hot?

7. I don't stay in contact with my friends well enough when I move away. In high school I was fortunate enough to have a really close group of friends. Now, I keep in contact with one, maybe two, of them, and not nearly enough. In college, same story. I talk with only two of the girls. While in Charleston, we had our first "couple friends". Paul probably keeps in contact with the guys more than I keep in contact with the girls. How is it possible that with all of the technology out there, and instant communication links that are now available, I still fail at staying in touch with girls that were once my closest friends? It's sad when I think about it. And I need to do a better job reconnecting and staying connected with them. If you are an old friend and reading this - my apologies. Let's talk!

8. I pick at my cuticles. Always have. It's not even something I think about doing any more - it just happens. It's one of my top worst habits. And it's also one of the hardest to break. I've tried. I pick when I'm stressed, when I'm anxious or nervous, when I'm upset. My poor fingers take the pain for me. Band-aids - lots of band-aids.

9. My worst habit? I hold grudges. It's awful, and it's selfish, and it's mean, and it's wrong. But I will admit that I hold grudges. I don't know why - maybe its a defense mechanism somehow, but I do. I have really been praying that when something happens that would make me grudge, God would change my mind, grant me grace so I may grant grace, and help me to move on. It's not worth it. It's a waste of time. Grudges are just bad.

They say it takes about six weeks to break a habit. Some of these I've been trying to break for years. Some are newer, so hopefully I can break them sooner. But habits aren't productive and positive. And as we start to get ready for a new chapter in our lives, I think it will be good for me to start working on breaking these habits - a completely new fresh start.

What are some of your habits that you think you should break? Because whether you want to admit it or not, you've got some. Just like me.

God Bless