Monday musings…

February 1, 2021January 31, 2021 Patricia23 Comments

Bad habits are like a comfortable bed,
easy to get into, but hard to get out of.
A Proverb

Ain’t that the truth! And I would add that
good habits are often hard to get into
and easy to get out of.

In September of 2019 I started the habit of going for a walk every day. Three miles was my goal and I usually accomplished it. Sometimes surpassing it by a mile. It was a bit of a push to get in the habit but I persevered and within a month I actually looked forward to the walk enjoying the scenery and the fresh air and sunshine and even the rain. Well, I didn’t walk if it was raining hard but if it was just drizzling I did.

Then summer 2020 showed up in all its glory. In South Carolina that glory is filled with sun and upper 90 degree temps…sometimes into the low 100’s. Add to those temperatures the 95% or higher humidity and it is difficult to walk several blocks let alone three miles. Even at 7:00 in the morning…or evening. So, in June I started walking a few days a week. Then in July a short, very short walk, a couple of times a week. In August I gave up and stayed home with the air conditioner on proving that good habits are easy to give up.

Then in mid-September I told myself I would get back to my daily walk of three miles. I sometimes did the three miles but most often it was more like two. October, November, and December were hit or miss. More days missed than hit.

Now we are in 2021 and I told myself it was time to get serious about walking again. Well, in the month of January I did a not so great 17 days of three mile walks. I tell myself that it rained a lot, but really no more than usual for January and rarely for the whole day. Yes, good habits once broken are hard to fix. Now it’s February. It’s a short month. If I walk just 17 days it will look better statistically than January.

Developing good habits and sticking to them is a pain in the butt!

wandering writings · whatever!

Wednesday, writing whatever…

December 11, 2019December 11, 2019 Patricia25 Comments

Today I am thinking, wondering and writing about habits.

We all have habits, some are good some are bad. It’s a fact that we all have both kinds of habits. I imagine that most of our habits are good. Those things we do all the time because we like doing them, they give pleasure and make us happy, make the people around us happy. There are things we do simply because they need to be done to keep clean and neat and healthy or to help others because we care about them. You know, good things that come from our hearts.

Then there are those bad habits that somehow become a part of life. They may not be things that break laws or hurt people but they can be troublesome. They aren’t necessarily awful things but if we are honest with ourselves we know they aren’t nice or just stuff that wastes time. Things that we tell ourselves are okay because they aren’t hurting anyone except maybe ourself. Although, when they hurt us then the ones who care about us hurt.

What I really want to know is:
Why is it so hard to develop good habits and so easy develop bad habits?
Why is it so easy to break good habits and so hard to break the bad ones?
Why do good habits often seem boring and bad habits seem so fun?

Why am I thinking, wondering and writing about good and bad habits? Because I had a good habit that I started in January. That habit was walking 3-4 miles everyday! Well, except Sundays. That’s a day of rest, you know.

So, I had that good habit until sometime in July. It was near 100* most days with humidity in the 90’s. Even if I tried walking at 7 -7:30 in the morning I was a hot mess after just a few blocks and felt sick. So I didn’t walk most of July and all of August. It was still hot in September and my good habit was broken. Since October I have been walking a couple days a week except when I find an excuse not to.

I need my good habit back!
No one can get it back for me, I have to do it myself.
I will work on it…I’m not sure when but soon, I think.

just thoughts · questions · Tuesday · Two Shoes Tuesday · Uncategorized

Tuesday, good habits bad habits…

August 20, 2013 Patricia33 Comments

Here is something I don’t understand.
Well, there is a lot I don’t understand but for now
I will focus on one thing.

Habits

Why are good habits so hard to establish and bad habits so easily made routine?
and
Why are good habits so easy to let go of and bad habits so hard to remove?
and
Why are we so often reminded about our bad habits and rarely told about our good habits?
and
Why do good habits seem so dull and bad habits so fun?

Today, I think I will never understand.

Click on the shoes to see what others have to say.

Friday · just thoughts · rambling · Uncategorized

Friday, it’s about the news habit…

February 8, 2013 Patricia26 Comments

A while back Kate at Views and Mews by Coffee Kat asked the question, “Do you read newspapers?”

Well, when it comes to this topic I guess I am a dinosaur. I like the real newspaper. You know the one printed on paper that is delivered to your door early in the morning. Don’t get me wrong I love my computer and Nook but I still gotta have the morning paper.

Not that I always read it in the morning or actually read the whole thing. I have my way of perusing the news. I look at the front page headlines, then on page two is the weather, must look at that so I know how to dress. Then I look at the obituaries, not sure why I do this.

I remember making fun of my mother because she checked out the obituaries first thing. I didn’t understand the attraction. I still don’t understand and now I am the one doing it…first thing. Well, third thing. Maybe it is just an old thing. I didn’t get the habit until after I was fifty.

If it is a day I am not working, the comics are next, Dear Abby, then on to the puzzles. Crossword, Word Jumble, and Word Game…in that order, always.

Then I look at, not really read, the rest of the paper, except the Sports. I rarely, if ever, read the Sports pages.

And after all that I check out the sale brochures. The days I work just the first three get done in the morning the rest has to wait until afternoon.

I will be very unhappy if/when the day comes that I have to do all this on the computer or digital reader. I guess I would get used to it but that doesn’t mean I would like it.

Hasn’t this been the most interesting of boring posts you have read in days?!

Today, I think I need to get out more.

Teddy · Tuesday · Uncategorized

Tuesday, Teddy’s thoughts about the bath tub…

February 7, 2012February 6, 2012 Patricia20 Comments

People are most interesting. Especially my Mama. She has some very funny habits.

She has a big tub in the bathroom. It’s fun to get in it and go round in circles really fast chasing my tail. And I like to take my fuzzy ball and bat it around in there. I make the best noise–though Mama says the guy downstairs might not appreciate it.

Sometimes I just sit in there behind the curtain and when Mama comes in I jump out and surprise her. It makes her laugh and I like that.

Anyway, back to Mama’s funny habits. One of them is she fills the big tub with very warm water and bubbles. This is pretty fun. The bubbles smell nice and they are interesting. When I swat them they disappear–it’s magic maybe.

Now the funny part. She takes her clothes off–I leave that to your imagination–and gets in the tub and SITS in the bubble water. Sometimes, usually in fact, she sort of lays back and closes her eyes and smiles and sighs.

What is that all about? She says it is relaxing to take a bath. And she does some of her best thinking there.

I am all for relaxing–and thinking. But in a tub of bubble water?

Living with my Mama is an education. She does funny things but I am going to stay here and keep her company–but not in the tub–she’s on her own there.