Habits: Cliché for This Time of Year, but Not for Life

Meg Herriot observes how important our habits are for our entire lives, not just at the beginning of a new year. 

Habits. We all have them. Some are good, some are bad, and some need a little work. 
 
I've been thinking about habits lately. This time of year, we all think about them a little more.  

The habits we rely on

The military relies on habits, psychologists make big money on habits, the good and the bad. Veterinarians use habits too. I sometimes forget the habits that I have had ingrained in me since veterinary school. I almost always try to examine an animal in the same order of body systems, as it makes me less likely to forget something. 
 
Recently, they have suggested that we do our exams on cats in a different order. Instead of starting from the head and moving back, start from the back and move forward. I'm not sure if it's totally less threatening for a cat to get touched on its back before you look them in the eye, but I've seen it help in some cases. It is hard to reprogram myself though. 
 
We got our son a watch for the beginning of the school year. He loved it. I think it makes him feel like he's really grown up. I didn't anticipate he would become a taskmaster, but he did for a little while. Always wanting to know when we were leaving or doing things and keeping us on schedule. He woke up on time — for a day. He slept through the alarm the next two days. 

Getting around to building good habits

I think of all the habits we want to have, but don't get around to. The chart that is divided into 4 categories (Important and Urgent; Not Important, but Urgent; Important, but not Urgent and Not Important or Urgent). I would put Facebook and checking the smartphone in that last category. The Important, but not Urgent category is unfortunately where I spend the least amount of time, I think. 
 
When I hear the Gospel reading about the wise virgins with the oil in their lamps (Matthew 25:1-13), I think of the habits that I'd like to develop. The responsibilities in my prayer life and community life that I say, "That would be great to do — maybe I will focus on those things when I retire." 
 
We know neither the hour nor the day. Just as I tried to start my son off with habits for the school year, I need to work on mine. Just as my son didn't get up to the alarm on the second day, I struggle with my habits too. But the important thing is that we keep trying. We remember that something is worth struggling for, and we don't put off the habits we need to work on.  

While we may not be consistent every day, the more consistent we struggle to be, the more likely we are to change something from a habit we struggle with to a habit that is ingrained in us. Don't give up! Persevere and once you've mastered one habit, work on the next one. Keep the oil in your lamps and be ready. 

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Copyright 2025 Meg Herriot
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