I’ve been thinking about how we are creatures of habit, because I used to schedule all my posts here to release at 6:55 AM.

I took a break, and when I came back to blogging daily, I decided to try releasing posts a little later in the day, at 10:00 AM. Because I still have muscle memory and am so used to scheduling post for 6:55, I find myself automatically typing 6:55 into the “time” box, laughing at myself, then changing it to 10:00.

Whether it comes to our schedules, our routines, our processes in work, our vices and virtues, muscle memory during physical tasks, or simply sitting ourselves down to write, edit, blog, etc, we are creatures of habit.

This can work for our against us.

It’s a reminder that habits are hard to change, so it is reason to be patient and gentle with ourselves as we put in the work to break a bad habit or build a good one.

It’s reason to hope, in the difficult aspects of making a good change, that things won’t always be so difficult. As our routines and habits change, what is difficult now will become easier, perhaps even effortless with time, if we stick with it.

It’s motivation to keep those good routines going–to show up for prayer daily. To sit down and write regularly, according to a schedule that works. Even if on a particular day or for a stretch of time, things don’t feel productive or effective, maintaining the habit matters, and is working positively in our lives.

It is never too late to get back to or start to fashion better habits.

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