Friday Five: Habits

Marci has posted one of those FF's that works for the working but not so well for us retired folks or for those who wish they were working:

The weekly church reading group I facilitate has just finished reading and discussing The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg. It is a fascinating book with research about business and people's habits or routines. The author bases much of his book on recent brain research.

Although this is a secular book, our discussions led to greater awareness of God and of mindfulness in our lives. After all, spiritual disciplines are to help us form habits that will foster greater recognition of and living in the ways of  God. 

The author writes, "Some habits yield easily to analysis and influence. Others are more complex and obstinate, and require prolonged study. And for others, change is a process that never fully concludes." (276)

So for this Friday Five, let us look at our habits, both personal and/or in our organizations: 

1. Good habit(s)?
I get up.  I turn on my computer.  I feed the cats (if I don't they bite my knees),  I do brush my teeth.  I don't shower every day like I used to.  I try to pay my bills on time. Check my mail. Look at the readings for the week. Pray. Read. stuff like that.

2. Habit(s) you wish to change, add, or delete? Do you struggle with this?
Wish I could stop eating.  I wish I could ignore what others say a bit more.

3. Tell a success story about one of your habits.
Prayer:  I think if there was any one reason I was a successful pastor--if success is the way that one should evaluate one's vocation--- was due to having good training in meditative prayer.

4. Have you noticed different habits or routines that are in churches or where you work?
Each parish I served had its own routine.  Even  tho the priest has the right to change the routines to fit her, some things like the day that ladies came in to fold the bulletins, or the day that the guys mowed the lawn, etc. were generally set in stone.  I had a church in the 90's that celebrated it's 300th anniversary; they had routines set in concrete!  They had been having a Harvest Festival forever even though no one harvested anything anymore.   

5. What would you like to become a practice at your present workplace?  
Work.  Retirement may allow you to sleep late, but it is boring.


Bonus:  Can anyone tell me why some of the text is small and some is readable?  I don't change anything while I am posting but I can't seem to change it.  Is it time for a check up at the local Geek shop?  Also Blogger wont let me put my pics where I want to.