Habits

Why is it so hard to develop good habits and so easy to develop bad ones?  I haven't started exercising, but I don't do anything in the morning until I've had a cup of coffee.  While my coffee is brewing, I open up my blog and look at it, but I don't start writing until the coffee is ready and I've had my first cup.  At first, I had two cups in the morning.  Next I started having another cup of coffee or two at work in the morning.  And, with a late shift coming in around 11, there is fresh coffee all day long.  Soon, I was drinking coffee in the afternoons, too.  I had to make a conscious decision not to drink coffee at work.  With my meds, I was still able to sleep at night even though I was consuming so much caffeine, but I know it wasn't good for me.  As far as exercise is concerned, I've thought about it from time to time, but I haven't done anything about it.  When I get home from work, eating dinner is my first priority.  After dinner, I clean up the kitchen, do a few things around the house, watch a little television, but I rarely think about exercising. 

At least I'm not eating junk food or fast food.  Now, if I would just control my portions.... 
Old Ben Franklin found this philosphy easier said than done.  He tried to rid himself of bad habits, one habit at a time.  He made a list of bad habits that he wanted to eliminate.  He worked on one habit at a time until it was gone, then he moved on to the next one.  What he discovered was his old bad habits returned when he worked on the next one.  I guess I'm in good company.

Each year one vicious habit rooted out, in time might make the worst man good throughout.  ~~Benjamin Franklin