Sheep, Habits and Walking Down The Right Path

I always thought sheep were pretty dumb. But with the habits they I now realise that actually they aren’t totally woolly in their thinking. (sorry had to say it)

As I child, on a New Zealand sheep farm, I remember asking my father a very simple question.

What is this line running across the paddock?

Across this field was this groove about 6 inches wide. It had been worn into the ground over many years. We had quite a large flock of sheep and for them to move from one side of the field to the other they would all follow this well worn path. Those sheep, one after another, generation after generation, would follow each others woolly bottoms across the field. Year after year that rut would get deeper and more compact and hardened.

I think about this little story a lot when I think about the habits we create in our lives.

I have patterns in my life. Daily, weekly, monthly and yearly patterns. These habits have been formed and deepened over many years. Most of the habits are very positive and good, whilst some of them need a review. Many of them have been handed down to me from others.

Questions for your habits

• Are your habits taking where you want to go?
• What sheep rut of thinking and behaving are you in?
• What have been the results of following this track?
• What new track is open to you?

[pullquote]Almost every habit that you have — good or bad — is the result of many small decisions over time. James Clear[/pullquote]

As you plan to spend some time reviewing the last week  think about the habits you have. Think about the small mini habits you have each day.

Some of those habits will be helping your Mental Health while some of them may well be eroding it away.

• Are you getting enough sleep?
• How much water are you drinking?
• Are you reading, listening or watching positive uplifting material each day?

This year I am forming some new habits.

• Write 100 words everyday
• Take multivitamins and other medications everyday
• listen to my audio Bible everyday (7 minutes a day takes me through the Bible in one year)
• Read ‘Write right‘ each day. A small book about writing and grammar.
• Finance Friday – every Friday pay bills, check accounts etc
• Sabbath Sunday – each Sunday take time to rest and restore

[pullquote]Success is a few simple disciplines, practiced every day; while failure is simply a few errors in judgment, repeated every day.  Jim Rohn[/pullquote]Now I know that I am not going to be perfect in all of these, but over time a habit will be formed and overall I will develop those new ways of thinking and doing that will take me where I want to go. I wonder what will be the outcome of these little mini habits. Well for one, this post started out as ‘Write 100 words’ and now it 600 words long.

Form some habits, as deep as those sheep ruts, into your daily, weekly, monthly and yearly schedules. You will not regret it.

Some books on the topic of habits.

Barry Pearman

Image: Cotswold Way to Pendean Farm

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