The Hidden Power of Habit: What a New Zealand Sheep Farm Taught Me About Mental Health

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

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

Across this field was a 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 other’s woolly bottoms across the field. Year after year, that rut would get deeper, more compact, and hardened.

I think about this little story a lot when I look at the habits we create in our own 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 these habits are very positive and good, while some of them definitely need a review. Many of them have even been handed down to me from others.

Questions for Your Habits

Take a moment to evaluate the ruts you are currently walking in:

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

Quotes to Consider

• “Almost every habit that you have — good or bad — is the result of many small decisions over time.” — James Clear
• “Success is a few simple disciplines, practiced every day; while failure is simply a few errors in judgment, repeated every day.” — Jim Rohn

Protecting Your Mental Health

As you plan to spend some time reviewing your past week, think deeply about the routines you carry out. Think about the small, mini habits you execute each day.

Some of those habits will be actively helping your mental health, while some of them may well be eroding it away.

• Sleep: Are you getting enough restorative sleep each night?
• Hydration: How much water are you drinking throughout the day?
• Input: Are you reading, listening to, or watching positive, uplifting material each day?

My Mini Habits This Year

This year, I am intentionally forming some new, healthy ruts to walk in:

• Daily Writing: Write 100 words every single day.
• Daily Health: Take multivitamins and other medications without fail.
• Daily Word: Listen to my audio Bible everyday (7 minutes a day takes me through the entire Bible in one year).
• Daily Craft: Read “Write Right” each day—a small, excellent book about writing and grammar.
• Finance Friday: Every Friday, I pay bills, check my accounts, and balance the budget.
• Sabbath Sunday: Each Sunday, I intentionally take dedicated time to rest and restore.

Now, I know that I am not going to be perfect in all of these. However, over time, a habit will be formed. Overall, I will develop those new ways of thinking and doing that will take me exactly where I want to go.

I used to wonder what the outcome of these little mini habits would be. Well, for one, this post started out as a “Write 100 words” exercise, and it turned into a full article!

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

Recommended Reading on Habits

• One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way by Robert Maurer
• Mini Habits: Smaller Habits, Bigger Results by Stephen Guise

A Scripture to Chew On

Here is a piece of scripture from the Bible that I am chewing over at the moment. It is all about having a foundational habit of listening closely for direction.

Barry Pearman

Image: Cotswold Way to Pendean Farm

Further Reading

• The ‘Constant Companion’ of Habit
• A Change In Behavior, A Change In the Mind
• Can You Take in the Good and Let it Nourish?