Breaking Bad (Habits): Our Characters Share Their Struggles and Wins
What bad habit are you struggling to overcome/have recently overcome?
- Terry Ambrose:
Alexandra Atwood of the Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast Mystery series says, “Oh my gosh, if I could just go one day without getting busted by my parents, that’d be great. Seriously, they act like it’s so dangerous for a kid to solve a few murders. I mean, yeah, murder’s bad and all, but the cops can be so slow, right? And if the universe is gonna drop clues practically in my lap, what am I supposed to do? Ignore them? Pfft, as if. Okay, okay, maybe I sometimes give fate a little shove to help things along. But come on, it’s not my fault I have killer instincts… pun totally intended.”
- Nancy J. Cohen:
Marla of the Bad Hair Day Mystery series says: Lately, I’ve been getting impatient and have started interrupting people. I really need to let them finish their sentences before I cut in. It’s not a good habit. I’ll have to watch myself during conversations or I might miss something important.
- Debra H. Goldstein:
Sarah Blair of the Sarah Blair Mystery series says, it may not be a habit, but my lack of self-confidence has often resulted in me being taken advantage of, but I’m doing better now. Thank you for asking.
- Cheryl Hollon:
Miranda Trent here. I own the Paint & Shine cultural adventure touring business in Eastern Kentucky. I struggle with impulsiveness in everything from dawn to dusk. I hear it from my friends and family after every hasty decision that leads to more trouble than before I decided to act. Sigh. I’m trying.
- Diane A.S. Stuckart:
Ophelia the Tarot Cat says, my only bad habit is listening to Philomena the Koi who lives in the pond in the human Ruby’s courtyard. Philomena always has advice, but she says it in rhyme, and so she always mixes me up! I really need to stop listening to her!
- Maggie Toussaint:
Tabby Winslow of A Magic Candle Shop Mysteries (which Maggie writes as Valona Jones) loves to stay busy. Sometimes the busy-ness takes over, and there’s not enough Tabby to go around. While she knows she’s neither indispensable nor a martyr, she struggles to find that middle ground. Until recently, when she way overdid it. Now she’s going to allow more time between commitments.
- Lois Winston
Anastasia Pollack, reluctant amateur sleuth of the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries: “No matter how many times he denies it and claims I have too overactive an imagination, I’m still not convinced my husband is only a photojournalist and not also an operative for one of the alphabet agencies. I try to bite my tongue, but still….”
No one’s perfect, but it’s the little steps we take to improve that really count—right? What’s a bad habit you’re working on (or proudly kicked to the curb)? We’d love to hear all about it, so drop your stories in the comments below!
Staying focused on one task at a time. I start something and before it’s done I’m going to something else. I finish my first task. But, not as quickly as I would have if I stayed on it till it was totally done.
Oh.. I have a number of bad habits that I am working on to improve them..I am quite happy with myself that I have adjusted my “sweet level” of my coffee to just “a tad sweetness”.. I love my coffee sweet – and I don’t like to use any kind of sweetener – but I also health conscious about my blood sugar level.. So I am now able to drink just black coffee (occasionally) or a little sweet. I’m also able to motivate myself to work on the treadmill whenever I can and not give myself excuses to not work out. – Emily