The other day I was in my sunlit, cozy kitchen (what is with this cold weather we’ve been subjected to in nearly mid-April??) cooking up comfort food in the form of chicken n dumplin’ casserole (The recipe will magically appear after you’ve read this post)  😀

As so often happens throughout my day, my mind wandered to an article I’d read recently— about habits. Whilst perched on m’stool in front of the table, chopping fragrant cooked chicken, I considered how we all have our particular habits and daily grooves. These things are typically comforting and familiar, entertaining and enjoyable.

This has nothing at all to do with the post, but…brownie edges!

Moving about my kitchen, I was thinking about a habit of mine, how I enjoy it and how it’s often one of the first things I do each morning. (Hey! Quit being nosy, what it is specifically doesn’t matter.) I had a revelation amid stirring the roux for the cream of chicken mixture—letting it bubble up just so, whisking and whisking. I realized that even though I thought I was enjoying the habit in question, it has often been leaving me feeling irritable and uptight—like I’ve wasted my time. I asked myself what benefit was I gaining? As my casserole filled the kitchen with savory smells, I sat down and made a few notes with my favorite red pen.

With no small amount of effort, a lot of pondering and scribbling notes over the following days, I slowly but surely set a new groove–with a mix of old faithful habits and fresh new habits–that not only makes me happy during and leaves me feeling good after, but gets me closer to not just one, but several personal goals.

Do you have something that you keep on doing out of habit despite negative feelings it leaves you? What will you gain if you replace that habit with something else? More time to focus on something you truly enjoy doing? More time with the kids/spouse/friend?

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Chicken n Dumplin Casserole Pin (for Pinterest junkies)

Chicken n Dumplin Casserole Recipe (I make my own cream of chicken mixture and leave out the bouillon and sage but otherwise pretty much follow the recipe…mostly…)

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