Bad habits
I've inherited this problem that my mom has had for as long as I can remember: I'm always late. For everything. I don't know if it comes from a lack of respect for people (I don't think so, but maybe). During childhood, it was my AM's (that means alcoholic mother, right?) job to get us to school. I was late so often that the guidance counselor met with my brother and me once a week to discuss why we were always late. We'd have to list ways to help us get to school on time, and we got prizes at school when weren't late. Of course, it wasn't our fault. In fifth grade my teacher counted my tardy slips in front of the class, I guess thinking that it would humiliate me enough to want to come to school on time. It definitely humiliated me.
I can't even put my finger on what stops me from getting places on time. I do dishes, I wait until the last minute, I do whatever; I can't stop. I'm not as bad as my mother was---I arrive 5 or 10 minutes late---not two hours like she did. And it stresses me out and makes me feel guilty every time, while it never seemed to bother her. Sometimes I lie about the reason I'm late, by replacing the real reason with an understandable one. Recently I've been catching myself and telling the truth, and I feel great about it. But I hate being late.
What are some of your inherited habits? How did you overcome them? Which ones are you still working on?