Habit

---First published on stephen-blog.com when I used that site--- I came across this a few days ago while reading Financial peace.  

I am your constant companion,

I am your greatest helper or your heaviest burden.

I will push you onward or drag you down to failure.

I am at your command.

Half of the tasks that you do you might just as well turn over to me and I will to them quickly and correctly.

I am easily managed,

you must merely be firm with me.

Show me exactly what you want done; after a few lessons I will do it automatically.

I am the servant of all great people and alas of all failures as well.

Those who are great I have made great,

those who are failures I have made failures.

I am not a machine, but I work with all the precision of a machine, plus the intelligence of a person.

Now you may run me for profit or

you may run me for ruin.

It makes no difference to me.

Take me, train me, be firm with me,

and I will lay the world at your feet.

Be easy with me and I will destroy you.

Who am I? I am called habit.

Fun fact:

Assuming it takes 3 seconds to pick up a penny (and you don't suffer physically from doing so), you would make $12.00 in an hour by picking up pennies.  Picking up nickels gives you $60/hour! Time to start a new habit?  ;-)