Bad Work Habits to Ditch in the New Year
Posted December 3rd, 2019
When the new year on the horizon, many people are planning their New Year’s resolutions. This year, consider focusing on bad work habits and making a commitment to ditch them in 2020. If you aren’t sure where to begin, here are some that should be on everyone’s list.
Skipping Breaks
When you get busy, you might think that skipping your breaks will make you more productive. However, that isn’t always the case. By taking a break, you are giving yourself a chance to relax and rejuvenate. This can leave you feeling more energized and focused, which can make you more productive than if you skipped it.
If you want to make sure that you remember to take your breaks, put them in your calendar, and schedule a calendar alert. That way, you’ll get notified, ensuring you know that it’s time to step away for a few minutes.
Stressing on Sundays
Many people allow thoughts of their workday on Monday to intrude on their Sunday. This can make the remainder of the weekend stressful instead of enjoyable, particularly if feelings of dread for the coming workweek creep in.
Overcome this pattern by adjusting the narrative. First, make sure that you organize for the next workweek each Friday, decreasing the odds that you’ll have something to worry about. Second, find something to look forward to on Monday morning. Even something as simple as treating yourself to a breakfast treat can work, as long as you allow yourself to focus on it instead.
Missing Deadlines
Falling behind on even the smallest deadlines creates problems. Often, the issue will cascade, allowing work to pile up. Plus, you may be reducing the productivity of others who are waiting for that work, harming your reputation, and overall productivity.
If something is due at a particular time, make completing it a priority. Block out time on your calendar, create a system that keeps you up to date, or take any other action to prevent even seemingly minuscule duties from falling through the cracks.
Procrastinating
When you’re faced with a dreaded task, you might be tempted to put it off until the last minute. The problem is, this allows that project to hang over your head, increasing your stress. Plus, you’ll feel rushed when you finally do tackle it, and that could make it harder to handle or hurt your results.
Instead of letting that task linger on your to-do list, tackle it as soon as possible. That way, you can finish it, get it off of your list, and move on to something you do enjoy.
Over Explaining
While being thorough can be wise at times, it isn’t necessary for all situations. If you are constantly explaining the obvious or repeating explanations every time a particular activity occurs, you are wasting your time as well as other peoples.
This year, work on being concise. Get to the point quickly and avoid extraneous details.
Working When Sick
Pushing through the workday when you’re sick isn’t a sign of a good work ethic. When you bring an illness into the workplace, you are putting others at risk. Plus, the quality of your outputs may diminish if you aren’t at full capacity, and you are hindering your ability to heal.
If you are ill, stay away from the workplace whenever possible. That way, you can rest, and you won’t infect others.
Staying in the Wrong Job
Staying in a role that isn’t a good fit isn’t admirable; it’s hindering your career. If you want to keep moving forward, you need to seek out challenging and engaging work that allows you to grow and advance.
When you feel that it’s time to move on from a job, start exploring other options. This can include internal promotional opportunities or positions with other companies as long as they can make reaching your goals possible.
If finding a new job is one of your 2020 resolutions, the team at Bayside Solutions wants to hear from you. Contact us to find out more about our current vacancies today and see how our services can benefit you.
