Like bad relationships, bad habits (looking at you late night fridge runs), and bad hair days, there are some work habits you should leave behind at the beginning of a new month. The sometimes small, sometimes large, decisions you make day-to-day aren't beneficial to making big moves.
Let April be your most amazing month yet.
1. Complaining about Monday.
Sometimes the weekend is so good that going back to ole office Monday AM feels like you're being sent to school. But Monday's are equally hard on everyone. Think positive and the day will follow. Make this the year of amazing Mondays.
2. Checking Instagram on the clock.
We all do. WE ALL DO IT. Instagram has almost become like a nervous tick. But it's also a deep, dark hole of non-productiveness. If part of your jobs requires you to be on social media, that's fine, but for the rest of us it's time to stop the continuous scroll.
3. Leaving the coffee pot empty.
If you drain the pot, make a new one. That's bad coffee karma, and no one wants that.
4. Comparing yourself to your co-workers.
Don't compare yourself to others because here's the hard truth: you aren't as good as everyone. However, that doesn't mean that you can't be amazing. Comparison is the thief of joy, but it's also going to keep you from finding where you excel.
5. Settling with your job.
Your career should be something you love. If you feel like you're stuck in a rut, this is the time to reevaluate the professional choices you've made.
6. Showing up hungover.
This is big leagues now. Stop behaving like you just got out of college. A glass of wine or two the night before work is fine, but showing up painfully hungover isn't a good look. Not now. Not ever. Don't do the walk of work shame.
7. If you freelance, get out of the house.
Working from home is blessing and a curse. Inevitably, working in your PJs every day is going to bum you out. To get the creative juices and flowing, you need to be a part of the world, see other adults, and have a conversation.
8. Overtasking yourself.
What does this mean? Multitasking is fine, but when you're jumping around from email, to project, to cell phone, to social media, to conference call, you're overtasking yourself out of productivity. You end up not getting nearly as much done. Focus on one task at a time, cross it off, and move on. By the end of the day you'll find you have more time focus on.
9. Showing up late.
Maybe you Netflix-binged until the wee hours of the morning, but it doesn't matter. You need to show up ready to work when you're supposed to be there. Showing up late makes you look unprepared and like you don't respect others' time. If your co-workers are showing up on time, so should you.
10. Stop procrastinating.
The bad habit of all bad habits. Putting something off, saying you'll handle it tomorrow, moving it down a to-do list. These are all excuses that keep the task at hand from getting done. It also takes up valuable space in your brain. Even if you aren't doing it, you're still wasting energy thinking about it. The sooner you can cross it off, the more time you're giving yourself for a project you really care about.
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