3.04.2013

The Post About 3 Bad Work Habits I Must Break

I'm single. I don't have kids.

I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm okay.

I really am okay because I sleep until 10:30am on Saturdays on a mattress filled with cash I don't spend on diapers or little league fees.

The real reason these descriptors matter is because of the impact they have on my work habits.

You see...when I meet new people they tend to ask questions in this order:
1. Are you married?
2. Do you have kids?
3. What do you do for a living?

My answers to #1 and #2 have never changed. But #3 has varied.

A: I'm a cashier at a grocery store.
A: I work at the CDC.
A. I'm a bank teller.
A: I sell handbags at a department store.
A: I plan events for churches.
A: I'm a youth minister.
A: I'm the director of marketing for a nonrprofit.

See what a liberal arts degree will get you?

What's consistent is the fact I've always wrapped myself up in my job. It describes me. It defines me. It is me.

This leads to some bad habits you may practice that I've been trying to break.

1. Working when I'm not at work.
My coworker Julie was on vacation and I sent her the above email with the subject line: "Emergency - please open" to test her. Notice she responded within 90 minutes. 

Do you check work email at 10pm? Do you answer texts from coworkers on weekends? I'm not opposed to the occasional catch-up, but failing to have boundaries between the personal and the professional is just asking for failure in one of those arenas. Unrelated: Working on that design project after hours instead of working out leads to a muffin top.

2. Working through lunch.
Powering straight through lunch may seem productive and even noble, but not taking a break simply makes dreaded tasks more overwhelming. Plus, I'm simply not an amazing employee when I have a Hot Pocket in one hand and the computer mouse in the other. Unrelated: Hot Pockets lead to a muffin top.

3. Working long hours.
I've always believed staying a couple of hours late would mean I'm more productive. The reality is and research shows, working more than 8 hours a day decreases your rate of productivity and can actually lead to a 40% increase in heart disease. Secretly, I've also felt as if my value comes from busyness. That's dumb. Ergo, I'm dumb.

What are your work habits that may need some breakage? 

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