Do you know people who are always struggling in their jobs? Always having a hard time getting things done? Always complaining that others are not being fair to them?
Anyone can occasionally encounter a bad situation that is not their fault. But when a certain person is seemingly always in situations like that, the smart money says to look at that person’s habits.
10 good habits of people who function effectively in the workplace
U.S. News and World Report recently published an excellent list of 10 good habits of people who function effectively in the workplace. Take a look:
Don't promise what you can't deliver.
Take regular breaks..
Don't skip breakfast or lunch..
Make some friends and allies at work..
Stop trying to multitask..
Remind yourself of what's really important in life..
Seek work that suits your personality..
Learn to manage your boss..
Get a hobby that makes you happy..
Ask for help when you need it..
None of this is really all that complicated. But many struggle to master these habits. That could stem from personality issues, self-confidence issues, emotional baggage . . . or it might just be that you’ve never been around people who modeled good habits for you, so you’ve never learned them.
But I am convinced that anyone can learn good habits if they really are willing to work at it. I am also convinced that those who practice good habits consistently will generally have success in the workplace.
Now let’s understand something. Everyone will run into problems. Everyone will run into difficult colleagues, difficult bosses, unanticipated complications, unreasonable customers – and sometimes these things will result in setbacks. I am not promising you that if you practice good habits you will have no setbacks, so don’t get that in your head.
What I am saying, though, is that those who consistently practice good habits will be very effective at rising above setbacks. Success in the workplace doesn’t mean nothing ever goes wrong. It means that when it does, you maintain a calm demeanor and clear thinking, and you don’t overreact because you understand this is the nature of things and it’s not the end of the world.
People who consistently practice good habits will consistently outperform those who don’t.
So if you’re one of those people who feels like you’re working hard but you never get anywhere in your career, I’d encourage you to take an honest and serious look at the list above, and ask yourself if you can do better there. Because the most important thing in anyone’s life is that they do well at the things they can control – and you can control the habits you practice.
That is, if you’re willing to work at it. If you’re not, well that’s probably a pretty good indication of why you’re struggling in the first place.
