Team JAM Maddie Agardi, Julio Paniagua-Alanis, Maks Mitin

ENGL 1002
February 26, 2014.
Connie Rothwell

Bad Habits and Beyond
We can all agree that drinking, gambling, reaching for a cigarette every time
you wake up in the morning are all bad habits. But what exactly is a habit? And what
determines whether its good or bad. A common definition of a habit is: an acquired
behavior pattern that is regularly followed. So what makes this behavior good or
bad? When a habit directly or indirectly has some kind of unwanted consequence(s)
on your life, then you can consider it a bad habit. Bad habits affect your performance
at work, your lifestyle and your relationship with others.
Its obvious that an addiction to narcotics such as nicotine is a bad habit
because it has unwanted consequences. A poor eating habit is another example of a
habit with extreme and obvious consequences, but it doesnt stop there.
Psychologist Kieth Ablow states that when individuals are faced with problems or
obstacles they tends to put up a shield around them that will comfort them instead
of facing the problem. When problems are just covered up or hidden they just sit
there and superficially have no affect but in reality they still have their influence on
an individual. When a person turns to something like music every time he faces a
personal problem then music can be seen as a distraction or a shield from a reality.
Shielding oneself from the problem is bound to have its consequences and in this
case something like listening to music to make you feel better can be seen as a bad
habit (Ablow).
How often do you see phones at dinner tables or teenagers hanging out with
their friends with their earphones in. These behaviors tend to slide more and more
in todays society and nobody sees that as a bad behavioral pattern. Surfing the
internet can often be beneficial and listening to music can be relaxing, but when you
are glued to your phone while out with friends or blasting music during dinner time
instead of having a family discussion then these actions can easily lead to personal
problems and negative consequences.
Common bad habits can have negative affects at your work place that could
even cost you your job. Procrastination, Lying, Negativity, Tardiness, Bad Body
Language, Inattentiveness, and Inefficiency are some common habits confirmed to
get you fired. Many of those habits listed come down to lack of or poor
communication, because it is key in the workplace. Try to listen to the concern, and
take some time to own it without defensively dismissing it (Ablow).
Hedging the truth is not a good habit to form in any type of situation, but
particularly in the work place, it could prompt the end of a career. Falsifying
information in a presentation or project, not entering the correct hours on time
sheets, and/or abusing company credit cards are just some examples of lying in the
job setting, putting you at risk. Tardiness is something that everyone inevitably
admits to; however there is an extent to which it becomes a bad habit. One hour, an
hour and a half, two hours late to a meeting or jobsite on a regular basis is abnormal.
Team JAM Maddie Agardi, Julio Paniagua-Alanis, Maks Mitin
ENGL 1002
February 26, 2014.
Connie Rothwell

Five to ten minutes, you could possibly get by, but pressing the clock is not
something employers tend to take lightly. Time efficiency is something that should
always have full attention, after all- time is money.
Off days are normal and expected, but when an off day turns into an off
month or an off year is when someones mood can seriously affect the people
around them they work with. Criticism is necessary to become better or perfect
something, but constant negative criticism or negativity in general can crumble trust
between work associates, and can cause reputations to diminish. Whether its office
gossip, or whining about something in your personal life, save it for off the clock or
you could risk becoming an annual headache for not only the people you work with
but more importantly your boss.
Your place of work should be a sanctuary in a way, a place of respect and
where your habits should only reflect positive regards for yourself. White lies, not
telling the whole truth, or any of the truth is a guaranteed red flag for your boss and
your character. Controlling your emotions is crucial and has an impact on everyone
around you. Making sure jobs are done correctly, on time, even ahead of time is
something to strive for, and doing the opposite can show a lack of responsibility or
time management. It is important to always show up on time, with the right
mindset, prepared to face whatever your job has in store on a daily basis.
Procrastinating has always had a negative perception, but what if it could
ultimately have a positive outcome. Amy Novotney, a full-time writer and
communications consultant with 10 years of experience in medical and mental
health writing, wrote an article found very useful for the information needed for this
project; she twists the whole perspective and changes the negative consequences to
positive ones and by contorting the definition she argues that putting work off can
be helpful. The author explains how some people procrastinate due to the inability
to act in a timely manner; these people are called Passive Procrastinators. This
means that waiting until the last minute may be inevitable to them and its difficult
to control it. However, she describes Active procrastinators as intentionally
leaving assignments/jobs until last minute starting places due to the fact that they
believe working under pressure helps them finish their tasks well and more efficient
(Novotney). Although procrastination can often be a positive stimulant for people in
the workforce because they excel under pressure, some employers expect projects
to be done in a systematic, planned manner (a.k.a. not crammed at the last minute,
regardless of how great the execution). Not only does the bosss preference have
importance, but putting jobs off until the deadline is a game of risk, which with a bad
hand could potentially get you fired (Smith).
To conclude, there are many criteria that make up the distinction between
behaviors, bad habits, and addictions, however, the line drawn between them can be
extremely complex to see. In relation to this project, habits are negative behaviors
Team JAM Maddie Agardi, Julio Paniagua-Alanis, Maks Mitin
ENGL 1002
February 26, 2014.
Connie Rothwell

that become a reoccurring issue and affect the people around you. Bad habits come
in a wide variety of behaviors and they all have their own consequences. Some
consequences are good others may be bad, but ultimately every habit has its own
affect on a person and can have serious affects on his or her relationships, work
ethic and lifestyle preferences. Being aware of these habits is the first step in helping
yourself. Once you are aware of them, you can prioritize and assimilate them to
decide which ones may need to go and which ones are actually giving you an
advantage.