5 Habits That Can Ruin Your First Years On The Job

I have seen it happen so many times. Habits that you develop in college, or in other areas of you life, come back to bite you in the butt.

Whether it be the amount you drink, your work ethic, or even the way you dress, these habits must be stopped in order for your true potential to come out.

Some of these habits may be hard to stop, but believe me you can do it.

After discusses with many employees across different companies, these five habits are most likely to hold you back from success in life once you land that job.

1. Drinking

In college, you may have been able to get away with drinking every night with friends and stumbling to class hung-over, but the workforce is different. Co-workers will notice your miserable morning moods and a decline in production. Avoid attending happy hours regularly and keep the number of drinks to a minimum.

2. Procrastination

Procrastination is another terrible habit college students acquire in their four years of education. Last minute papers and all night study sessions are a common occurrence.Once you are in the workforce, procrastination may lead to trying to dig yourself out of a large hole and not meeting deadlines.

3. Inactivity

The third deadly habit of your first years in the workforce is inactivity. You may never think about this point, but most college students trade in their active campus lives for lives behind a desk. After work, most of us want to go home and relax. You may gain weight or just become depressed. This will definitely show at the office. Exercise is not only important for our physical health, but it is a great stress reliever for our mental health.

4.Spending Money

Nothing is more rewarding than receiving your first major paycheck from your job. While having money is great, most young professionals spend it just as fast. We have all gone through phases where we upgrade apartments, buy a new car and maybe even a flat-screen television. Sooner or later the money is going to run short and become a stress nightmare. Not only will you be up the creek without a paddle when an emergency happens, but the stress in your life can turn relationships and jobs sour. Make sure not to overspend.

5. Smoking

I am not usually one to discuss personal habits of smoking, but try to limit the habits as much as possible when in the office. If you take a lot of smoke breaks throughout the day, coworkers may notice and even become jealous of your work schedule. It is also importance not to smell of smoke when meeting clients because it could turn away some important business.

How Can You Change These Habits?

There are better ways to deal with stress and boredom than shopping, smoking and even watching television. Try exercising more, hanging out with friends or pick up a hobby such as painting.

Follow these steps to help break your bad habits:

• Pick one habit to work on at a time
• Smart small and use baby accomplishments
• Know your stress triggers and stay away from them
• Tell your family and friends as motivation
• Avoid setting goals that can lead to failure – any step is a big step