Blog | Cuts Clothing

Practicing good habits at work helps you meet daily goals and grow in your career. Start developing productive habits and a winning attitude with these 11 tips.

When we think about productivity in the modern workspace, we often think about the technologies we can use to automate and streamline our tasks. While these can be helpful, people have always found ways to be productive — and their secret was simply developing good habits at work.

How you go about your work days can have a big impact on the number of goals you crush, how satisfied you feel with your performance, and where you go in your long-term career. If you want to be more than a cog in the wheel, start practicing these 11 good working habits to make today and every following day count.

When you think of the most successful entrepreneurs of all time — from Andrew Carnegie and Henry Ford to modern CEOs like Steve Jobs and Elon Musk — the word “passive” doesn’t come to mind. Great business leaders are proactive go-getters who don’t wait to be told to take action.

Just fulfilling your job description is the bare minimum. If you want to be an invaluable team member or an inspirational boss, regularly set and reach individual goals, and look for ways to make lasting change in your department. Give your all in any role your take on — and don’t be afraid to explore new ways of doing things to uplevel your performance.

Any good business leader can tell you that being on time means you’re five minutes late. Whether you’re meeting with a client or showing up to work, punctuality is a good working habit that shows you’re professional and dependable.

Arriving early also helps you reduce your stress levels. You’ll have extra time to get settled, review your game plan, and feel fully prepared.

Distractions are all around us every second of every day. For a couple examples, your phone flashes with social media notifications, and snacks in the kitchen call your name. If you’re working from home, all your favorite things are within arm’s reach or a short walk away. [Unleashing productivity](https://www.cutsclothing.com/articles/productivity-hacks) begins with becoming a self-starter who fights procrastination.

Start breaking bad work habits, like working on your couch and spending a lot of time on your phone, to pave the way for good habits at work. Consider implementing strategies like:

* Setting small goals to achieve throughout your day
* Blocking off time in your calendar for your most important tasks
* Giving yourself a small reward each time you check off a task

People aren’t machines. Sometimes, adopting good habits at work means stepping away from your desk to [increase your energy and motivation](https://www.cutsclothing.com/articles/how-to-increase-energy-and-motivation). Taking regular breaks is an important work habit that helps you refresh your mind so you can avoid burnout in the long run. Even microbreaks, which can be as brief as a 15-second stretch, can help you [improve your concentration](https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20190312-the-tiny-breaks-that-ease-your-body-and-reboot-your-brain), calm your nerves, and re-engage with your tasks.

When you do activities that promote well-being during your break — such as meditating, reading, and playing with your pup — you can take full advantage of the moments you have to yourself.

# **5. Separate Your Work and Personal Life**

It’s easy for the line between your work and personal life to blur, especially if you’re a remote worker. However, maintaining your health, relationships, and personal passions is just as important as hitting key performance indicators and checking off tasks.

If work is constantly at the back of your mind, start practicing healthy habits like setting firm work hours and saying no to overtime. When you start to form a better work-life balance, you can lower your stress and [boost your job satisfaction](https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/JAMR-01-2021-0002/full/html), so you can actually enjoy your successful career.

# **6. Seek Career Development Opportunities**

The world doesn’t wait for anyone. As technology changes and workplaces shift, some skills become outdated while demand for others grows. Great leaders never become obsolete though, and that’s because they’re constantly learning new skills and preparing themselves for the future.

A good workplace habit that everyone should take on is proactively seeking career development opportunities. When you start regularly reaching out to mentors, attending workshops, signing up for continuing education classes, and more, you can ensure your career flourishes in every decade.

# **7. Practice Effective Communication**

Good communication skills are at the heart of effective collaboration — and even if you work as a team of one, you need to interact with clients professionally and attentively almost every day. When you make a habit to practice soft skills like active listening and good body language, you can gain the respect of your peers and become the best business leader you know.

No one knows everything about anything. What separates first-class leaders from their peers is a willingness to ask for help. Even the world’s most successful CEOs enlist the help of advisors instead of navigating the world of business on their own.

When you’re honest about what you know how to do and where you need support, you can avoid wasting hours on research or botching important tasks. Asking questions is always better than burning out.

Work is never all sunshine and rainbows, but that doesn’t mean you have to get negative when things get tough. High achievers bring a positive attitude to their workspace every day. Instead of only focusing on problems, like employee turnover or declining sales, they focus on finding a solution — because there always is one.

Great leaders also see the best in their team members. When they disagree with an action or idea, they offer constructive criticism with no ill intent — and when a team member does something great, they celebrate it. Bringing this positivity into your work environment can boost morale and create a culture of support around you.

The clothes you wear affect more than how you’re perceived. It can also transform your mood and motivate you to do more throughout the work day. Changing out of lounge wear and into professional clothes gets your brain into work mode so you can stay focused on tasks.

Professional attire doesn’t mean restrictive button-ups or tightly knotted ties. [Workleisure](https://www.cutsclothing.com/articles/workleisure) helps you stay comfortable while getting a tailored look that elevates your mood, confidence, and productivity.

Developing good habits at work can help your career soar, but at the end of the day, it can also help your organization thrive.

Teamwork plays a big role in your company’s success. That’s because quality work occurs when your team helps each other with tasks and builds off of each other’s ideas instead of constantly trying to gain individual recognition.

If you want to take your effective work habits a step further, make it your priority to help your team members when they want to learn new skills, or even when they’re overloaded with tasks.

It’s always a great time to adopt good habits at work. When you’re the most effective worker you can be, you can accomplish your career goals while contributing to your company’s success. Developing good working habits can be as simple as arriving early to work, taking short breaks, and practicing good communication every day. 

  
Ready for more ways to succeed in the workplace? Get inspired to reach your goals by reading [these 12 books for entrepreneurs](https://www.cutsclothing.com/articles/best-entrepreneur-books).

1. Take Initiative

2. Arrive Early

3. Practice Time Management

4. Take Breaks

5. Separate Your Work and Personal Life

6. Seek Career Development Opportunities

7. Practice Effective Communication

8. Ask Questions

9. Be Positive

10. Dress Professionally

11. Be a Team Player

Keep up With Good Habits at Work