Bad Work Habits We’re Leaving in 2025!
As a team that believes in doing great work without setting ourselves on fire, here are a few habits we’re officially not bringing into 2026.
Some of them tried to sneak back in last year — but they’re not welcome back.
Same-day reply guilt
Same day does not mean immediately. Unless something is actually on fire, that email can wait until your next email check.
Real-world swap: Instead of dropping everything to reply at 10:14am, batch responses and reply later in the day — still same day, still professional, way less frantic.
Saying yes to everything:
Helpful does not mean available at all times. Boundaries are not a personality flaw — they’re a necessity.
Real-world swap: “Yes, I can do that” → “Yes, I can help with that next week” or “That’s outside my scope, but here’s what I can help with.”
Toxic productivity:
You don’t need to be constantly “on” to be valuable. Rest is not something you earn by burning out.
Real-world swap: Stop measuring your day by how busy you felt. Measure it by whether you moved the right things forward — even if that meant fewer tasks, done properly.
Working when you should be resting:
Late nights, weekend log-ins, and “just quickly checking something” — retired.
Real-world swap: If it’s not urgent at 2pm on a Tuesday, it’s probably not urgent at 9pm on a Sunday either.
Unrealistic expectations:
Perfection is out. Consistency and sustainability are in.
Real-world swap: Instead of expecting every task to be done perfectly, immediately, agree on clear priorities and realistic timelines, then deliver solid, repeatable work you can actually sustain.
Apologising for boundaries:
Protecting your time is not rude. Needing rest is not a weakness.
Real-world swap: Instead of “Sorry for the delay,” try “Thanks for your patience.” And instead of “Sorry, I can’t jump on a call today,” try “I’m available tomorrow at X time.”
For us, 2026 is all about doing meaningful work that actually fits into real life — and we’re very okay with that. 💛