Call me an enabler, but I’m advocating for these “bad” habits. They’re just… misunderstood.

Multitasking- Being productive on multiple projects doesn’t necessarily mean a compromise of quality. Why does there need to be a downside to this one? Free time between big projects provides the chance to get little tasks done. Smart phones make it easy to, for example, download and review your presentation notes one last time while waiting in line at the bank. Does this render anyone unable to withdraw their cash? No.

A few bad apples ruin multitasking for the bunch. I’m talking to you, fountain lady.

Waiting until the next morning– It’s 3:00 a.m. and you really don’t know why this isn’t finished. Honestly, you don’t remember why you started, or where you were going with that senten… Oh yeah, that’s right. This is important stuff.

Why not give your brain the sleep it needs and take a fresh look at things in the morning. You might be surprised at the newfound clarity and direction your work takes. This goes for late night business emails as well. Save them for the morning… as long as they’re not induced by over-caffeination or sleep-deprivation.

Getting sidetracked- All work requires dedication and focus. However, hyper-extending your attention span can result in hating what it is you’re working on. Facebook breaks every five minutes probably won’t help get your job done, but going for a walk or browsing your favorite trade magazine might. Let your mind breath a little.

Use your procrastination as a litmus test. If you seriously can’t fathom having the willpower to finish a budget report, but find yourself frequently dabbling in blogs on sustainable business practices, maybe there’s some truth in uncovering what you enjoy for work. Getting sidetracked reveals your true interests.

Those are my three. Do you have any misunderstood “bad” habits?