10 Things You Do Every Night That You Know Are Bad For Your Career And You Know You Shouldn’t Do (And That You Do Anyway)

1. Relax and just be Yourself.
Don’t worry about understanding anyone or listening to anyone, and definitely don’t worry about seeking feedback or practicing new behaviors. All that’s office talk. Stop all self-development the moment you leave the office and immediately relax and revert to the real you. This could be the you from yesterday, or, if you can learn to quit self-developing early enough in life, this could even be the college or high school you.

2. Keep working.
Send emails confirming receipt of messages no one cares about, reconfirming meetings no one wants to attend, and requesting status documents you’ll never read (but that will keep someone else working late, too). Note to self: remember to look up “ways to burn out” the next time you have 45 spare seconds.

3. Don’t work out.
Slow down your body, and your mind will surely follow.

4. Take your family for granted.
Nothing will cause you to take your eye off the ball at work like a good family squabble. And nothing casuses a good family squabble like not listening to your family! (Bonus if you demand that they accept you “just the way you are.”)

5. Think of ways a friend could better manage his or her life.
Get in the habit of armchair quaterbacking other people’s lives so that you’re ready to play your part in the rumor mill at work.

6. Look for something nice to buy for the house that you don’t really need, like a crystal vase.
Let’s get your priorities straight, shall we? As a rule of thumb, it’s: “No Armani, no friends. No 60″ plasma, no nuthin’.”

7. Develop an action plan for work that hinges on an “if only” statement.
Make all your plans contingent upon other people getting over their hang ups first.

8. Live in the past.
When opportunity knocks, you will miss it because you will beating yourself up for missing it the last time.

9. Plot your revenge.
This can be a lot of fun! It is also be an amazingly powerful waste of energy.

10. Watch TV ’til 2:30 a.m.
One thing’s for sure: tomorrow’s going to suck… again.

Jason Seiden is Co-founder and CEO of Ajax Social Media, a training company that shows professionals how use social media to work more effectively.