My Favorite Bad Habits (are actually good and help me)
Bad habits get a bad rap. Because there are some things—deemed Unacceptable—I wish to keep. And I promise I’m not (that) lazy…
Humans were never meant to be fully efficient, operating at 100% productivity. Isn’t it good to keep some stuff a little loose?
Some things should be left scattered, unproductive and even broken. So I put together this list of the best good bad habits that I prefer to keep around.
These are the things that actually help me (feel more creative, happier…). This post is a perspective tweak and supports my anti-perfect philosophy in life.
Let’s get to it.
1. Wasting Time / Doing Nothing
There’s this idea that the new wealth flex is the ability to waste time (dubbed post-luxury).
For me, wasting time is just doing things based on mood, not some checklist or to-do. It’s different from procrastination though (more on that below).
Wasting time isn’t a distraction from something you should be doing. It’s the act of enjoying your time but getting nothing (technically) accomplished.
It’s about nothing.
Binge watching your favorite show…again.
Lounging in a park for three hours.
Sipping coffee while people watching.
Going for a drive…to nowhere.
And honestly, this time-wasting habit is supporting me. It’s a form of self care and a reflection of true wealth—a relaxed attitude.
It helps me process things and reflect…take a beat.
A lot of times, I get aha moments and creative ideas while wasting time (probably because I’m relaxed, not trying to have a lightbulb moment).
2. Rabbit-holes + Side Quests
Rabbit-holing and random side quests aren’t unproductive distractions. They add interesting layers, lead to serendipities and support intuition.
Sure whatever, there’s a time to double down and be disciplined, but sometimes following your gut is better.
It’s skill building in new domains, which can connect in surprising ways down the road.
For example, I spent like 4 months learning how to vibe code. It was an intense hyper focused side quest. But it wasn’t all for nothing.
Now I know how to make my own creative (AI) tools, custom websites and mini apps. I understand how coding works and it widens the scope of what I can do with my creative visions.
Like how I make my own custom Squarespace plugins now. That’s kinda cool (and saves me money).
All this is to say, don’t discount a good rabbit hole or a random side quest. They have value.
3. Leaving Stuff Unfinished
Growing up, my art teachers would always force me to fill in every part of my canvas…with details from the reference or some type of background.
They thought my work was unfinished.
But every time I listened, my drawings went from something I actually liked to something I regretted (because I felt like I ruined it).
This goes beyond artwork.
Let’s take books as another example.
I’m pretty good at starting books. But I’m terrible at finishing them.
Still, I still get value from them and arguably collect alternative insight faster by reading snippets rather than obsessing to reach the last page (unless I want to).
I don’t always like the look or feel of completely finished work either. I like abrupt ends. Unfinished stories. A minimalist style that’s sort of chaotic and unstructured.
Unfinished is sorta punk like that.
Letting go of finishing everything you start helps with a more chill mindset. I can sample things and if it resonate, I’ll keep going. If not, I can pivot.
It’s a more flexible life.
4. Procrastination
“The work you do while you procrastinate is probably the work you should be doing for the rest of your life.”
There are benefits to procrastination. Like the quote above, it can give you nice insights about what you truly love (or actually hate).
Or maybe there’s another reason you’re procrastinating. A fear of failure, a fear of success, pain avoidance, distractions…the list goes on. But unpacking procrastination is an exercise in self reflection.
I have a bad habit of putting things off and not doing what I’m supposed to be doing.
But looking back (with the self reflection intention), I notice patterns and insights.
I may have been procrastinating on one thing, but actually I was procrastiworking on something else. And there were definitely recurring themes.
I don’t have all the answers and sometimes, discipline and consistency are actually needed. But sometime, procrastination gives you the best insights (or some much needed rest).
As long as it’s not chronic, I say lean into it (at least sometimes).
5. Sleeping In + Slow Mornings
Sometimes I wake up early. And I definitely love those mornings (who doesn’t love a good sunrise?).
But I don’t obsess about it either. I have a bad habit of sleeping.
It’s nothing crazy, but waking up between 9-10 AM in a culture that celebrates hustle and grind makes me feel guilty somehow.
But here’s the thing, even when I do wake up super early, I don’t actually get more done. I just use that time to relax and have a slow morning with extra coffee and podcasts. It’s amazing.
And even if I don’t wake up super early, I take my mornings slow.
I do a little bit of writing, sip some coffee, tinker on website stuff…all while watching YouTube about something inspiring and helpful for my current projects.
I guess it’s part “work”, but it’s incredibly cathartic and fun for me.
Slow mornings and sleeping in are things that energize me. I don’t respond well to structure and unreasonable hustle.
Part of why I love the post-luxury lifestyle so much.
6. Wingin’ It
Instructions are helpful, for sure. But sometimes, they get in the way of tinkering, creative play and spontaneity.
And I have a bad habit of disregarding them altogether.
For me, winging it when you let go just say “Well, f*ck it…let’s see what happens.” It chooses action over planning. I mean, there’s nothing wrong with planning, but sometimes the best move is to throw yourself into the deep end.
For example, when you’re early in a creative venture, too much methodical planning creates friction and slow growth. The freedom to play around, make mistakes and test is sometimes the best strategy.
Sometimes, I’m too liberal with this habit (winging it on things that I maybe shouldn’t), but honestly, it keeps me grounded and open to new paths and pleasant surprises.
If given the choice, I’d say action is better than planning for most things. And winging it action is casual, playful and slightly punk strategy to the whole.
7. Skipping Fundamentals
I tend to get bored and lost in the details. I love the big picture thinking and creative flow. The technicals make me snooze.
It’s a bad habit and I miss out on fundamentals or important nuances because of it.
But is it really all bad?
Sometimes, when you don’t know the “rules” about how something should be done, you innovate. The beginner’s advantage is real. It opens up more curiosity and play.
Making novel connections happens. You might stumble into accidentally creating a new genre or way of doing things previously unthinkable. But it works. Because you didn’t know you weren’t supposed to do that.
This is especially great for creative work.
So yes, fundamentals are important. But they’re not everything. Sometimes, naïveté and cluelessness is the move.
Alright, that’s all I’ve for you.
Later ✌️
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