We all have bad work habits, and most of us are content to get away with them for the foreseeable future. Sure, they may make us a little less productive, and they might not look great in a performance review, but they’re relatively innocuous when they creep into our daily lives.

When you step up to be an entrepreneur, everything changes. You’ll have more direction, more authority and more freedom, but you’ll also have far more accountability for your decisions and habits. Not only will most of your actions have a direct and substantial impact on the health and future of the business, they’ll also set an example for the other people you work with, and set a tone for the entire organization.

Before stepping out fully as an entrepreneur, be sure to eliminate these 10 bad work habits:

1. Not planning your day (or week).

You can get away with this in a job you can muddle through, but, as an entrepreneur, if your priorities aren’t clear, you may never be able to dig yourself out of that hole. Each day, and each week, preview everything you need to do and organize those tasks based on order of importance.

2. Reacting to emails as soon as they come in.

Prompt responses are almost always a good thing, so there’s no fault in wanting to respond as quickly as possible. However, responding to emails all day is an inefficient way to go about your tasks. Plan your projects and tasks in advance, and don’t let emails relentlessly distract you. One exception to this rule, however, is sales personnel, whose quick email response may prove essential for landing a sale.

3. Communicating inefficiently.

Inefficiently written emails or conversations in meetings might cause a slight hiccup in someone's average day-to-day work, but in the context of a budding business, these problems may cause serious headaches and make your company look unprofessional. Take an inventory of your communications skills, and make improvements where necessary. Don’t rush through anything, and think carefully about what you mean to say.

4. Settling into a firm routine.

Routines are useful for productivity, especially for everyday tasks you might otherwise forget. However, settling too deeply or firmly into a routine could put you in a poor position when things change abruptly (and they will in a startup). As an entrepreneur, be flexible enough to change your approach when the situation demands it.

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