Whether you work full-time, part-time or for yourself, you probably have a nagging little Chihuahua that lies under your desk, behind your computer monitor or right in your lap. He’s not a real dog, but your No. 1 pet peeve probably sits up to bark pretty often and has the potential to reduce your productivity or even ruin your whole day.

Mine is a fairly common one: receiving something late when I haven’t been warned in advance. It’s usually a pet peeve that neat-and-tidy planners have, which is where I differ from the norm. My workspace is downright messy. Spontaneity stimulates me much more than meticulous preparation.

So what have I done about it? I decided long ago that a crusade against unannounced lateness would be just plain ineffective. So I picked up my little Chihuahua, took him out of my messy workspace and gave him some training. Here’s where I am now:

1. I anticipate when my pet peeve will nag me. I usually get warning signs, often as simple as a colleague’s failure to acknowledge an e-mail reminder. Willfully ignoring such signs, and hoping that people will reform their ways, would be foolish. Instead, I exert whatever polite influence I can on folks in advance, accepting the limits. Then I envision what a late delivery will require of me, make a quick mental sketch of how to face it and move on.

2.  I laugh at my pet peeve. Sometimes prevention doesn’t work, but if you step back to observe yourself in the moment, you’ll see the comedy in it.

3.  I reward my pet peeve for good behavior. When I succeed in not allowing my pet peeve to get to me, I throw myself a bone, usually in the form of a more rewarding task that I’ve been saving for the occasion. Writing this blog often does nicely.

4.  I honor others’ pet peeves. It’s usually possible to identify the little things that matter most to your colleagues, and, by respecting those things, help your coworkers to manage them. In the best of situations, you can even joke about your pet peeves together.

Steven DeMaio teaches English and math to adults at the Community Learning Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts and the Somerville Center for Adult Learning Experiences in Somerville, Massachusetts.