Things I never do (but probably should?)

[Otheon]

I can honestly say that I haven't automated a worker since Civ III. And even then only to build roads. With all the AI shortcomings we gripe about, why on Earth would you want to leave your tile improvements up to it?

As far as the main question:
-I don't specialize cities in most games; I get too caught up in trying to get my national wonders.
-I get lazy about spending money/selling excess luxuries once I've hit the mid-game.
-I jump around too much in my research, instead of working consistently towards a specific goal.
-I often stop expanding too early in the game & don't re-start my expansion later.
-In many cases I'm guilty of bending a civ to my playing style instead of adapting to each leader's strengths & weaknesses.

That's pretty much my list of bad/lazy habits right there.

I specialize when it's pretty obvious that a particular city lends itself to something. I don't micromanage this generally, however(unlike how I micromanage everything else).

I get lazy selling resources mid game. Seems silly to get a whopping 210 total gold for a resource when I"m making half that per turn already. I prefer to hang onto my extra resources even though all my friended civs constantly ask for them. The positive rep is worth more than the 210 gold.

I beeline to an extent, and usually always for the same techs. When I know I'm going for a cultural win, I beeline for any culture building techs, and Cristo Redentor, Sidney Opera House, etc.. I always beeline for science building techs, as a tech lead lends itself to any kind of victory focus.

The only way I restart my expansion later on is after building artillery and then going on a city-puppeting spree against neighboring civs that pissed me off all game up to that point. It's as much a revenge thing as it is strategy related, lol.

I bend a Civ to my own playstyle as game conditions call for it. I've played many games intending to turtle, go tall and win culturally, only to find my neighbors the Huns, Mongols, Greece or Japan. I immediately know I have to war mongor a bit to keep them in check and end up being more aggressive early on than normal.

 

[cccv]

-I don't build enough workers. I build them at first, but as I acquire more cities I use the ones I built for my core cities now that they've done the most important stuff over there, and I don't realize I need more workers until I really need more workers.

-I get bored of war. I'll start by taking down a nearby civ or 2 or 3, but by the 4th I just want to turtle up and oversee my empire now, I'm sick of fighting. In my Celts game I kept the war machine going because I was going for (and got) the "Longest name ever" achievement and I saw the difference it made in terms of score. But most of the time I'd just rather the game be enjoyable.

-I can be too skittish about declaring friendship. I'm always worried that making one new friend will mean making two new enemies. I wait a long time to decide who I'm willing to take the plunge with.

 

[Human Crouton]

Pillaging is important, I've learned. To not pillage is hubris. When you don't pillage, you've already assumed that you've won the war, which is a huge mistake.

Sure, if you gain the city, you get all of their improvements in place; but if you don't take it, you've lost several units for nothing, and left your enemy in tact. Take the shots when you can; don't go for the jackpot. If you pillage, you can still win a city. If you don't pillage, you can still fail to gain the city.

Take what is given to you. Pillage tiles. Don't shun the penny you see on the street just because you covet the private jet flying over your head.