For the security professional assigned to a post, it is critical that you avoid complacency. While it is ideal to work in the same position and become familiar, and faster at accomplishing tasks, you don't want to let your job become too much of a routine. When things devolve into a standard routine, you are more prone to missing important details, or not having a sense of urgency as when you were new to the position. There is a significant difference between being a seasoned professional who does their job well, and someone who has been in the same position for a long time, and begins to prioritize workloads and evaluate urgency differently, which is essentially being complacent. One of the biggest mistakes security professionals can make when they become complacent, is setting a routine for their patrols. When conducting your patrols, you must always make sure to be random for the time and method you use to conduct your patrol. A simple way to think about conducting your patrol is to assume you are being watched by a potential intruder or criminal. He is going to look for patters, and weaknesses in your patrol, such as when you go and eat, or when you go to the bathroom. Always be mindful of what you do, and how a criminal would interpret your methods. The age old advice of Sun Tzu still applies to today:

“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle."

-Sun Tzu, The Art Of War

 Know how a criminal, your enemy, would operate, and what they would look for. You never want to display a pattern to the outside world for anyone to observe. Try to be mindful of the advantages you have, but do not let them give you a misplaced confidence that your presence alone will deter someone from trying to break in, or even worse, harm you or your client. A criminal will always want to know where the security professional, and most definitely his weapon, is at all times. Set times to report your observations to your supervisor, and if your client has a very particular way they want you to report and conduct your patrols, try to find a common ground between what would satisfy the client, but will also make your perimeter safer. Report your concerns to your supervisor, as it is not your place to bring up directly with your client unless they specifically ask you. Just do your best to mix things up and avoid doing criminals any favors by letting them know your methods. At the end of every day, on your way home from work, think about the actions you took today, and what could be done differently, and where there was room for improvement, so that when you return for work the next day, you will be more efficient, and create a safer atmosphere for your clients, their customers and visitors, your co-workers, and yourself.