| How to Overcome Laziness Aug 21st 2012, 14:00 Call it laziness, sloth, ineptitude, idleness, or whatever you like but the idea of doing nothing when things need doing is often considered to be a sign of weakness or shirking. Sometimes laziness happens when you don't want to face something, like a boring chore or a difficult confrontation with someone. Other times, it might be because you feel overwhelmed and think the task needs a whole team rather than just you. And then there are those times where you really just can't be bothered and notice that those who are bothered seem to be doing just fine without you... Whether or not you are actually lazy, overwhelmed or liable to give up quickly, overcoming any such tendencies involves finding balance in your life rather than throwing in the towel. By refining what truly matters and prioritizing what's important, you can expend your energies where you'll make the most impact and still have time for kicking back and enjoying downtime too. Removing the blocks and setting goals - Figure out what it is that's holding you back. Every time the lazy monster threatens to invade your motivation, stand back and do a little assessment of what's really happening. Often the sticking point is one part of the whole and by honing in on it, you can begin to find ways to work around it. Whatever you're confronted with, seek to identify which aspects of the task, activity, expectation or obligation are causing you real problems and which are simply routine or easy things. Most likely, the sticking issue is smaller than you think, and you can get past it more easily than you think.
- Persevere. Whatever it is that is holding you back, do your best to unearth it. In most cases, it'll be one single specific problem or detail. Take inspiration from Thomas Edison, the famous inventor who believed that there was "no substitute for hard work", who failed again and again before perfecting many inventions. He proved that constantly applying yourself to a problem rather than giving up will eventually prove successful for you. Apply yourself to each thing that presents itself as difficult, hard or unfathomable––eventually it will buckle under the pressure of your determination.
- Set some achievable goals. By setting yourself some worthy yet attainable goals, you have something to look forward to. Pick goals which really inspire you and that make the most of your talents and skills. Picture what you really want. Take care not to set the bar too low––low goals will not motivate you and are too easy to sidestep with excuses that you've already achieved them. The types of lofty long-term goals you might like to strive for include: saving to buy a home or red sports car, starting a family, completing an educational qualification, or fulfilling your lifelong dreams (maybe you've been wanting to open a bookstore, an arcade, or start your own publishing company). For short-term goals, you might use deadlines or events as the endpoint. Make a to-do list, both of large and small things, and prioritize each one in terms of time needed and importance to you personally.
- It may prove useful to keep a personal journal for each day of your target activities, with a record of what exactly may have helped or hindered you with regard to reaching your target as part of your practical logistics for self-development.
- Consider creating a vision board to post all your goals and dreams on. Be creative and use pictures, magazine articles, etc. Such a board can be used to fully map out your dreams. Each day upon waking, look at your vision board and focus on where you want to be. This will provide an inspired start to your day, and push you to your dreams.
- Not everyone finds the vision board approach inspiring but there are other ways, such as mind maps, journals, creating a vision statement and telling others about it, making public pledges online to do something, etc.
- Make a checklist of the desires, goals and motivations you want to move towards. Keeping the goals forefront in your in your mind requires actually focusing on them and a list can keep you energized through its ease of checking. Place copies of your goal sheet or routine everywhere: one on the fridge, on your night stand, by your computer, on your bathroom mirror, even on the bedroom door. Just place them where you look or go to often.
- Regularly revisit the importance and value of the problem or goal. Once you've settled on a goal or face the problem in need of tackling, it doesn't miraculously direct you without effort on your behalf. Part of the success behind having a goal or finding a solution depends on reminding yourself of why it matters and reviewing frequently whether you're going about achieving it in the right way. If you lose sight of the goal or solution, it's easy to become embedded in distractions and dead-ends that make it seem too hard to continue, allowing laziness to set in. Regular reassessments of both the importance and value of the problem or goal will help to keep you focused and refreshed. Some things to ask yourself include:
- Is this something I can actually afford to ignore or allow to go on unsolved for more time?
- Is this something that could be improved by having somebody else help me or share insights with me about?
- Am I using the right approach to solving this issue or pursuing this goal? (Sometimes it's time to follow a new approach than to keep pursuing the same old path.)
- Am I being perfectionist in my expectations? (Perfectionism can lead to procrastination, which can soon lead to nothing getting done because nothing is ever going to be good enough. The end result? Laziness sets in because it's "all too hard". Avoid falling into this vicious spiral by always doing your best, rather than focusing on aiming for nothing-but-perfection.)
Use action to overcome inertia - Tell yourself you can do something. Action changes everything. One moment you're passive and frozen; the next you're digging in and changing things simply because you moved, decided something or got out there. If something from your past is holding you back, take the time to address it rather than bury it––if you're just pretending you're over something that has put a dent in your enthusiasm but then mull over what "could have been", the more likely you'll stay stuck. Whether this means talking to someone about the past, writing letters to your younger self, holding a letting go ceremony or simply forgiving yourself for past erring, do it. You are not defined by what went before––you are always in a position to reinvent yourself and make change happen.
- If you do feel stuck, try jumping up, doing the task, and telling yourself "Despite that old habit of freezing up, I am up right now and I am productive!" Keep your language in the present––no conditional, future or past language should form part of your action statements. And definitely no "if only" statements––those are for people who truly don't want to be fulfilled in life.
- Start. Everything begins somewhere, even if it's pulling the staples out of the piece of paper you have to get on with reading or wiping the fog off the windshield so you can drive the car out of your driveway. Expecting life to be easy street is unrealistic––life is often difficult, and sometimes, it's really difficult. But life is also wonderful, surprising, exciting and filled with hope. By being lazy, you excommunicate yourself from the possibilities of life and that's self-destructive. Complaining doesn't change reality––eventually you'll have to make the changes that allow you to cope with the practicalities of mere survival, let alone any higher sense of personal fulfillment. By improving your own attitude toward daily discomforts and learning to tolerate things that impact you, your resilience grows and you will find yourself becoming more constructive. Whenever something seems mammoth, hard and undesirable, just start it. Don't argue about it, don't make excuses, don't fight it––just get stuck into it with small steps. Overcoming the initial inertia that is natural for most human beings faced with difficult situations or tasks will immediately ease the pain of avoiding it. It will also highlight how to keep tackling it further. Eating the elephant one bite at a time will create momentum and you'll accumulate the confidence to stay motivated and find things less intimidating.
- Eat healthily; junk food doesn't give your body the nutrients it needs to be active. A body lacking in energy can easily cause you to feel lazy and apathetic––it's a good idea to get a doctor's check-up if you're worried about your nutrient intake or energy levels.
- Exercise. Go jogging, running or walking through your neighborhood a few times a week. In time you'll see an improvement in the way you feel and look. Working out will give you a lot of motivation and keep you from getting or feeling lazy. If you haven't worked out much before, stretch first, then start slowly. If you try to do too much to begin with, you'll be in so much pain, it will be easy to use it as an excuse to stop exercising.
- Take your time. It's vital to break down your job into small steps. The smaller things are, the more accessible they are and the more doable they seem. When you actively seek a way to do a task or reach a goal that involves a sense of control and takes a relaxed approach, you'll feel capable rather than threatened. Often laziness is about feeling overcome by everything and giving up because the mental hurdle before you seems too huge. The answer is to trust in the power of small. Focus on one task at a time, the one you're doing and get it done before flitting off elsewhere. It may not feel like it initially but you will have time to focus on the other tasks in turn, provided you've prioritized well. It is often said that those who complain they have no time are wasting it in inefficient ways, like multi-tasking. The human brain works inefficiently when there is constant pressure to do several things under tight deadlines––multi-tasking dumbs us down. Free yourself by doing what matters in neat order, without guilt.
- This doesn't mean you can't switch between tasks––you most certainly can, and variety is the spice of maintaining interest. What it does mean though is that each small task must be done separately, with clean breaks between each one rather than fiddling here and there at the same time. Also, when moving between each task, find clean breakpoints so that it's easy to resume when you return to the task after a break.
- Give yourself pep talks. You are your own coach, your own source of inspiration. You can gear yourself into action by telling yourself inspiring things and affirming your actions. Tell yourself such things as: "I want to do this, I am doing this now!" and "I can take a break when this is done and that break will be deserved all the more for completing this task." Say these things out loud if needed. You'll feel motivated by giving voice to your actions.
- It may help to regularly recite an empowering mantra to yourself throughout the day, such as "I can do this, I know it." You can also visualize certain activities as already completed and anticipate the sense of accomplishment that you will experience when it's done.
- Stay off the couch until you're ready to take a break. Even when you do sit, set a time when you'll return to your task or other activities such as reading a textbook, running a load of laundry or writing to a friend, etc. Self-discipline involves doing what you should do, when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not. No matter how early your training begins, this remains the most difficult lesson to master. Strike a healthy balance between being lenient and strict with yourself and prioritize business over pleasure.
- Compliment yourself every step of the way. Before you gulp at the possible arrogance of this, remember that this isn't a vanity-fest––it's about maintaining your motivation. Whenever you finish a step, a small goal, a signpost along the way, find ways to cheer yourself on. Completing a task or effort will feel remarkably good each time. As such, celebrate the achievement by telling yourself that you've done well. Say something like: "Good stuff; you're on a roll; keep this up and you're going to make it to the end of this". Since big successes are made up of many little continuous successes, each small achievement is heroic, so acknowledge your diligence accordingly.
- Learn to reward yourself for the very small things you complete or try. Occasional rewards will sweeten the tasks and help keep you on track. If you manage to do something that you didn't the day before or that you were absolutely dreading, you deserve a nice treat. By rewarding yourself after completion of small milestones along the way to the big one, you build in automatic reinforcing that you're doing the right thing. Keep most rewards simple but effective, such as extended breaks, catching a movie, splurging on a calorie-laden snack (once in a while!) or similar things. Leave really large rewards for the overall achievement or endpoint. By using self-rewards, you'll train your mind to actively seek working before the reward.
- Breaks are rewards and necessities. Don't confuse the need to take regular short breaks to restore creativity and freshness with laziness.
- Clearly, the flip side to rewards is punishment. People respond best to positive reinforcement and it's best to stick to the rewards. Punishing yourself for not achieving things will simply backfire, confirming your worst-held beliefs about yourself that you're lazy and good-for-nothing. That's a pointless exercise if ever there was one. Punishment also reinforces negative behavior that will recreate the conditions for avoidance out of fear of failure. Just don't do it.
Staying motivated - Ask for help when you need it. Many people carry around an unwarranted fear that it's wrong to ask for the help of others. Whether this has developed as a result of an earlier unkind encounter, a stifling educational experience or a fiercely competitive workplace, it's an unhealthy attitude toward life. We are social beings and part of our existence is about sharing and helping one another; it's not just all about you. Getting from "me to we" takes a little practice but it's an important part of growing and ceasing to struggle alone. If you feel isolated, you may well give up. Leadership guru John C Maxwell has developed a concept of an "inner circle", which allows each individual to mobilize support from a positive, reliable and upwardly mobile (read "not lazy") group of people who can support you. In turn, you are expected to be prepared to reciprocate in kind. This allows you to let go any sense of guilt or weakness for asking for the help of others––you know that you'll be returning the favor as and when needed and you know you're part of the "human being team".
- As well as obtaining the freely available advice and assistance, you may also consider enlisting the help of a professional life coach to help you find your stride, depending on your budget.
- Realize that life is about trading costs and benefits. To enjoy any benefit, there is usually a cost to be suffered. The pain/suffering cost is usually emotional, often physical and sometimes psychic. Often that pain involves a feeling of being left out or going without while others don't seem to be putting up with the same challenges (usually they have their own challenges which you don't see though). And that pain can cause you to avoid, distract and seek safety in a comfort zone. To push past your comfort zone, you'll need to face the pain before you can reach the possibilities.[1] Assess whether a potential benefit is worth the cost to you. If it is worth it (and most times, it will be), draw on your ever-evolving maturity to generate the required courage, endurance and discipline that will give you the strength to overcome pain in order to achieve brilliant outcomes. Nobody achieves anything without effort and pain and indeed, most experts, professionals and geniuses will readily admit that most of their achievements are 99 percent sweat and one percent talent. Undisciplined talent gets few people anywhere––excellence in academics, financial autonomy, sports, the performing arts and relationships demands steady and consistent thoughtfulness and work that strains even the best of us emotionally and physically. Your will to survive and flourish needs to translate to your will to work and suffer when to do so is both necessary and useful.
- Stay on track. There will be times when it gets harder and post-reward you can sometimes feel a bit flat about returning to the task at hand. In such times, you'll need to draw on inner reserves to remind yourself of the goal or solution sought to stay focused. Make the most of feeling that you're on a roll––when you're in that state (often termed "the flow state"), use it to leap to another task or goal as soon as you're done rewarding yourself. The longer that you delay restarting after finishing one element in your tasks or goals, the harder it becomes to restart. Remember the feelings of being deeply involved in getting things done, and how good it feels to achieve things. And the sooner you restart, the more confident you'll feel and the sooner these good feelings will be restored.
- Don't give up. It's one thing to find your motivation. But it's quite something else to keep it going when the going gets tough, especially in the face of unforeseen problems. Realize that curly things happen, often for no reason, and they'll upend your efforts. Rather than letting setbacks demotivate you, see them for what they are and refuse to be flattened by them. You're not alone and staying focused on working through challenges is one of the best ways of coping and bouncing back. Remind yourself how much you want to achieve your goal or task, seek help where needed, take stock of what you have already achieved and then refuse to give up.
- When contemplating whether or not you should do something, think to yourself "I'll do what I have to do, so I can do what I want to do."
- Use common sense and picture a demon and an angel on your shoulders. If you work at it using common sense, the angel will win and the demon will lose (always).
- If you do not work or need to leave your house first thing in the morning, set your alarm to wake up at a decent morning hour, say 7 am. Shower, get dressed and make yourself look presentable before leaving your room. Always dress as if you were planning to leave the house; get out of your pajamas before leaving the bedroom. Make your bed so it doesn't encourage you back or add to the general slovenly feel of your room.
- Getting enough sleep each night can make you feel more awake. Depending on your activity and age, you may need up to 10 hours (teenagers) or as little as 5 (elderly).
- Avoid sugar and especially foods with "high fructose corn syrup" or "corn syrup" in the ingredients, as these can lead your body into metabolizing sugars instead of fats. Unnatural sugars (without fiber) may give you a short energy buzz, but then a blood sugar drop and you will feel fatigued and hungry. Bad food can motivate lazy behaviors.
- Consider getting rid of your television. The pain is worth the gain––so much extra time will suddenly become available to you to pursue all manner of exciting things, let alone the lack of temptation to lie around watching it constantly.
- Remember to do large and small things with love because if anything is worth doing then it is worth doing well but at the same time you should be able to discern when to leave well enough alone.
- Doing meditation can help reduce laziness by improving your level of alertness and your awareness of the present moment as you pay attention to your breathing, posture and five senses, as well as your capacity to control and focus your thoughts, emotions and level of positive energy.
- Surround yourself with people who uplift you, whether it is through media, technology or otherwise. The love, support and encouragement of others can boost your inner strength.
- Try using the 20/10 technique. A 20/10 is 20 minutes of completing a task (cleaning, studying, what have you) followed by a 10-minute break. 45/15s are the same, only, you know, 45 and 15.
Edit Warnings - If the suggestions above don't increase your activity level or elevate your low mood, feeling of being overwhelmed, or prolonged very low self esteem, then you may have a more serious case of depression. Seek medical help immediately.
- The chances are high that if you do not want help with a behavioral problem, then no matter how hard others try they simply won't be able to help you. If you really want help, you will try almost anything to obtain help.
- Everyone will become sad at some point, usually because of a depressing situation (like a death, a job loss, etc.) and most people come out of it within a few days. But if the sadness deepens, lasts two weeks or more, or it starts interfering with your work/school, or it occurs frequently, then seek professional advice to determine that you have no underlying medical condition and to receive appropriate treatment and advice.
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