But all this is the negative side of laziness. Have you ever given laziness a chance to redeem itself? I feel that one thing about laziness is that people are only introduced to the bad side of it. People are too fixated on the idea that laziness is bad that they never attempt to look on the bright side. So during this time of the post, I would like to present you the time to think of what can be good about laziness. Ready? Set. GO!
Alright I hope you had enough time to think about it. I would say one of the hardest thing is to try to bring out the good side out of something that you know for sure that is bad. This session was one of those situations, and I’m sure that it was difficult to think of much good things about laziness. So just this once, I’ll help you out. Other than the fact that laziness often cut down productivity, it can be a great tool to become efficient.
There are many ways to overcome laziness :
Figure out the real issue. Every time you start being lazy, stand back and do a little assessment of what's been really happening. Laziness is generally a symptom and not the problem itself. What's the cause of your lack of motivation? Are you tired, overwhelmed, afraid, hurting, or just plain uninspired and stuck? Most likely, the sticking issue is smaller than you think, and you can get past it more easily than you realize..
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. Finding the cause is the only way you can actually address it. Address it like you want it to happen. Once you address it, you can deal with it effectively.
Focus on the actual problem. Now that you're thinking about the cause of your laziness, start focusing on it. It may not be the quick fix you were looking for, but it'll be permanent. Consider the following:
If you're tired, start devoting some time to relaxing. Everyone needs down time. If your schedule doesn't allow for it, you may have to make some sacrifices. But your output will be all the better for it.
If you're overwhelmed, take a step back. How can you simplify what's on your plate? Can you parse it into sections and make it smaller? Can you make a list of priorities and tackle them one at a time?
If you're afraid, what are you afraid of? Obviously this is something you wish you were doing. Are you afraid of reaching your potential? Of finally hitting your goals and being unhappy? How can you see that your fear is irrational?
If you're hurting, maybe the only answer is time. Grief, sadness, all those negative emotions won't go away at will. Our wounds need time to heal. Putting less pressure on yourself to stop hurting may be the catalyst for change you seek.
If you're uninspired, what can you change about your routine? Can you put yourself in a different environment or is a mental demon you have to conquer? How can you vamp up everyday life? Think in terms of your senses. Music, food, sights, sounds, etc.
Make sure you're not overwhelmed. Sometimes we freeze up when we're overwhelmed by everything we have to do--we freeze up and don't do anything at all. Do you have realistic expectations on how much you are truly able to accomplish? If you have too much on your plate and no idea how you're going to get it all done, it may be that you're not lazy but overwhelmed.
Check your motivation. Similarly, if you're not motivated it is very easy to slip into what looks like laziness. To be productive we need to be motivated. If it's hard for you to stay connected to what motivates you, make up a list that you can consult when you need an extra push.
Look at your surroundings. Your environment and the people around you matter. Are you in a space that makes it easy to stay organized and productive? Do the people around you spend more time complaining than following their passions? If you surround yourself with people who love what they do, and are creative and motivated, their enthusiasm will rub off on you. Make sure too that your space gives you everything you need to work well.
Value your time. Make the most of the time you do spend working. Look at your to-do list and prioritize--you can do it in your head, on paper, or on a computer or phone-based planner. Just knowing where you are makes it harder for deadlines to sneak up on you and easier to work productively, even if it's in short bursts.
Reframe your thinking. If you're in a mindset where work is bad and play is good--something many of us have let over from school days--then any kind of work that needs to get done feels like punishment. Remember the things that are positive about work, such as the higher purpose of your organization or just the feeling of having accomplished something significant.
The source of value. It's easy to become lazy if you don't see the value in what you have to do. Try this: when you make a to-do list, include the benefits of each task. When you focus on benefits and goals, productivity becomes much more rewarding. Learn the value of each task and then work to achieve it.
Make new habits. If you typically put off the most complex or difficult assignments for last, switch it up and begin doing those tasks first. Pick one or two things to focus on and fully devote yourself to those tasks. You don't want to spread yourself too thin. Remember you have to work to reach your goal; it's not going to happen right away.
Measure the changes. Keeping new habits in place is notoriously difficult. One effective technique to making changes to your productivity stick to is to track your results. If you can see that holding yourself accountable is helping you meet your goals, it will be easier to maintain.
Share your goals. If you're working toward a promotion or a new job, or gearing up to run a marathon or play at an open mic night, tell people about it! Knowing they'll be asking how things are going will keep you making progress.
Schedule work and break times. You need to take an occasional break, but make sure that time is limited so you don't lose momentum. For example, you could commit to working for the first 45 minutes of every hour and then take a 15-minute break. Use the timer in your phone to keep track.
Look for alternatives. Think of ways you can work more effectively. Is there a better way? Can you delegate or automate a task? The more you streamline, automate, delegate, and outsource, the more you can get with the same level of effort.
Remember, nothing changes until you do. You can have all the foolproof tips and tricks in the world, but ultimately nothing changes until you do. If your current work style is meeting your needs, you won't see a reason to change. But if you're frustrated by your lack of motivation or fear that it's holding you back, then you need to change from within. Because the truth is nothing will change until you do.
Get organized. Having clutter around us -- even when it's just visual -- can be a huge downer to our motivational skills. Whatever it is that could do for some organization, organize it. Whether it's your desk, your car, your whole house, or your routine, clean 'er up.
There's a lot that's going on in our subconscious that we don't account for. Whether it's an unpleasant color palette or an inadequate amount of light or a lack of balance in some way, shape, or form, somewhere we know about it. Get rid of that tiny-but-powerful deterrent by getting organized.
Monitor that self-talk. Sometimes behaviors cause thoughts and sometimes thoughts cause behavior. Cover your bases and get rid of the negative inner dialogue. Thinking, "God, I'm so lazy. Ugh. Worthless," isn't going to get you anywhere. So stop it. Only you have control of that ticker tape going on behind your eyes.
Every time you find yourself not performing up to par, twist it around to the positive. "It was a slow morning, but now it's time to fuel up. Now that it's afternoon, I'm buckling down!" You'll be surprised that the surge in mental positivity could actually change your outlook.
Practice mindfulness. So many of us don't take time to stop and smell the roses. We scarf down a great meal just to get to dessert, just to get to the wine, just to get to bed with an overly full stomach. We're always thinking about the next great thing instead of living in this wonderful moment that is right now. When we start living in the moment, we want to take advantage of it.
Next time you find yourself thinking about the past or the future, draw yourself back into the present. Whether it's the scene around you, the food on your fork, or the music in your ears, let it show you how cool it is to be walking Earth and living. Sometimes stopping and slowing down can give us the energy to take advantage of what we have at our disposal.
Think of the benefits. Alright, so we got you focused on the present. Now let's focus on a better present. What would happen if you took advantage of right now? What would happen if instead of wasting away the morning in bed you got up and did yoga, finished your work, or cooked a great breakfast? What would happen if you did that practically every day for the next six months?
It'd be wonderful, that's what. Let these positive ideas take over your train of thought. And be sure to realize that once you get going and develop the habit, everything will come that much easier.
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