3 Simple Truths That Will Immediately Turn Laziness Into Action
Stop putting productivity on the back-burner.
mihailomilovanovic, PeopleImages | Canva You get lazy sometimes. You’re likely reading this because you don’t like being or feeling lazy. I’ve been addicted to working most of my life. I love to create things. And yet, there have been many moments where I’ve been stuck, seemingly unable to move. I had days where I’d be scrolling or watching videos non-stop. And I’d hate myself for being there. So I spent a long time figuring out how to be free of this lethargy. What I found surprised me in its simplicity.
Here are 3 simple truths that will immediately turn laziness into action:
1. Your resistance to laziness makes you lazy
Weird idea, right? But this has been huge for me. As a natural lover of work, I hated any signs of my being unproductive. I learned over the years that my resistance to laziness was making me less productive. Why? Because I was stressing myself out, this made me angry and stuck. As soon as I allowed myself to be lazy, I relaxed and found that I wanted to get up and work, create, and make things anyway.
Photo: A.D.S.Portrait / Shutterstock
2. You don’t know your one, next, simple step
That’s it? Do you mean I don’t need to know the whole breakdown? I don’t need to know my 1, 3, and 5-year goals? I don’t need to have it all figured out before I start. Yes, that’s it. You don’t. I made myself lethargic by filling my mind with the vastness of all my projects. You may recognize this as overwhelming. I was rushing into my future. I was scaring myself. Of course, I was lazy.
When we’re overwhelmed, we act rationally by shutting down so we can cope. No one wants to take on a seven-armed monster. But what energizes us? Making things easy. So, make it easy. Identify your next three small, super easy steps. Want to write a book? Write a one-line outline first. Then a five-line outline… The secret to relentless productivity is to continually identify that single, next, easy step. This is all the clarity you need. Seriously.
3. You’re not bringing your full attention to everything
None of us is motivated by a commitment to mediocrity. If I wasn’t committed to putting everything into what I was doing, whether recording a video or even washing the dishes, I knew I’d procrastinate on it. Why? Half-heartedness is soul-deadening. It’s not who we are. We’re all incredibly resourceful and capable — buzzing with an undercurrent of energy. We know deep down that we’re insulting ourselves if we don’t commit to being alive and present with everything we do and doing things the best they can be done. We’re reducing ourselves to empty robots. And this stinks. We know this. We feel it.
Mastery and full, engaged attention go hand in hand. When we aim for mastery in everything, we cannot help but love doing it. Try this. For everything you do — no matter how tedious — put your all into it. Be present. Stop thinking about the next thing while doing the thing in front of you. Your "laziness" will dissolve.
I’m going to stop here because all else is fluff. I could add something here, such as: Make sure you’re excited about what you’re doing. But you knew that anyway. You’ll automatically choose the right things for you when you’re committed to going all-in. Stick to the above, act on them, and you will be unrecognizable.
To recap, you will be free from ‘laziness’ when you:
- Stop resisting your "laziness."
- Identify your, next, easy step.
- Bring your full attention to everything.
Alex Mathers is a writer and coach who helps you build a money-making personal brand with your knowledge and skills while staying mentally resilient.