8 Steps to Beating Laziness

bysfullwood71

286 followers

3 years ago

I'm sure that at sometime in the day, week, month, or year you have had times when you were just plain lazy. Times when you just didn't want to do anything! I know for myself that that has happened. I tell myself "I'll get to it soon" - although I haven't figured out where "soon" is on the clock.

The question to ask yourself is this your habit or just giving yourself some downtime? The challenge is if it's habit there can have be negative consequences. Being lazy is a natural tendency. We can be lazy because that is a natural tendency. As human beings and all other creatures are drawn to comfort or something that feels like comfort. The challenge is when we indulge in short sprints of comfort we do it at the expense of long-term failure.

Do you know anyone with a great life that's lazy? Over time, the law of cause and effect holds true. Laziness has a long-term price.

1. Find a way to get excited

What are the benefits you feel you would be receiving by getting things done. Maybe the excitement that you have finally finished what you have avoided and the end result excites you. Possibly demonstrating discipline and self-control is something that excites you. It's very difficult to accomplish projects if you're using your time to complain about it.

2, Set a deadline

When you have plenty of time to complete something, or no deadline at all, its human nature to procrastinate. Setting a deadline in the near future can help to focus your attention and energy.

3. Create smaller tasks from the main task

We generally start projects with a big picture. The key is to break down the "big picture" into baby steps. Have you ever been involved in building a new home your are aware of having to break all the components into bite-size pieces. Multiple steps such as preparing the site, creating a foundation, and then framing begins.

* The overall project might be big and intimidating. However, the individual tasks might be easier to handle.

4. Identify your first step.

Just get started, the momentum will then carry you forward. Current activity is the key to further activity - it breeds! If you are just "thinking" about what needs to be done, your reality doesn't line up with your thoughts unless action is attached to your thoughts. More worrying fixes nothing. Just get one task done!

5. What's your favorite music, book, or podcaster?

Who or what motivates your? Do you love to listen to music, or a good podcast, or a great book? If doing those activities motivates you - listen to your heart's desire!

6. Which pain is worse - the not starting or the starting?

What if you do nothing? How will your results look? How will you feel? Depressed? Like a failure? a loser? Is doing nothing ok with you? How is that working in your life? What will it cost you in the future? What price have you paid already? Begin to use the pain to creat action.

7. Where did the last few years go?

For me the laziness became my habit. I couldn't figure out how to get out of that behavior. I would tell myself to shut the TV off and get to work on the computer. So I would do that except I didn't really have a big plan that I could break into bite size pieces. Being lazy had become my krpotnite. I lost a lot of time over the last few years that I can never get back. My life was wasting away. I had to get up and do something. I'm challenging you to get of the couch, shut the TV off, and live the life you been worrying about.

8. Reward yourself and celebrate your progress.

Horray! You've gotten something done - CELEBRATE! You probably haven't done enough to deserve a new car, but you have the right to get excited and be proud of yourself. Be patient. It's common to believe that action comes from motivation, but the opposite may be more true. Action leads to results. Results lead to motivation. Be mentally tough and get busy. You'll have a reason to be motivated soon enough.

Avoid allowing laziness to keep you on the sideline. It will steal your time and limit your results!