Laziness

Laziness, together with fear, is one of the greatest enemies of actions. Although it usually has a negative connotation, the truth is that laziness is somehow included in animal and human nature. It’s the unwillingness to work or use energy, despite having the ability to do so, and there can be different causes:

• The action won’t provide us with a worthwhile benefit.

• The work done will not get the recognition we want.

• The action may cause physical pain or a negative mental state.

• We do not consider ourselves sufficiently prepared to perform that activity.

• We are not motivated enough

In a nutshell, one is lazy when his motivation to avoid effort outweighs his motivation to do the right thing or the expected thing.

Although it’s okay to try not to consume unnecessary energy, this behavior can be a problem when it becomes a habit. When there is no good reason to delay things except not seeing immediate benefit, we may end up abandoning our expectations and ideal lifestyle. We end up accepting “what is,” and life can become fundamentally boring.

The solution to laziness is to understand what barriers prevent us from doing things. Only by understanding why we are lazy can we begin to break certain patterns of behavior. Why this lack of motivation?

Receiving some kind of feedback that makes us feel that we are moving towards a goal can help us feel more motivated. Feeling that it’s under our control to reach the goal will make it much easier for us to be motivated. Experiencing the social support of our friends and family, who care whether or not we achieve our goals, can also be a viable source of additional motivation.

How to stop being lazy?

Here are eight tips to overcome laziness that will show you how to stop being lazy and unmotivated for good:

• Realize that you're not inherently lazy

• Learn the real causes of laziness

• Gain perspective with a simple but powerful question

• Connect with your inner motivation

• Take responsibility and empower yourself

• Create an action plan

• Be kind to yourself

• Track your practice