If you want to know how to stop being lazy, you’re in the right place. There will be no introductions. Let’s dive in.
1. Identify why you act lazy.
Looking up “how to stop being lazy” means you have a certain opinion about yourself, but it’s not necessarily true. People conflate a wide range of behaviours with laziness.
If you put off specific tasks, you’re dealing with procrastination. If you only put off work tasks, you are burned out – or hate your job. If you feel like there is no point in doing anything, you might be depressed. If you have too much on your plate, laziness is self-preservation instinct talking. If you avoid complications, you might be afraid of failure. And so on, and so forth.
(To be honest, at this point I’m starting to doubt pure laziness even exists.)
Key points:
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you’re not lazy, you act lazy for a reason
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understanding that reason is your key to getting things done
2. Write your to-do lists backwards.
Instead of writing down the things you need to do, write down what you have achieved. Give yourself a pat on the back. Sit down and think about the tasks you have ticked off today. Write them down from scratch – or, preferably, use a voice-to-text program to record them. Voicing the positives (out loud) goes a long way.
Many people find out their pride won’t let them remain inactive in the face of an empty page. Others enjoy the sense of accomplishment. Still others realize a list is not enough and start a journal.
Either way, give it a shot.
3. Trick your brain like a first grader.
Kids have to fight laziness all the time. They find incredible ways to turn a tedious task interesting. Children make it a game.
Are you thinking you are too old for this? Fortunately, an adult brain is just as happy to be deceived (science backed up this claim years ago). Nobody has to know you imagine you are Batman whenever you have to send a report. Assigning points for completed tasks works just as well. Think back to your childhood and odds are you already know what you need to do.
4. Boredom challenge.
First, turn off your phone. (I know this sounds controversial, but hear me out.) Shut down everything that helps you pass the time. Focus.
Do nothing.
You are not allowed to get distracted or zone out. Concentrate on your task. Thirty minutes of being a couch potato in complete silence. Fun, isn’t it?
When you feel the impulse to do something, anything, that’s you cue to get up and seize the day.
*This technique will most likely fail if you are sleep deprived or tired, as you might happily fall asleep.
5. Stop being lazy now, be lazy later.
The most powerful strategy you can adopt looks very simple on paper: start your day by attacking the worst task on the agenda. Your day can only get better from then on.
This is, understandably, difficult. However, building the habit to do so is fulfilling in the long run.
A reward system can encourage you to bite the bullet. Schedule an enjoyable activity right or a break after the hardest task. It’s going to feel even better without the sword of Damocles hanging over your head.
Try out these methods on how to stop being lazy and let us know which ones worked for you. No, seriously. Here is the address: contact@mg.senstone.io
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