Laziness
is the enemy of productivity. If we were lazy, there is no way we could
accomplish meaningful things. We may procrastinate doing things, or – even if
we do them – we may do them only half-heartedly. There is no way we can produce
high-quality results that way.
So
we need to overcome laziness. While I can’t say that I’ve been completely
successful in overcoming it, I’m happy with my progress. Here are 16 tips I
find useful to overcome laziness:
1. Exercise
You could feel lazy if
you do not have enough energy to do your activities. Exercising is a good way
to increase your energy level so that you feel energized and alert throughout
day.
2. Have a good rest
Not having enough rest
could also make you lazy. How can you feel enthusiastic if you are sleepy? So
make sure that you have good rest.
3.
Set a minimum time limit to get started
The most difficult
thing is to get started – the rest will be easier. So set a small amount of
time, like 15 minutes or even 5 minutes, and decide to work on the task until
the time is up. After that, it would be easier to decide to continue.
4. Create a sense of
urgency
This is among the most
effective ways to defeat laziness. If you have a sense of urgency, it will be
much easier to get up and do what you need to do. One way to create a sense of
urgency is by setting a deadline.
5. Look at the benefits
One reason we become
lazy is because we only see the difficulties of the tasks ahead without
thinking about the benefits we will get when we finish them. So focus your mind
on the benefits instead of the difficulties.
6. Set a reward for
yourself
If the benefits are too
far in the future, they might not be strong enough to motivate you to act now. In
such cases, you can give yourself a more immediate reward. You may allow
yourself to eat your favorite meal or watch a movie as your reward for
completing the tasks.
7. Think about what
will happen if you don’t do it
While thinking about
the benefits can motivate you, thinking about the disadvantages if you do not
do the tasks can also motivate you. What are the consequences if you do not do
what you are supposed to do?
8. Find partners
Partners can motivate
you to overcome laziness. While inner motivation is the best, sometimes we also
need motivation from the outside.
9. Aim to minimize idle
time
Make it your resolution
to minimize idle time. Try to be in the state of doing as often as possible. If
you have this mindset, it will be easier to overcome laziness.
10. Divide the task
into manageable chunks
We could be lazy if we
feel overwhelmed by the scale of the task. In such cases, divide the task into
manageable chunks, and then tackle them one by one. Remember, the way to eat an
elephant is by taking one small bite at a time.
11. Decide what the
next physical action is
We may procrastinate
because we are not sure what to do next. So look at the task and decide what
the next physical action is. Once you know exactly
what to do, it will be easier to start.
12. Do one thing at a
time
It may seem obvious,
but we could be lazy because we try to do more than one thing at a time. That
makes us feel overwhelmed. So select just one thing at a time, do it, and
ignore the rest.
13. Challenge yourself
Make the tasks fun by
turning them into a challenge. Can you
accomplish those tasks? Many people can, so why can’t you?
14. Write down your
progress
You will be more
motivated if you can easily see the effect of laziness. One way to do that is
by tracking your progress daily. Put a mark whenever you complete a task.
Laziness will give you an empty sheet, and you can easily see how bad it is.
15. Watch other
people’s progress
Knowing how far behind
you are compared to other people could also motivate you. Watch good performers
in your field and let their performance inspire you.
16. Align yourself with
what matters to you
While all the tips
above can help you, it will be much easier to overcome laziness if you do
something that matters to you. You will have the burning fire within that make
you want to act. So find a cause that matters to you and align yourself as much
as possible with it.
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