There is a task that needs to be solved urgently, there is an understanding of the need to complete it, but there is no desire to make efforts and achieve results. There is a familiar case that people call “laziness”.
Yes, it’s a shame, it’s disturbing, because failure to complete the assigned work will only lead to negative consequences: lack of material reward, negative attitude of others, loss of self-respect. A lazy person does not produce anything, but only consumes, being dependent on society. No wonder the list of deadly sins in Orthodoxy includes number seven: “laziness”.
But in reality, everything is not so terrible: laziness often acts as a protective function of the body, its reaction to stress, emotional unsettlement and even health problems. Therefore, you can start fighting laziness only after finding out the reasons for its appearance.
Causes of laziness
The most common culprit for the lack of desire to do something useful is the lack of motivation. The desire to remain in a state of rest exceeds the benefits that can be obtained after the goal is achieved. If you don’t take action in a timely manner, the situation will get out of hand and lead to apathy, loss of life values, and even physical health problems.
The feeling of meaninglessness of the assigned work also does not add to the sense of purpose. Sometimes, procrastination, i.e. postponing a task, can help you realise the importance of the task at hand. During this time, new circumstances may arise that will change your attitude to the final result, or, as often happens, the problem will resolve itself.
Insufficient self-esteem and fear of failure often force people to look for a loophole: “how to avoid doing difficult work”. In this case, the help and support of others can hardly be overestimated.
Psychology calls the ability of a person to fulfil a plan, even if objective circumstances prevent it, “willpower”. The lack of this quality is a form of laziness.
And finally, chronic fatigue syndrome, the lack of time to restore vitality spent as a result of active work, will become an insurmountable barrier to the quality and speedy implementation of your plans.
TOP 5 ways to beat laziness
There is top 5 simple tools to overcome laziness are interconnected and logically complement each other:
- setting a goal;
- drawing up a plan to achieve it;
- compliance with the work and rest schedule;
- optimising working hours;
- dealing with distractions.
Setting a goal
Psychology divides goals into “external” and “internal”.
“External” goals include tasks set under the influence of someone else’s opinion or circumstances. For example: “I need to learn Chinese in a month, because my boss said that new equipment is expected to be delivered from China.” On a subconscious level, such a goal will cause internal rejection, and its achievement will be associated with conflict within the individual.
Another example: “I finally saved up the money for a trip to Paris. I just need to learn the language in a month.” A goal that coincides with a desire is faster, easier, and more satisfying to achieve. An “internal” goal motivates on an emotional level and does not require additional stimulation.
The types of goals are divided into:
- A meta-process, for example: “Start every morning with a run”. Such goals turn into habits over time and often help you succeed in achieving another type of goal: “outcome goals”.
- Result goal: “To run three kilometres in 14 minutes” is a benchmark, the end point of the process.
The goal should be conscious and as specific as possible. The main emphasis, of course, is on the goal-result, but all goal-processes leading to the desired effect are analysed in detail.
The brain wants to get rid of “external goals” as quickly as possible by any means, even to the detriment of the quality of the final product. Transferring “external goals” to the category of “internal goals” will guarantee a one hundred per cent result. A balanced, well-considered answer to the question “Why?”, taking into account your own values and desires, will help you to achieve this.
Making a plan
A goal is no different from a dream. Both are about achieving moral, material or physical well-being in the future. However, a dream “comes true” or “does not come true” for reasons beyond the individual’s control, while a goal is “achieved” by making specific efforts. The main difference between a goal and a dream is the plan.
The main rule for a competent task formulation is to document it. Having formulated the final result, you should break down the process of achieving it into stages, and identify the following properties for each of them:
- Specificity – each stage should be as unique and measurable as possible (not “feed the family”, but “prepare a lunch for five people by 14:00 with a menu”);
- achievability – the reality of implementation (it is better to replace penguin fillet stuffed with rambutan with duck and apples).
The next and most difficult stage is to stick to the plan. Unforeseen difficulties and force majeure may arise as a result of implementation. If a “meta-process” is stalled, it simply needs to be replaced with another one that allows you to achieve the same result bypassing the hindering factors.
Self-motivation and control over compliance with the plan are very important. And a small chocolate bar for a crossed-off item will give you energy and a desire to move on.
Work and rest schedule
To achieve maximum productivity, periods of active work should be interspersed with moments of relaxation. It is a common misconception that even a short break in work leads to a global lag in achieving results. On the contrary, small “windows” increase concentration, reduce the number of mistakes, and even normalise the rhythm of heart activity.
But don’t confuse the concept of a rest break with a distraction from work. Empty chats with colleagues, social media feeds, and messaging in messengers do not add to your performance.
It’s better to take a walk in the fresh air or do some exercise.
Optimisation of working time
Overcoming the thought: “I’ll do it tomorrow” is difficult. But if you follow this desire, nothing good will happen.
You should start small – a tidy workplace will be pleasing to the eye, and the absence of rubbish and foreign objects around will help you concentrate and focus. You should train yourself to think: “It will always be like this”.
The first step is usually the most difficult. But after devoting the first 15 minutes to a pressing issue, you will notice that the process has begun and requires less titanic effort to maintain its movement. And by visually imagining the goal and the benefits of achieving it, it will be very easy to keep the whole mechanism moving.
By overcoming the fear of “What if I don’t succeed?” and feeling comfortable with the result, you develop useful habits of positive and creative thinking. The main thing is not to go to extremes, trying, for example, to endlessly perfect the work already done, to the detriment of new tasks.
In a word: “Do you want a brighter future? Change the present!”
Eliminate distractions
“Time eaters” or, as they are also called, “chronophages” are the scourge of our time. It’s hard to imagine what a medieval monk would have had to look forward to when rewriting a book: no phone, no Internet, no annoying friends or visitors – just a candle, a pen and parchment.
The following tools can help you deal with time-consuming but ineffective factors:
- clear division of tasks by priorities, this will allow you not to be distracted by insignificant issues that in most cases are resolved “by themselves”;
- presenting a holistic picture of the working day in terms of time and its continuous adjustment depending on external influences;
- efficient organisation of the workplace – constant searches for the necessary documents, trips for paper, printing, reference materials and back do not add to the efficiency of work;
- sharply defined filtering of information into necessary and not so necessary – it is better to get acquainted and discuss the latest personnel changes in the company during a break;
- Avoiding haste – the fastest work is slow operations that are performed without breaks between them.
Following all these simple rules is guaranteed to help you overcome such an enemy as laziness forever.
