How to Overcome Laziness: Laziness also known as indolence is the unwillingness to do work or make an effort. It is charactized by idleness. Laziness is the disinclination to activity or exertion despite having the ability to act or exert oneself.
Laziness is an attribute which every existing individual can be guilty of at one point or the other. It takes a lot of positive mind effort to overcome laziness. Laziness must be distinguished from tiredness. While tiredness may cause someone to be lazy, line must be drawn from necessary tiredness resulting from an invested effort towards something.
Overcoming laziness may demand an intentional approach and honest acknowledgement of the fact that one is acting lazy. While discussing how best to overcome laziness, we will first highlight the causes of laziness. Identification of these factors will go a long way in determining how best to overcome the menace of laziness. Laziness is more of a habit than a mental health issue. It could manifest as a result of various causes discussed below.
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Some Major Causes of Laziness
a. Lack of Discipline: like we pointed out earlier, overcoming laziness may demand an intentional approach. The act of discipline is an intentional act that demands putting in some positive efforts. It is always more comfortable to just stay and do nothing. When you are not disciplined enough to make a shift and do something, that is laziness in its manifestation.
b. Decreased Level of Motivation: when something appears to have no sufficient reason for getting it done, there could be said to exist lack of motivation. Motivation is a drive whether external (from the surrounding circumstances) or internal (from within) which serves as an incentive or reason for doing something. When there is decreased level of motivation for the performance of a task, one clearly becomes reluctant to its performance.
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c. Distractions: this is another factor that could trigger laziness. When there exist too many distractions, one becomes a mediocre and consequently would start performing tasks at an average level. Distractions may arise as a result of having too any tasks waiting to be performed.
On the other hand, it may also arise from frivolous and unwarranted activities. Distractions of any sort are energy consuming. When regular energy is being invested on irregular tasks, there could be no more energy left, and this may trigger laziness over completion of the main task.
d. Lack of Interest or Belief in and Activity: it would certainly be difficult to get someone to perform a task which he clearly has no interest in. Interest is an internal motivation. When a person has interest in something, he need not be encouraged or persuaded to get involved in its actualization.
On the other hand, when a person neither has interest nor belief in some activity and he is yet being encouraged or persuaded to get involved, he ordinarily would be reluctant to its performance. Lack of interest or belief in an activity clearly causes laziness.
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e. Lack of Self-Esteem: this is the lack of confidence in one’s own worth. When there is presence of low self-esteem in a person, there is absence of motivation to perform certain given task, and such a person becomes reluctant over its performance and would explore every possible means to shy away from the performance of the task in question.
f. Absence of Positive Recognition by Others: when a person’s initial effort is not recognized and appreciated by others, especially those whom the effort was made for, reluctance to continue would ensue. Recognition and appreciation is an external motivating factor.
g. Fear of Failure: every positive individual is guilty of this fear of failure factor. Ordinarily, human beings would rather choose not to do a thing over giving it a try when there exist clear chances of its failure. Nobody likes being tagged failure coupled with the losses that comes along with it. This is why socialists have made conscious effort in redefining the concept of failure which they have considerably succeeded at doing.
Now, people can engage in attempts even where there exist clear chances of failure. This also demands bold and intentional approach. Nevertheless, the fear of failure still triggers reluctance to the performance of tasks. This clearly contributes to causing laziness. Fear of failure is more of a mind exercise.
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h. Fear of Responsibility: fear of responsibility may either impact on you positively or negatively. It is your choice to make. For some people, it may operate as a drive for them to put more effort into that which is necessary to face the responsibility, for some others, fear of responsibility may be demoralizing, and when it becomes demoralizing, laziness ensues.
i. Tiredness and Lack of Sleep: tiredness can arise from certain known causes. A person who gets tired in the process of working may not be regarded as being lazy. Nevertheless, unnecessary tiredness contributes to laziness. When someone gets unnecessarily tired, it could be a sign of laziness. Strength is an operation of the mind. On the other hand, not having enough sleep causes laziness.
The necessity of sleep to a working person cannot be overemphasized.
Depression: A depressed person does not want to do anything positive. He just wants to stay and do nothing. Having highlighted some causes of laziness, you are already getting a clue of its solution.
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How to Stop Being Lazy and Unproductive
1. Limit distractions: Are you battling to secure a lot of tasks done at the same time interval? Are there unwarranted activities which push your attention away from tour main goal? These are clearly distractions. Distractions are not entirely a bad thing but they must be regulated.
The acknowledgement of the fact that you are getting distracted is the first step to curing distraction. Therefore, observe rightly and acknowledge the fact first. You expend a lot of energy and time on those distractions, and this reduces your level of productivity on your main goal. The totality of these events renders you weak and lazy.
2. Set a realistic goal: It is necessary to set goals that are practically achievable. Nothing more can be said about this; but when your goals are unrealistic, even your own mind becomes lazy to attempt it.
3. Plan ahead: Planning makes tasks easier, presentable and doable. When you plan ahead for the performance of a task, the contingencies become foreseeable and proper futuristic measures would be employed to maneuver them.
Failure to plan is in itself an act of laziness. When you make plans, the tasks to be performed becomes strategized, standardized and enticing, and by so, everybody becomes willing to get involved and get it done.
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4. Avoid procrastination: Procrastination is a graveyard where success is buried. Procrastination is a clear symbol of laziness. It is the act of postponing, delaying or putting off tasks or engagements until a later time. Overcoming procrastination demands an intentional measure.
One must be disciplined enough to subject himself to the performance of the proposed task. Procrastinating never makes you feel better, you feel better and relived only when you get the work done. Having this in mind will help you overcome procrastination which is an element of laziness.
5. Disintegrate tasks: One may feel lazy to perform a bulky task. In such a case, if it is possible to disintegrate the task and perform it in parts or by bits, it will make its performance a lot easier and thereby cure laziness.
6. Map out a to-do list: When you map out a to-do list, you have by implication set a goal to be accomplished. Now, be disciplined enough to comply with the list and get things done. The list will go a long way reminding you of your awaiting task. This too will help you overcome laziness.
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7. Stay healthy: Being sick is always a valid excuse to be lazy. You may have at one time lied that you are sick in order not to participate in a task. This is to the extent at which illness contributes to being lazy.
Even after recovering from an illness, the person would still have to be given an extra time to be less productive while recuperating and replenishing. At all cost, stay healthy if you must overcome laziness.
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8. Analyze your environment: are you around more lazy people? Jean Daunizeau, a researcher at the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research, wrote that laziness is contagious. Therefore, consider if around you there is a person or persons who have instilled in you that attitude.
Sometimes, our family, friends or partner project that same discouragement or apathy on us when starting an activity.
9. Keep a clean and organized environment: One of the keys to success when it comes to overcoming laziness is not to be carried away by reluctance and for this, organization is very important. If our environment is chaotic, it is easier to get discouraged. On the other hand, if we keep it clean and tidy, it will be easier for us to get on with the tasks.
The idea of organization can be transferred to any area: your home, your room, your work, your study table, your computer… Try to keep everything in its place and it won’t cost you so much to do the tasks you have to do.
10. Sleep more, eat better and exercise: Leading a healthy life helps you stay active and causes your personal development to be adequate. On the other hand, if you have unhealthy habits, such as sleeping little or eating poorly, you may feel tired and cranky, and it will be the perfect excuse to procrastinate and procrastinate. Exercise, despite what it may seem, will help you stay fit and full of energy.
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Conclusion
Laziness is a mental and bodily state of unwillingness to do something. Being lazy can be fun, whereas its effects are not. Being lazy can cause illness, waste of time, resources and waste of supposed useful energy. The end point of laziness is poor productivity. We all should overcome laziness at all cost.
Edeh Samuel Chukwuemeka, ACMC, is a lawyer and a certified mediator/conciliator in Nigeria. He is also a developer with knowledge in various programming languages. Samuel is determined to leverage his skills in technology, SEO, and legal practice to revolutionize the legal profession worldwide by creating web and mobile applications that simplify legal research. Sam is also passionate about educating and providing valuable information to people.