There is no fatigue so wearisome as that which comes from lack of work. – Charles Spurgeon
If you’ve been stuck in a lazy rut lately, here are some suggestions to get yourself working productively.
1. Accept that many results require hard work.
Remind yourself of the simple causality chain from decision to action to results. That middle phase is where most of the work is.
If you have no willingness to ever work your ass off, if you have such resistance to the very notion of pushing yourself, if you have an overdeveloped sense of entitlement that all the goodness of life should flow to you with effortless ease, that’s great. You can read this article purely for entertainment purposes.
But if you’re a more pragmatic realist, if you can recognize that many goals are too big and challenging just to attract and manifest out of thin air, if you can see that the whole point of tackling bigger goals is to develop yourself into a person of bold action, if you can accept that avoiding action altogether is a recipe for stagnation, and especially if you’re tired of not getting the results you actually want and having to settle for less, then perhaps you can make this important leap and accept that some of your goals will require you to achieve them with hard work and lots of disciplined, focused action.
2. Notice how self-discipline vs. laziness feels to you.
Notice that during those times when you actually do discipline yourself to take action, it often feels fantastic once you get past the first 15 minutes or so. Sure it’s nice to enjoy the end result. But also remember what it feels like to push yourself beyond your comfort zone and get into the flow of action.
Inaction can be unforgiving. It kills your results. It drains your energy. It drains you of hope. Self-discipline pays you back with all of these results and more, including significantly greater happiness, fulfillment, and self-esteem.
3. Embrace responsibility.
Recognize that no one is coming to rescue you. No one will force you into the flow of action. You must do this for yourself.
The lazy avoidance of responsibility isn’t for you. You don’t want stagnation. You want growth, and this requires action, movement, and change. This requires you to make some decisions and get going.
4. Start your day strongly.
A strong work ethic begins with a disciplined morning routine. Don’t be caught lying on your back half-conscious, dragging yourself out of bed in a lazy half-start to your day.
When you wake up, get up. Get moving and get going. This will soon become a habit. If you aren’t doing this naturally already, then respect the utility of a quality alarm clock. When your alarm sounds, pop out of bed and stand up first; then switch it off with your feet firmly on the ground.
5. Exercise.
If the President of the USA can find time in his exceedingly busy schedule to exercise for 45 minutes each morning, you surely have time.
Exercising strongly will energize you. Your body is meant to move. Your brain especially suffers from a lack of exercise, leading to imbalances in hormones and neurotransmitters. Physical exercise is one of the brain’s best rejuvenators. Don’t allow your mind to be dragged down by a sluggish body.
6. Tackle a real challenge before lunch.
Nobody can think straight who does not work. Idleness warps the mind. – Henry Ford
Kick off each workday with a mental challenge. Don’t start with something light and cushy. Dive right into a challenging task that some part of you would rather avoid. Train yourself to embrace what’s difficult instead of pushing it away.
7. Get to it.
Determine never to be idle… It is wonderful how much may be done if we are always doing. – Thomas Jefferson
Stop waffling. Stop talking about it. Go do it.
Taking action produces faster results than thinking about taking action. Many of the problems people discuss endlessly could be resolved with less than 10 minutes of direct action.
8. Act with good purpose.
When you work, work towards an end result that you desire. Don’t spin in circles doing pointless busywork that won’t lead you to your desired results.
Set your purpose straight. Then act in alignment with that purpose.
9. Condition disciplined habits.
Disciplined habits are those that make a difference in the long run. If a habit will do you little or no good to maintain it for the next five years, then why are you keeping it in your life?
Don’t try to break bad habits. You can’t replace a habit with a void. Instead, select better substitutes that you can condition in place of the old ones.
10. Work first, then play.
The idle man does not know what it is to enjoy rest, for he has not earned it. – John Lubbock
Play is sweetest when it’s earned. So is sleep. Earn your sleep each night by working hard on your goals during the day. Go to bed with the sweet smile of accomplishment still on your lips.
Take your rewards. Enjoy your life. But earn your rewards first.
11. Choose your peers with care.
A lazy person, whatever the talents with which he set out, will have condemned himself to second-hand thoughts and to second-rate friends. – Cyril Connolly
Maintain high standards for your social circle. Keep yourself at arm’s length from the lazy, the unproductive, and the negative minded. A weak social circle is a psychological prison.
Befriend and associate with the hard-working, ambitious, successful people of this world, and you’ll soon count yourself among them.
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Wielding a strong work ethic is ultimately a matter of becoming an action-oriented person. Steer your self-development path in this direction. Decide that you’ll grow into a person with a strong, powerful work ethic. The doing part will flow more easily if you can embrace the being part.
Can you allow yourself to become a hard worker? When someone asks if you have a strong work ethic, can you see yourself saying YES without hesitation?
Now go do something truly challenging for the next few hours.