Despite your best intentions, you probably have off-days.
Maybe its procrastination, maybe its pure slothperhaps both.
Either way, you probably want to get stuff done.
Heres how to break the cycle when you feel like your problem is just plain laziness.
Psychologist Leon F. Seltzersuggeststhat we consider eliminating the word lazy from our vocabulary entirely.
Or, at the very least, avoid using it to describe someones entire personality.
If laziness is an unhelpful characterization of a different problem, start by identifying what your issue actually is.
Try outsome time tracking apps to see where you spend your time.
Solutions may involve removing distractions, but you may also need to find ways toboost your willpower.
We all want to get stuff done, but dont forget toslow downevery once in a while.
Obviously, how you deal with laziness will depend on what the underlying issues are.
And these issues arent mutually exclusive, either.
No matter what, youll need to tailor any solution to your specific needs.
Take time to examine your own weaknesses and come up with a plan that works for you.
However, your mindset about work will have a drastic effect on how much you get done.
Spending time with colleagues who have a more balanced view can dramatically shift your emotional response to your job.
Cynical attitudes about your workdo nothing to help your productivity.
so take a minute to appreciate them.
Externalizing it can help you remember it later.
Remind yourself that work is worthwhile.
Ultimately, no one can make you enjoy work.
The quickest way to get more done is to look forward to doing it.
To interrupt the cycle, make it harder to go about your usual routine.
If you head straight for the couch when you get home, unplug your TV at night.
If you check Twitter too often, uninstall the app from your phone.
Create behavior chains to develop specific new habits
The road to lethargy is paved with wishful intentions.
Everyone has said Im going to get more done tomorrow.
Except, you know that you wont.
Youll feel just as unmotivated when you get wake up tomorrow as you did today.
A better way to change is to give yourself specific tasks that are attached to your existing routine.
Asproductivity blog 99Uexplains, slight alterations to your habits are better than overly ambitious total overhauls.
Multiple
studies
confirm this to be a successful method to rely on contextual cues over willpower.
Being lethargic or unproductive is ultimately just a habit.
Be consistent and check your progress
Once you get going,stick to it.
Laziness, in any form, takes advantage of gaps in your willpower.
Remember, laziness is a habit, not a personality trait.
One effective way to do this is to usea goal tracker.
These apps allow you to set specific goals for yourself and mark off when you do them.
This provides two major benefits.
First, it reminds you what you should probably do and helps your past self keep you accountable.
Perhaps more importantly, it shows you how often youve succeeded.
Many of us can alter our habits without ever changing how we perceive ourselves.
Thats why things likedone listscan be so useful.
This story was originally published on 12/30/14 and was updated on 10/4/19 to provide more thorough and current information.
