As with everything in life we always find a way to stop, sabotage ourselves and get set in our ways. Being lazy is something we learn. Overtime, we might make excuses as to why we don’t take action. After a while it becomes the natural way of “being” if you don’t follow through with your goals. If we don’t take any action in the moments that we feel lazy, we reinforce the habits of laziness which in turn creates chronic laziness and depression. Here are 5 steps to overcome chronic laziness.
STEP 1: Take Action
Anytime your body doesn’t feel like taking an action, it should become immediately evident as to WHY taking an action is imperative in that moment. By taking action in times where being lazy feels comfortable, you automatically interrupt the brain preconditioned patterns of taking the path of least resistance. Otherwise, it can become harder to feel motivated and inspired once these patterns are set in place. Taking action reinforces the communication between mind/body/brain as it programs the brain into a desirable proactive state of being. Remember to always take an action even if you don’t feel up to it, because it will start reprogramming your mind/brain/body to form new patterns and new habits. Never give in to laziness, take action!
STEP 2: Always keep your word and create a plan
Always create a realistic “to do” list the night before for the next day. As you start keeping your word and following your plan of action, you will slowly begin to create your own momentum with confidence. It becomes very important that you follow through with your plan; otherwise it creates internal turmoil with the mind/brain/body communication. Your brain is your internal GPS and it is very goal oriented. If you are not abiding to the GPS of your brain, it will signal the body that you have taken the wrong turn somewhere. As a result, you might start experiencing feelings of discomfort such as, a knot in your stomach or a strange pressure of malaise and discontent within yourself. What’s interesting is that the more you put it off the more you actually think about it until you surrender, and complete what you set out to achieve in the first place! If all the signals are ignored and still no action has been taken then you will feel disappointed in yourself, creating excuses and even blaming others. The way to redeem yourself is to take action that is consistent with what you had already set out to do.
STEP 3: Surround yourself with like minded people
You are who you surround yourself with. Whether it is a goal of losing weight, being proactive, starting a new hobby or starting a new project, your brain will naturally mirror those you surround yourself with. It is all because your brain learns best by mirror matching, association and repetition.
And believe me; it is far easier to achieve your goals when you are part of a loving supportive group that can hold you accountable to stay on track. The mind left to its own devices can be very detrimental to your goals. Join a group with like-minded people and you will be surprised to find yourself surpassing your expectations.
STEP 4: Start small by completing one project/goal at a time
People with a track record of ‘finishing/completing’ smaller goals are more likely to complete bigger projects and seeing it through. Consider that each time that you complete a goal; it simply increases your confidence in your capacity to succeed. This process of completing one goal at a time is about the reprogramming of your brain, and the key here is to complete the goal. Over a period of time, it will become like second nature and will feel very much normal to be in action.
STEP 5: Have the end results already in mind
Whether the goal is about losing weight, completing a task or a project, holding the end results in mind motivates you to keep going. Your brain is your GPS; it only cares about the end result to keep you going. Before working on your goal, see the overall end result first and then experience what it would be like to accomplish your goal already in your body. Allow yourself to fully experience it and you will notice that your productivity and your performance will increase tenfold.
Keep in mind that your lazy habits did not create themselves overnight; please allow yourself the patience and persistence to kick them to the curve once and for all. The 5 steps listed in this article are guidelines that will help you on your way of reclaiming your life and actually creating a life that you will be proud of. They are sure ways to reprogram your brain, your conscious and subconscious minds in real life. Apply these techniques and you will see yourself getting out of a funk in no time.
