How To Stop Being Lazy And Procrastinating? (12 Steps)
By Antoine G Larosiliere
I’ve never been one to be considered lazy, but I’ve definitely had many moments of procrastination and had to learn how to stop being lazy and procrastinating.
Most of us have been in a weird, unproductive space and had to try to figure out how to stop being lazy and procrastinating? For many of us, that is a task that’s easier said than done. Sometimes a lazy day turns into a lazy week, or even a lazy month. Staying lazy and being a procrastinator doesn’t benefit us and the people who depend on us. Learning how to nip laziness and procrastination in the bud, is an acquired skill. The sooner we learn it, the better off we will be. But first, we need to be clear on what laziness and procrastination is.
“the term lazy means not willing to work or use any effort.”
Is there a difference between laziness and procrastination?
When we often hear someone is procrastinating, we also often refer to them as “lazy.” When we call someone “lazy,” we assume they are a constant procrastinator. Though the two terms have been used synonymously with one another, they just aren’t the same. One implies inactivity, while the other is active.
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, the term “lazy” means not willing to work or use any effort. Being lazy refers to inactivity. It implies that you’re not working, not doing much of anything, and certainly not making any effort to do so. Short-term laziness that lasts a day or so, maybe even a week isn’t necessarily a bad thing for a healthy functioning individual. It’s just your mind signaling you need a respite. If you’re working hard over an extended period of time, it’s natural to start to feel lazy. Your mind is simply trying to preserve itself from being overworked. On the other hand, chronic laziness is long term laziness that lasts for months, even years. Chronically lazy people…
- Eat junk instead of cooking
- Don’t exercise
- Don’t make plans
- Have few goals in life
- Are disorganized
- Have unkempt physical appearance
People who are lazy say things like…
- “It’s not my job.”
- “I don’t want to fail.”
- “I forgot.”
- “I don’t know how to do it.”
- “I don’t feel well.”
Procrastination however, is an active state of being. Dictionary.com defines procrastination as the putting off or delaying, especially something requiring immediate attention; usually at the expense of doing more pleasurable things. You’re postponing duties that need to get done instead of avoiding them completely. Procrastination isn’t always a bad thing. Sometimes it delays the task until you are more prepared to perform. On the other hand, the longer you procrastinate, the more overwhelming the task can become, because your timeframe to execute has been truncated. Some examples of procrastination include…
- You delay calling people.
- Waiting too long to check your email.
- Driving your car with the fuel close to empty.
- Cleaning your house right before the company comes over.
- Studying only the night before an exam.
- Buying groceries right when you decide to cook something.
People who procrastinate, use phrases like… - “I Don’t Need To Do It Right this minute. “
- “I’ll do it later.”
- “I have a lot To Do Right Now.”
- “Can it wait till……?”
- “Something Came Up …”
What causes laziness and procrastination?
If you’re like me, I’m sure you’ve wondered, “why do I feel lazy,” or “why am I procrastinating.” Even though laziness and procrastination are two inherently different terms, what they do have in common are what causes them. If someone is lazy or procrastinates, it could be because…
- Their goals are nonspecific or vague: It’s a lot easier to procrastinate when the goals are not clear. Too much is left to interpretation, which allows delay to persist.
- Unrealistic goals: If goals are unrealistic, it discourages action because the goal does not appear to be attainable.
- Their inability to see the rewards: Rewards are a huge motivating factor. People work hard to get closer to the rewards, but if the rewards are too distant; it does little as far as motivation is concerned.
- Failure to see how the present impacts their future: People will often delay action in the present, because they can’t foresee the consequences in the future.
- Keeping their options open: Some people delay action, because they’re hoping other options will present themselves in the future.
- Optimistic about time in the future: It’s easy to fall into the trap of procrastinating when you believe you will still have time to act in the future.
- Too indecisive: When people can’t make a decision, they usually don’t make one. In other words, they choose not to choose at all. Making them void of any progress.
- They are overwhelmed: Having a huge task or having many small tasks can both be overwhelming, if there isn’t a strategic plan to accomplish the tasks.
- Anxiety: Anxiety can be a major factor to why some people procrastinate. The stress of anticipating the first step increases the closer you get to that step. However, anxiety can also build by procrastinating too long leaving very little time to complete a task.
Dislike or are - uncomfortable with the task: If a task involves someone we dislike, or is outside our comfort zone; we tend to be apprehensive leading to a delay in completion.
- Being a perfectionist: Being a perfectionist can lead to procrastination because you’re always looking for flaws, and nothing is ever good enough and the time is never right to move forward.
- They fear negative feedback: Some people are overly concerned about what others think, which makes them sensitive to negative feedback. Whether the fear is real or perceived, it delays action.
- They fear failure: Some of us are so afraid of failing, we figure if we never start; we could never fail. Usually the more important tasks trigger a greater fear of failure.
- They self handicap or self sabotage: Some people purposely place unnecessary obstacles in their own way to make it easier for them to delay action.
- They lack belief in their abilities: If you don’t believe in yourself or your abilities, it’s extremely difficult to accomplish any task or goal of value.
- They fear the lack of control: some people are only comfortable if they can control a situation, but that control only exists in their minds. It’s almost impossible to control the outcome of any task, and to worry about not having control is even more concerning.
Are there different types of procrastinators?
Let’s be honest, many of us have procrastinated at some point in our lives; but we wouldn’t consider ourselves procrastinators. Matter of fact, many successful people, including highly motivated and driven ones have procrastinated. Are there different types of procrastinators? Yes! To help us better understand why we all have procrastinated at some point or another, we need to take a closer look at the different types of procrastination.
The performer: This type of person works well under pressure, they even prefer it. They force themselves to focus by truncating the time left to accomplish the task. To me, it appears more as if it’s overconfidence. They have an over inflated belief of their abilities, where they leave very little room for error. Being a clutch performer is one thing, but being overconfident can squander an opportunity to perform in the clutch.
The self-deprecator: This type of person is extra hard on themselves. They rather insult themselves and call themselves “lazy,” instead of motivating themselves to act. They don’t take the time to apply some logic to the situation. It could be that they are tired, or something is bothering them. They resort to this kind of behavior because that’s probably what they are used to. This behavior is likely a byproduct of insecurities or a lack of confidence.
The overbooker: This type of person specializes in overbooking their daily and weekly schedules. They purposely do this to avoid doing a particular task. They constantly say things like, “I’m so busy,” or “I’m so swamped;” but what they really mean is, “I have more important things to do.” This behavior is usually due to a lack or courage. They may not have the courage to say exactly how they feel, so instead they make excuses.
The novelty seeker: This type of person is great at taking action, but rarely follows through or finishes a task. They are full of ideas, and go from idea to idea, without seeing the development of the first idea. They are very curious, and intrigued about every new trend, but are usually passionate about a very few. This behavior is probably also due to a lack of confidence. They are not confident in their abilities to complete the task, so they change it and leave it unfinished.
Now that we are clear on what being lazy and procrastinating is, what can we do about it?
Below are the most effective strategies to counter laziness and procrastination.
1. Recognize That You’re Procrastinating.
I’m not sure who said this quote, “the first step in solving a problem, is to first admit you have a problem;” but it perfectly describes this strategy. If you don’t realize you’re procrastinating, you won’t be able to do anything about it. Pay close attention to the things you’re putting off. If it’s only for a short period of time and for good reason, you may not be procrastinating. If you are delaying tasks for long periods at a time, it might be worth looking into to see if you have a procrastination problem. You may also be procrastinating if you…
- Constantly schedule low-priority tasks daily.
- Leave important items undone for a long time.
- Leave emails unread.
- Read emails several times over without addressing them.
- Start important tasks and then interrupt the process to do something meaningless.
- Fill your time with unimportant tasks others ask you to do.
- Constantly waiting for the perfect mood or the right time to begin a task.
2. Identify the consequences to procrastinating and being lazy.
One major reason why my procrastinations in the past lasted as long as they did was because I couldn’t envision the long-term consequences. I could only see the short term consequences, which are usually not as hurtful. Eventually when I was able to envision the long-term consequences, I gained more of a sense of urgency. The long term consequences always seem to be more impactful to sustained success. So ask yourself, how will this affect you years down the line? How will my future be hurt by today’s procrastination and laziness? Try to envision the consequences as vividly as you can, to trigger a sense of urgency within you.
3. Identify the potential rewards to not procrastinating.
Identifying the rewards are just as important as identifying the long term consequences. Identifying the rewards provides extra external motivation when internal motivations aren’t enough. When you identify those potential rewards, don’t just identify them; visualize them as well. Imagine the feelings associated with those rewards and attract them into your life. Ask yourself, what blessings or rewards that will come my way if I complete this task when it is supposed to be completed? How will this improve my life and change me for the better? Having vivid examples in your mind of these rewards light a fire inside you that will make you forget you were ever lazy or procrastinating.
4. Prioritize your goals.
If there are so many things you need to do, but no way of organizing them; it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Disorganized tasks and goals become clutter to the mind, and makes it difficult to choose an item to tackle. When choosing a task becomes difficult, the mind may shut down, by being lazy or procrastinating. If this shutdown is longer than a few days, you have to begin to prioritize your professional time as well as your personal time. You prioritize your goals by…
- First, make a list of all your goals.
- Separate goals into two categories; short term and long term goals.
- Beneath each goal, make a list of all the tasks associated with the goal.
- Separate the tasks into two categories; immediate and important. Immediate tasks must be done as soon as possible, whereas important tasks can be done later.
- Circle all the immediate tasks; identify all the ones that will take longer to complete and all the tasks that will take 2 minutes or less.
- As you complete each task, cross it off the list.
5. Use The “2-minute Rule” to minimize procrastination.
Author James Clear wrote about the “2-minute rule” in his novel Atomic Habits. To implement the “2-minute rule,” you simply just have to do all the tasks on your to-do list that take 2 minutes or less to complete. I found this tactic very effective in minimizing procrastination while building a sense of accomplishment. Get it out of the way, don’t think about it, just do it. Before you know it, you’ll have quite a few tasks checked off your list; giving you a great head start.
6. Do the hardest tasks next.
Once you’ve finished quite a few quick tasks, and you’re feeling good about yourself; carry that momentum into doing the most difficult or time consuming tasks. These are the tasks that we usually procrastinate about starting. Use the momentum you’ve created to accomplish more challenging tasks. Completing those greater tasks will give you an even greater sense of accomplishment and momentum towards your next tasks.
To keep from procrastinating and being lazy, you must maintain consistent action. Use momentum to make your actions consistent.
7. Do a 5 minute nightly recap.
Every night schedule a 5 minute review session. They may seem simple, but complicating these steps will only lead to more procrastination. Spending a few minutes identifying the tasks that were complete and the ones that need to be tackled next will help maintain consistency. By doing it at night, you go to bed with a sense of accomplishment for the tasks that were completed and provide focus for the tasks that require tackling in the morning. You will provide much needed structure to your day and your thoughts. To make the nightly recap as efficient as possible, remember to check…
- If there are appointments or meetings that require you to be somewhere at a specific time, and jot down the meeting time.
- If there are any emails that require immediate attention?
- How are you going to spend your down time throughout the day?
- Is there an appointment or activity that could potentially go overtime? How can this be accommodated?
- Which tasks are the most challenging, that you’re dreading?
8. Start first thing in the morning.
By the morning, the work you did in your nightly recap will still be fresh in your head, so start then.Tackle them right away, and keep the momentum going. Start with something that is necessary to keep you consistent. It could be something quick like checking emails or something enjoyable like working on the creative activity for a meeting. You’ll set the tone of your day. The more you do throughout the day, the more accomplished you’ll feel. You will eagerly anticipate your nightly recap, to admire all that you’ve accomplished.
9. Ignore, avoid or remove distractions from your life.
It is important to growth and success to beagle discipline yourself when need be. Disciplining yourself can come in the form of removing distractions in your life. Distractions will interfere with your professional life, as well as your personal life. In some situations you can remove certain distractions from your life completely. In other situations, that’s not a possibility. The only course of action then, is to avoid or ignore them. A few suggestions include…
- Removing friends and associates from your life that will derail you from your goals.
- Minimize your interactions by avoiding the people you can’t remove completely.
- Ignore the annoying behaviors of co-workers and family members that can be distracting by not taking them personally.
- Develop communication strategies that block certain responses or interactions with people.
- Block some of the notifications on your phone.
- Sign out of your social media accounts.
- Avoid going to the places that will engage you in distracting conversations or activities.
10. Honor your word and your time.
Integrity doesn’t grow on trees. It’s not a quality that everyone possesses, but it’s a necessary quality in meeting goals and being successful in whatever you choose. Integrity implies that you are trustworthy. Trustworthy with your words, and actions. If you say you’re going to do something, do it. If you say something will be done at a specific time, be on time. You will become trustworthy and trust holds the structure of our interactions in place.
Integrity and trust does not only strengthen your relationship with others, but also with yourself. Honoring your own words and your own time, develops a track record you have with yourself. That track record allows you to trust yourself in similar future circumstances. Being able to trust you’ll act accordingly in the future, gives you the platform to be more courageous in your endeavours.
11. Have someone to keep you accountable.
We can agree that there will be moments, maybe even days where procrastination starts to set in, and some of our strategies just aren’t working. You have to anticipate those moments and prepare for them as well. It helps to have someone or several trusted others to keep you accountable. Keep them informed of what you’re doing, so they’ll be more apt to recognizing when you’re procrastinating. We all could all use some extra motivation at times, even those who are intrinsically motivated have those moments; granted much fewer of them. Since honoring your word and your time is crucial, it’s in the best interest of others to help you achieve it. Failing to honor your word will ultimately affect your relationship with them as well.
12. Mix in work and leisure time.
No matter what we’re doing, and how focused we are; we all need balance. We all can get burnt out, frustrated, or exhausted, so we must stay intune to how our minds and body is responding. It’s ok if you need a break, or two. Try to anticipate your workload overwhelming you by mixing in leisure time with your work time. Interject small periods of leisure time in between short bursts of focused work. After an hour of focused work, take a 15 minute reprieve. You must make sure the leisure time offsets the work time. If your work time is shorter, your leisure time should be shorter as well. This will keep you energized and motivated throughout the days, weeks and months. You may need a timer to keep you honest with not going over your leisure time.
Knowing how your habits and tendencies affect your success can transform how you approach them. Fixing your laziness or procrastination problems will also take some courage. To learn how to become more courageous and improve your life, check out the article, How do you build courage and get rid of fear? If you are still having trouble with putting things off or you’re not motivated to do the things you care about, you may need to seek professional help. Hopefully this article has been helpful. Also visit my YouTube channel for more insight to these topics.
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