5 Tips For Shaking Laziness
Can I be honest? Like really really honest? I can be extremely lazy, at times. I know you may be reading this and thinking that I’m exaggerating, but I’m not. My problem is, after a break, I struggle with getting back on track. I’ve shared this time and time again, I am a person who thrives in routines, whether it’s a morning, work, or just daily/weekly routine. On top of that, I need to switch my routines with the seasons. What I mean is, my summer morning routine looks a little bit different from my winter morning routine. I love the consistency that routines bring, but I need them to change periodically, so I don’t get complacent, if that makes sense.
What do you do, when your routine is broken? In a perfect world, you’d just fall right back into a new routine, but the world isn’t perfect. For the month of August, I took a little break, but when it was time to come back, I felt myself sluggish and lazy. The spirit of laziness and procrastination, stayed for weeks. By the end of the month, I felt myself crying and praying that God remove the laziness and procrastination spirit that had taken over me. I was so frustrated because, there was so many things that I said I wanted to do, but wouldn’t. I told myself I was going to get up in the morning and start fresh a new day, but yet I would sit on the couch and do nothing. Every time I felt myself getting back on track, I would fall right back off. I felt as if nothing would truly stick.
What do you do when you feel yourself living in a cycle of laziness? It’s hard to break it when operating out of feelings. The truth is, you may never “feel like” doing the things necessary to be productive, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have to. You will have to do things you don’t want to do now, so that you can live how you want later. Telling yourself to suck it up and get things done doesn’t always work. If you’re like me and feel yourself slipping into a season of laziness, I’ve got you covered. Here’s five tips for getting back on track.
1.Set Your Intentions
When you find yourself in a cycle of laziness, you think about all the things you need to be doing. Sitting down and actually writing them on paper, help you get clarity. It breaks the tasks down and somehow they become less daunting. The thought of having to workout, versus writing down the workouts I need to get done, help actually get the task done. While you’re writing the intentions, also write why each of these things need to be completed. Having a solid why, even if it’s just to keep your job, motivate you to get things done.
2.Break The Task Down
Sometimes, when we have so much to do, we do nothing, because our tasks seem too big. Having too much to do, can leave you anxious. When you feel like the task is too big, it can leave you confused on where to start, which leads you to procrastinate. As humans, it’s natural to put off things we don’t want to do. BREAK DOWN THE TASK. For example, I was trying to implement daily reading. My goal was an hour a day, but I would avoid starting because that’s a leap from not reading at all. I changed the time from an hour to 15 minutes. I did that for a week and found myself going over. Now, I read for about 30-45 min. 15 minutes sounded better than an hour, so it was easier for me to get up and do it. Break down the goal, instead of completing a task that’ll take an hour in one day, take 12 minutes Monday-Friday to get it done.
3.Set Yourself Up To Win
So many times I would set myself up for failure, and be upset when I don’t get things done. When you set tasks, be honest with yourself and where you are. What I mean is, don’t set tasks that are unrealistic and that will stretch you too far. Last month, I was going to sleep later and waking up even later. I would set goals for myself to wake up at 6am, after going to sleep at 2am. Then, I would get upset, when I would oversleep. If the goals was to wake up at 6am, I should have had myself in bed the night before at 11pm. Setting yourself up to win, means planning when, where and how you will get things done. If the task is to workout first thing in the morning, have your workout clothes picked out and your water bottle already filled.
4.Tidy Your Space
When I was in my season of laziness, my space was cluttered. My room wasn’t cleaned or organized. Once I cleaned up, I started to get things done. A clean workspace increases productivity. When you declutter your environment, it helps you to focus on the task at hand. The place where you get things done, needs to be a place you look forward to working. I cleaned my desk, bought my weekly flowers, lit a candle, and suddenly I looked forward to sitting in my workspace.
5.Let Go Of What You Didn’t Do
When I felt stuck in my season of laziness, I would focus so much on what I didn’t do. Everyday, rather than looking forward to all the things I could do, I was stuck on all the time I wasted. It wasn’t until I gave myself some grace for the past, that I was able to focus on the change I wanted to create. Focus on the present and the future, not the past. Truth is, routines will be broken, it’s about getting back on track. There will be days when you forget a habit, how will you bounce back?
I hope these tips help you to get back on track. We are humans, who make mistakes, and have lazy days. Don’t allow a few lazy days, to get you off track, or to forget all the progress you’ve made. Celebrate the small wins and watch how you bounce back. It’s equally important to have people around you who hold you accountable and who speak life into you. My trainer would send me motivation paragraphs and videos to help boost my drive. I didn’t tell her I was in season of laziness, she just knew. I pray you shake whatever procrastination, laziness, anxiety or whatever else is holding you back.
Happy Monday and New Month, let’s make it a good one!
