We live busy lives. The advent of technology has enabled us to make great strides in the way of productivity but at a cost. We cannot unplug, and we are spending more time than ever glued to our screens. Too much technology can lead to a host of physical problems such as anxiety caused by comparing yourself on social media, disrupted sleep cycles from too much screen time messing with our circadian rhythms and accidents from texting while driving or taking selfies and falling off a cliff.
There is incredible pressure on us to do more and increase productivity. Many of us feel as though if we are not busy all of the time than we are doing something wrong. Our bodies often speak to us by wanting to slow down. We often dismiss this as laziness and keep pushing ourselves to do, do , do.
In the post Renaissance period Idleness was associated with enlightenment. Aristocrats wore their inaction as a badge of honor. Doing nothing was something only the rich could afford to do.
Maybe these folks were on to something. Could being lazy help you to increase productivity in the long run?
Just like the earth gracefully shifting from winter to spring then summer to fall, our bodies and spirit also have seasons. Do you ever wonder why one day you may feel incredibly energetic and can get many things done. Your creativity overflows and ideas come to you in gigantic waves making you feel alive and unstoppable. Other days you feel like a sloth. Taking a shower and putting on clothing seems like a chore. If only you could stay in bed, or perhaps just sit outside in nature and contemplate life.
Your body works this way because it was designed to. We need rest and even boredom sometimes to fuel our engines of creativity and productivity.
Adopting an attitude of a little laziness is okay and goes a long way can help you to re-frame your thoughts about busyness and your sense of self-worth. In fact lazy people tend to be more efficient than people who are okay with chronic busyness.
Lazy people would rather take the task they are assigned and get it done, get it done quickly, and get it done right, so they don’t have to spend any more time on it than absolutely necessary.
Lazy people often have a knack for delegating. They don't want to spend time frittering away on tasks that are boring or trivial so they will find someone else to do it.
Lazy people will find a better way to build a mousetrap. They will find a clever solution to any problem. They might also use procrastination to their advantage. They will put off what is unnecessary at the moment and will hyper-focus on what needs to get done when push comes to shove.
Lazy people have mastered the art of making money while they sleep. They understand that their time is a valuable commodity and their production levels wax and wane. They learn how to set up money machines that leverage their efforts to bring them greater rewards. They also know how to make money work for them. Investing smart in stocks, real estate, businesses and the like enable them to leverage those efforts even further.
So the next time you feel like beating yourself up for being lazy , maybe its time to rethink things and let your inner sloth come out.