It’s Not Laziness You Need To Overcome
(6 Things You Are Instead of Lazy)
Have you ever been told – or told yourself – that you’re just lazy or that overcoming laziness is an act of willpower?
“I don’t want to go to work. I’m so lazy.”
“She doesn’t ever do anything productive. She’s just lazy.”
“He/I/You need to stop being lazy and just do it.”
Yeah, knock that off. It’s not working. It’s not even helping. You know why? You’re not lazy. And that person you’re judging isn’t lazy either.
Laziness doesn’t exist.
It’s just a word we’ve given to explain away something deeper and messier that we’d prefer to ignore. Think of it as a symptom. It’s a sign that something else is going on beneath the surface.
“Laziness” is the label we give to something when we judge it based on what we think it should be.
People who say that procrastination is about laziness are probably the same people who think that anorexia is about not eating enough. – Christine Kane
6 Things You Are Instead of “Lazy”
No, you’re not lazy. But you are experiencing something…here are six things you might be instead of “lazy”:
Tired:
Tired of going, going, going in this crazy, fast-paced, speed-obsessed world. You push and you pull and you try to keep up with the expectations of others until your body and your mind and your weary, exhausted soul say enough and you crash, and crash hard. Give yourself a break without judging your need for rest. It’s okay to slow down.
Overwhelmed:
You’ve allowed it to pile on – the tasks, the goals, the dreams, the need to do it all yourself, and to make sure it’s perfect. You’ve taken on the responsibility, and with it the guilt, the stress and the inability to admit you’re human. You’ve taken on so much that you soon can’t see straight and so it all just sits, staring you in the face while you freak out, settle for spending your time on Facebook, or curl up with Haagen-Daz while you quietly fail. It doesn’t make you lazy; it makes it impossible to move when you’re buried so deep.
Afraid:
It’s new and big and you’re scared it might not pan out or that it will turn out like it did the last time. You have a record in your head that is stuck on repeat telling you it’s going to get ugly, be difficult, and blow up in your face. And who the heck wouldn’t avoid that? Beating yourself won’t get you inspired and motivated. Give yourself some love.
Hurting:
You’re holding back, withdrawn or shy or not feeling good enough. Your pain is probably buried, deep and sheltered, because how could you function if it was full force? But it’s still there, an aching or gnawing dragging you down, draining you of your spark, your desire, your passion for Life.
Uninspired:
People seem to resist this one the most. Most of us just don’t want to admit that not enjoying something – not feeling inspired – is okay. Well, let me tell you…it’s okay. It’s okay to not enjoy washing the dishes or not be inspired to work today. It’s okay to find that class boring and choose to pursue what you love instead. If it’s something you feel is necessary, question yourself – maybe it’s not necessary after all, or maybe there’s a way to change it into something you can love. What’s so wrong with that?
Stuck:
You’re tired, overwhelmed, uninspired, afraid, hurting, uninspired and you don’t know how to get past it. You may not even know what it is you’re trying to get past. You try something new only to spin your wheels. You’re living your life on repeat, with the same worn out patterns and themes playing again and again.
