How to overcome laziness

How To Overcome Laziness: 19 Simple Ways

Taking some time off from your busy routine is not only normal; it is essential. But if you find yourself taking too many days off, unable to achieve anything, chances are you are lazy.

But why do people succumb to laziness even when they know they have things to do and places to go?

It might be due to a fear of failure, an overwhelming list of tasks to achieve, or a lack of motivation for your job.

Whatever the reason may be, it is time to identify ways to overcome laziness. All you need is a little mental stimulation to recharge yourself and feel inspired to accomplish your tasks.

If you’re struggling with the daily grind, here are 19 simple tips to overcome laziness and increase your productivity.

1. Make Realistic Goals

It’s true that one of the key reasons people get lazy because they don’t find anything challenging enough to stir them up from their slumber.

But on the other hand, setting impractical goals can overwhelm you and may even send you down in a spiral of demotivation, indolence and guilt. Your objectives, therefore, must be achievable and stimulating.

A long list of to-dos can be overwhelming, it can cause a sensory overload and we end up ignoring all items on the list altogether. But don’t let it overpower you. Instead, ask yourself the following:

Break down your daily, weekly, monthly goals into achievable tasks so that you can accomplish them one step at a time.

2. Create A Plan Of Action

Specificity and direction can help you realize your goals faster, even if there is a hurdle along the way.

James Clear emphasizes “Implementation Intention” in his book, Atomic Habits. He says that being specific about your tasks takes away foggy notions associated with them.

This means making a specific plan for when, where, and how you will complete a particular task. Too many people try to achieve their goals without figuring out these essential details.

For example, you might think to yourself, “I want to start eating healthier” or “I am going to finish my book this month,” but hardly anyone ever talks about the exact steps they’ll take to achieve these goals.

For starters, specify what you are going to eat and at what time. Do you want to incorporate greens at lunch-time? Or do you want to cut carbs from your breakfast first?

Similarly, figure out how you’ll set apart time to complete that book, and know how many pages you’ll read in one go.

Once you have an implementation intention, you don’t have to wait for “the right time.” When the moment comes, you already have a pre-determined plan to follow.

16. Break Down Big Projects

Working on a huge project alone can be overwhelming. And this will lead to laziness because you’ll shrug it off instead of tackling it. To solve this problem, all you need to do is take a huge project and break it down into smaller, easier-to-handle tasks. Remember, a huge project is a combination of many small tasks. When you start working on these small tasks, you’ll eventually complete the big project.

17. Start With the Easiest Task

After breaking down the huge project, start with the easiest item. Think of the effortless action such as naming your documents or creating a headline. When you start working on these simple tasks, it will be easier for you to accomplish more every day and stay motivated.

18. Tackle Tasks Immediately

This might seem simple and obvious. But it’s one of the most effective ways to overcome laziness. If there’s stuff that you need to do right now such as doing the dishes, taking out the trash, or visiting the grocery store, do it now. Tackling tasks immediately will help you manage your time effectively and stay on top of things.

3. Get An Accountability Partner

Productivity expert Laura Vanderkam recommends getting an accountability partner who can hold you responsible for the unaccomplished tasks. [1] Ensure your partner has a track record of accomplishing their goals and knows how to pull you out of the debilitating feelings left behind by demotivation and laziness.

When you have someone to answer to, you will work faster and more efficiently. You may also care about making a good impression on your accountability partner, thus also increasing the quality of your work.

4. Avoid Clutter and Distractions

One of the biggest hurdles to motivation is the environment you are in. This means that your surroundings must be free of diversions, noise and clutter.

You can make your space work-friendly by doing the following:

Personalizing Your Workspace

Imagine sitting down at a desk with a monthly calendar, a task list, and colorful pens all nicely kept in decorative holders and your pile of files and paper properly stacked in a corner.

Throw in additional photo frames, a motivational quote, or anything else that sparks your creativity for work.

Adopting a No-Storage Policy On Your Desk

Your desk shouldn’t be a dumping space for samples or litter. Make space for files and papers in your drawers or other storage boxes. With all the extra stuff on your desk all the time, you likely keep getting distracted.

5. Incorporate High-Impact Movement In Your Routine

There is growing evidence that shows exercise as a promising intervention to overcome laziness and increase motivation. [2]

Particularly cardiovascular exercises get the blood pumping in your body, which leaves you energetic and motivated to take on the day.

However, going to the gym or picking up weights is not everybody’s cup of tea. But don’t worry because other high-impact to moderate movements like Yoga are sometimes all you need to feel like you can take on the day and power through your to-do list.

Other examples of high-impact fun activities can be:

At the end of the day, it is all about including some form of activity in your routine, so it is better to do something that you already love!

6. Recognize Your Efforts Along The Way

One of the main reasons people tend to get demotivated is because they’re too hard on themselves. Acknowledge that you are a human and that you cannot achieve everything at once.

Start with completing little tasks and praise yourself for every little effort that you make. Negative self-talk and underestimating your abilities can derail you from your path – you have to be in your corner even if no one else is there yet.

Instead of saying things like, “I know I won’t be able to do this,” tell yourself, “This will be an interesting challenge; I will give it my best.”

7. Make Tedious Tasks Fun

Sometimes small, menial tasks seem so big and burdensome because they are tiresome and monotonous. It can be hard to muster the motivation to start something, but it is even harder to keep going at it if it bores you.

Here’s how to deal with tedious tasks:

Reward Yourself

When you have something to look forward to, it becomes easier to overcome laziness and accomplishing tasks on your to-do list. Motivate yourself with external rewards like a spa-day after completing a relatively challenging task or treating yourself to an expensive dinner.

Get a Partner

Get a friend, a colleague, or sibling to pump you up and give you company as you do that dull, boring thing that’s been on your list for ages.

Having a friend or a partner to assist you certainly makes it easier to get things done. Sometimes companionship is better than solitude, especially if you know that you’ll procrastinate if left alone.

For example, chores like cleaning your room or washing the dishes will never be fun, but if you have someone to accompany you, chances are you can get them done more efficiently and faster.

Divide It Up!

“In order to achieve your goal, divide it up into smaller tasks.” — James Clear, Atomic Habits

Breaking down your tasks into smaller ones can make you feel less overwhelmed. For example, if your goal is to read 50 pages every day, tell yourself you will read a few pages every time you have a cup of tea. This way, you get to read a few pages every-time and before you know it, you’ll have achieved your reading goal!

8. Use Positive Self-Talk

Negative self-talk is one of the things that derail people from getting things done in different aspects of life. Telling other people that you are lazy is negative self-talk. Instead of talking to yourself negatively, why not practice positive self-talk? Always do your best.

9. Know Your Strengths

Do you know your strengths? If the answer is no, take a couple of minutes to think of your strengths when preparing to work on a task or goal. Apply them to your task to get things done quickly. Research studies have shown that focusing on your strengths boosts productivity, cultivates positive feelings, and increases engagement in the workplace.

10. Ask for Help

Most people believe that asking for assistance is a sign of defeat and weakness. However, failing to ask for help does increase your chances of failure. A study conducted back in 2018 found that people who don’t ask for help in the workplace are more likely to be dissatisfied with their work and perform poorly. [3] Their employers also perceive them less favorably. Asking for help not only increases your chances of success but also helps you connect with others who’ll motivate and encourage you.

11. Take a Nap

One of the most common lazing activities is sleeping. A study conducted by the National Sleep Foundation found that a ten to thirty-minute nap can boost your productivity and motivation. [4] If you are struggling to sleep better at night, you should limit your nap time during the day and avoid screen time before bed. Always aim to get seven to nine hours of sleep every night to feel refreshed and ready to work on the tasks ahead.

12. Use the Two-Minute Rule

If you can tackle anything under two minutes, form the habit of doing it immediately. This applies to making your bed, doing the dishes, replying to emails, or writing a to-do list.

13. Get a Busy Workspace

If you work remotely, you should consider swapping your workspace to a busy environment. You need to find people who are highly focused on their work in your neighborhood and work close to them. When you do this, your motivation and productivity will naturally increase. The same applies if you work in the office. All you have to do is work close to the people you look up to.

14. Take a Cold Shower

In most cases, tiredness and lethargy go together. In short, if you are feeling tired, the chances of getting up and working on your most important tasks are low. Luckily, you can banish any tiredness instantly by taking a cold shower. A cold shower offers instant benefits unlike coffee or other stimulants.

15. Dress-up

How you dress affects your mood. If you are walking around and working in your pajamas, you’re likely to go back to sleep or spend most of your time watching TV. On the other hand, if your shower when you wake up and dress up as if you are going to the office, you’ll stay focused on your work and boost your productivity.

19. Don’t Focus on Perfectionism

The fear of failure holds most people back. You should keep in mind that everyone who goes after what they want outside their comfort zone is bound to fail from time to time. This is part of life. You need to change your mindset and start seeing setbacks as learning experiences and as a way to be kinder and more constructive to yourself. When you stumble, ask yourself, “What can I learn from this situation?”

Learn how not to let perfectionism hold you back from moving forward.

Bottom Line

Pressurizing yourself with negative thoughts and emotions is a sure-fire way to ensure that you’ll never stop procrastinating or overcome laziness.

Instead, be your own motivator. You don’t need a major life overhaul to wake up and fight the feelings of demotivation. Easy does it. All you need are small tweaks to your daily routine, a positive mindset and confidence to know that you have what it takes to achieve something!

Just remember to set manageable goals and play to your strengths. Also, know that it’s okay to call out for help if need be. Your coworkers, classmates, family and friends will not mind encouraging and motivating you.

How to Overcome Your Own Laziness

Despite your best intentions, you probably have off-days. Maybe it’s procrastination, maybe it’s pure sloth—perhaps both. Either way, you probably want to get stuff done. Here’s how to break the cycle when you feel like your problem is just plain laziness.

Determine if you’re really lazy, or just overwhelmed

Many active and productive people self-identify as “lazy” because they spend free time relaxing, or have projects they want to do but haven’t finished. In the cult of “busy,” doing things you enjoy is a cardinal sin, so it’s easy to convince yourself that you’re not focused, productive, or active enough. Before you try to fix your laziness, step back and try to identify your real issue.

Psychologist Leon F. Seltzer suggests that we consider eliminating the word “lazy” from our vocabulary entirely. Or, at the very least, avoid using it to describe someone’s entire personality. He explains that, while we may lack self-discipline, motivation, or a healthy sense of rewards, disguising those problems as “laziness” only makes it harder to fix them:

“My experience, both as an individual and therapist, has led me to conclude that laziness as an explanation of human behavior is practically useless. Referring to—or rather, disparaging, or even dismissing—a person as lazy seems to me a glib and overly simplistic way of accounting for a person’s apparent disinterest or inertia. And resorting to this term to categorize a person’s inactivity suggests to me a laziness more on the part of the describer than the person described. In short, I view this pejorative designation as employed mostly as a “default” when the person talked about is not particularly well understood.”

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Obviously, how you deal with “laziness” will depend on what the underlying issues are. And these issues aren’t mutually exclusive, either. No matter what, you’ll need to tailor any solution to your specific needs. Take time to examine your own weaknesses and come up with a plan that works for you.

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Learn how to value your work

In every organization, there will always be some people who take great delight in trashing everything. Ultimate cynics, they’ll regale you with stories of how the boss is an idiot, the company is out to get you, the rest of the employees are chumps, and the work is ridiculous and meaningless. While there’s a certain mean-spirited, self-righteous satisfaction in taking the everyone’s-a-loser-but-us approach, in the long run it will just make you more unhappy. Hearing only the negatives about your workplace makes it hard to see the positives that may exist, and it ultimately will make you feel worse about yourself (if this place and these people are so awful, why am I still here?). Spending time with colleagues who have a more balanced view can dramatically shift your emotional response to your job.

Ultimately, no one can make you enjoy work. But if you actively fight the urge to be negative about it, rather than indulge it, you can turn your mindset around. The quickest way to get more done is to look forward to doing it. If you’re still having trouble looking for a way to start, try filling out this three task checklist to keep it simple.

Your Gratitude List Is Nice and All, But It Could Be Missing Something

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10 Tips on How to Overcome Laziness in Studying

One of the things a student experiences, whether s/he’s already having a master’s degree or still a fifth-grader, is the struggle in overcoming laziness in studying. It is the time when you have tons of school works to do yet you don’t feel like doing it. Laziness keeps us from doing important tasks and it could hinder our studies. If it continues, it will become a habit that could have a negative implication for your grades or worst to your future endeavors. Sounds horrible right? But then, just like any other thing, you can get rid of it. Here are some tips that could help you overcome laziness in studying:

1. Be in a comfortable place.

One thing that could help fight laziness is finding a good location. Being in a comfortable place whether it’s in your favorite coffee shop, or just in your own bedroom that is free from distractions could help you to relax your mind and focus on studying.

2. Make a study plan.

Having a study plan will help you organize and track down your tasks easier. Make a timetable wherein you set a time schedule for a certain subject and other tasks to do. List down your assignments that are due and arrange them like a calendar. In this way, it could help you prioritize and get it done on time.

3. Take one step at a time.

Taking actions one step at a time will help you beat laziness. Breaking down bigger tasks into smaller tasks will help you avoid being stressed. This will make your tasks a lot more manageable. Completing a sub-task will serve as a motivation for you to continue other sub-tasks thus, helping you finish your overall task in a more convenient way.

4. Make a to-do list.

There are times that because of so many things to do, just like preparing for major exams, you lost track of other things that need to be done. You could make a to-do list with just a piece of sticky note since it’s handy and you could place it anywhere. Placing a to-do list where you could see it every time, will help you remind what to do next. Also, making a to-do list will help you focus on doing your tasks especially that distractions are just around the corner.

5. Remove all distractions.

Being distracted while studying will make you lazier. It is better to get rid of all distractions such as turning off your TV or internet connection or just by simply switching your phone to silent mode or you could even ask your roommate or family member to give you privacy. Keep in mind that avoiding these disturbances will aid you to concentrate and study effectively.

6. Find motivation.

One of the top reasons why many students are lazy to study is due to a lack of motivation. Finding motivation will help you to concentrate and think about the benefits after studying, just like passing an exam and getting high grades or recognition from your teacher or you will be noticed by the cutie you have a crush on when you got the perfect score. Visualize yourself after studying and think of its positive outcome. In this way, you could study effectively since you already have the will to achieve something.

7. Think about its consequences.

Thinking about the positive outcome of studying could be a motivation for a person to start studying. If you have this kind of motivation in your mind, yet you still do not have that willpower to start it and laziness still dominates you, how about trying the other way around? Instead of thinking about the benefits of studying, think about the consequences if you don’t study. You could possibly have a failing grade and will be forced to take up the same subject again. It sounds terrible. So have this as a motivation to get up, flip the pages of your notebooks, start reading and learning.

8. Do easier tasks.

One thing that could be a problem in studying, is actually how to start it. You tend to be overwhelmed with bigger tasks and how to start them and finish them on time. Take it easy. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself as it could add up to your laziness. That feeling when you want to give up even though you are not yet beginning. Overcome it by starting with easier tasks. For example, start to study topics on a certain subject that is easier for you. Once you successfully completed studying that topic, you will have the confidence to move on to more difficult ones.

9. Discipline yourself.

This is the most important thing. The key to beat your laziness is to discipline yourself. In order to achieve something successfully, you just need to stop certain habits or behaviors. As with studying, you just need to stop certain things that could distract you and lose your focus and start doing things that could contribute to accomplishing good results. If you easily get distracted by gadgets, put them away while you are studying. Make this a habit so that the next time you have to study, you will get used to it. Keep in mind that these little sacrifices will have great results in the future.

10. Reward yourself.

Overcoming laziness is really a struggle, so every time you manage to do it, have yourself a reward. Like if you study for 20 minutes or finish an assignment without any interruptions, give yourself a treat, whether it is your favorite bar of chocolate or favorite ice cream. This will help you build a mindset that making efforts results in positive outcomes.

Being lazy with studying is a normal thing. Everyone experiences it, especially if there is a lot to study and you don’t know where and how to start. However, whether it is for a major exam or a small quiz, you have to take it seriously. Commit yourself to break the habit of laziness. Work harder! Keep in mind that the harder you try, the greater the result is.

How to Overcome Laziness – 12 Tips

Are you decisive, energetic and a doer, or do you tend to procrastinate and prefer passivity?

Do you sometimes ask yourself, how to stop being lazy?

Do you wonder how not to be lazy when you feel so?

What Is Laziness and How Can We Define It?

Sometimes, we enjoy being a little lazy, such as after working hard for several hours, or when we stay in bed on a very cold day. However, if doing nothing occurs too often, something has to be done about it.

In order to carry out our tasks, work efficiently, live to the fullest, and achieve success, we must learn how to overcome laziness. We need to be able to resist it, combat it, and get over it.

Simple Tips for Overcoming Laziness:

Here are few tips on how not to be lazy, and instead, become a doer.

1. Break down a task into smaller tasks

We often avoid tasks because we find them too big, too overwhelming, too tiring, or taking too much of our time. Breaking a task into several smaller tasks can solve this problem. Then, each task will not seem so difficult or intimidating.

Instead of having one big task, we will have a series of small tasks, which do not require too much effort.

This approach can be applied not only to tasks, but also to goals and everything else we have or need to do. This will tend to melt much of the laziness and inner resistance we often experience.

2. Rest, sleep and exercise

In some cases, laziness is due to being tired and lacking energy. If this is true in your case, you need to give yourself the rest and sleep you need, and you also need to give your body enough exercise and fresh air.

Rest, sleep and exercise give your body the strength and refreshment it needs.

3. The importance of motivation

In some cases, the reason for laziness is due to lack of motivation.

You can strengthen your motivation through affirmations, visualization and thinking about the importance of performing your task or chore or achieving your goal.

4. Have a vision of what and who you want to be

Frequent reflection on the person we want to be, the goals we want to achieve, and the life we want to live, can motivate you to make plans and act to achieve them.

5. Think about benefits

Think about the benefits you will gain if you overcome your laziness and take action, instead of thinking about the difficulties or obstacles.

Focusing on the difficulties of carrying out a task, leads to discouragement, avoidance of taking action and to laziness. It is important that you focus your mind and attention on the benefits, not on the difficulties.

6. Thinking about the consequences

Think about what will happen, if you succumb to laziness and do not carry out your task or chore.

Thinking about the consequences of not acting, can motivate and push you to take action, so you that you avoid negative consequences.

How to Overcome Laziness – Additional Tips

7. Doing one thing at a time

Focus on doing one thing at a time. If you feel you have a lot to do, you will probably feel overwhelmed and let laziness overcome you, instead of you overcoming laziness.

Too many tasks might seem intimating, but if you take just one task at a time and focus only on this one, things become easier to handle.

Your imagination has a great influence on your mind, habits and actions. Visualize yourself carrying out any task easily, energetically and enthusiastically. Do so before starting any a task, and also when you feel lazy. Do so also when your mind whispers to you to abandon what you are doing.

9. Repeat affirmations

Affirmation can be very useful for overcoming this habit.

Tell yourself often

“I can accomplish my goal.”
“I have the energy and motivation to act and do whatever I want or have to do.”
“Doing things makes me stronger.”
“I have the inner strength to do anything I want to do.”
“I can easily awaken motivation in me.”
“Doing things, makes things happen.”
“I do everything now, not later.”

10. Regard tasks as exercises that strengthen you

Consider each task as an exercise to make you stronger, more decisive and more assertive. It is an opportunity to exercise your inner strength, get out of your comfort zone, and learn to take action.

Take each task as an opportunity to reveal the inner you, the strong and fearless you. This will help you develop the ability to tackle everything in your life with courage and confidence.

Avoid procrastination, which is a form of laziness. If there is something you have to do, why not do it right now and get through with it? Why let it stay nagging at the back of your head?

12. Learn from successful people

Watch successful people and how they do not let laziness win. Learn from them, talk with them and associate with them.

Overcoming the habit of laziness is achieved through a series of daily actions and activities. You need to choose to act, instead of staying passive.

Do not be afraid to leave your comfort zone. Your comfort zone might be comfortable and cozy, but it can keep you in one place, preventing you from making progress.

Every time you overcome your laziness you get stronger. Every time you choose to act, you increase your ability to win, achieve goals and improve your life.

I hope you find these tips on how to stop being lazy to be useful.

About the Author

My name is Remez Sasson. I am the author and creator of SuccessConsciousness.com, which I have been running since 2001. Join me on a fabulous journey to self improvement, happiness, success, positive lifestyle, conscious living and meditation, through my website, articles and books.

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Why Am I So Lazy? How to Stop Being Lazy and Take Control

Want to learn how to stop being lazy? Don’t – it won’t work.

However, although the causes of laziness are often hidden from us, their disastrous consequences are all-too-obvious.

«Laziness erodes a person of his enthusiasm and energy. As a result, the person loses all opportunities and finally becomes dejected and frustrated,» says the Sama Veda Kabir, an ancient Vedic Sanskrit text. «The worst thing is that he stops believing in himself.»

If this sounds a bit like you, don’t worry – this article will teach you how to stop being lazy and unmotivated.

How to Stop Being Lazy and Unmotivated in 8 Simple Steps

There’s no point trying to learn how to «fight laziness» – you can’t win if you don’t know what you’re up against.

If you want to know how to stop being lazy, you need to understand why you act lazy in the first place, then develop the emotional regulation tools you need to change.

Here are eight tips to overcome laziness that will show you how to stop being lazy and unmotivated for good:

Alright, let’s get started.

Step #1. Realize That You’re Not Inherently Lazy

First things first: you’re not lazy – your behavior is.

After years of acting in a certain way, it’s common to think that «this is just the way I am.» However, nothing could be further from the truth.

Repetitive behaviors create habits, and our habits determine the state of our lives – but they don’t define who we are.

Sir Fowell Buxton, the 1st Baronet and 18th-century British politician, said, «Laziness grows on people; it begins in cobwebs and ends in iron chains.» These iron chains may feel like they’re part of you, but they’re not – they’re just chains, and you can remove them.

Still, cobwebs are easier to remove than iron chains.

In other words, the longer you’ve acted lazy, the more challenging it can be to become productive and satisfied – but it’s entirely possible!

So, if you’re not intrinsically lazy, where does laziness come from?

Step #2. Learn the Causes of Laziness

Do you keep asking yourself, «why am I so lazy and unmotivated?» If so, this section’s for you.

«‘Laziness’ is an overused criticism – a character judgment­­, really – that does nothing to help us understand why someone doesn’t exert the effort to do what they want to do, or are expected to do, If we take a moment to examine what’s behind the procrastination and avoidance, we find a range of more complicated issues.»

Miller believes there are seven main causes of laziness:

Each of these reasons for laziness stems from a belief we hold about ourselves or life in general.

Here’s the aim of the game: Try to figure out what belief (or beliefs) you hold that are creating laziness.

1. Fear of Failure

In this state, failure isn’t seen as a necessary part of learning and growing – it’s viewed as a fact about our character. We don’t think, «I failed this once and can learn from it,» instead, we believe, «I am a failure.»

With this kind of pressure, it’s no wonder we don’t want to take action. Extreme laziness protects us from the pain of feeling like a failure.

2. Fear of Success

As odd as it may seem, many people fear success.

Remember, no matter how hard we try we can’t act in opposition to our core beliefs.

If we genuinely believe that we don’t deserve success or happiness, it won’t matter what we do. Our subconscious mind will drive us to act in a way that ensures we’re never successful or happy.

3. Need for Rest and Recuperation

Many people believe they should squeeze productivity out of every minute of the day and feel guilty when they don’t.

So, what’s driving them?

Although there are many reasons, these people are often driven to “do” because their productivity defines their self-worth.

But here’s the thing: If our bodies, hearts, or minds need rest, they will find a way to get it – often by forcing us to act lazy. In this instance, we need to take care of ourselves and make time to relax guilt-free.

So, when learning how to stop being lazy, remember what the businessman Alan Cohen said: «There is virtue in work and there is virtue in rest. Use both and overlook neither.»

4. Fear of Expectations

Many people act lazy so that other people don’t expect much from them – they want to lower the bar.

There are many reasons they may want to do this. For example, they may fear not measuring up to other people’s expectations when it comes to things like performance, wealth, or relationships. They also may fear being judged, or perhaps they don’t want to feel beholden or controlled by others.

5. Fear of Conflict

Fearing conflict with others can create laziness in several ways.

Some people who avoid conflict will bottle-up their feelings of anger and resentment and may use laziness as a way to be passive-aggressive. However, this very tactic can cause even more conflict.

6. Need for Nurture

We all need to feel loved, cared for, and supported.

When we don’t experience these vital emotions in our relationships, laziness can be a way to force the other person to pay more attention to us. For example, if we don’t do our laundry, our partner might get fed up and do it for us, which could make us feel cared for and supported.

Of course, this unconscious behavior to get our emotional needs met pushes our loved ones away over time.

7. Depression and Anxiety

Finally, there’s a chance that you could be unmotivated and acting lazy due to depression or anxiety. Depression and anxiety are often mistaken for laziness or disinterest.

If you feel like you may be depressed or unreasonably anxious, there’s no shame in seeking help. There are plenty of resources available online and in your local community.

Step #3. Gain Perspective with a Simple Question

«What will my life be like in one year, two years, five years, and ten years if I don’t make a change?»

This can be an incredibly uncomfortable and scary question. You may realize that you would never achieve your goals or create the relationships you want in life. Perhaps you’ll feel a little scared by the answers.

Don’t forget what the leadership coach and author, Marshall Goldsmith, said, «What got you here won’t get you there.»

Step #4. Connect With Your Inner Motivation

Now that you’ve identified what you don’t want to happen, it’s time to determine what kind of life you want.

«Create the highest grandest vision possible for your life, because you become what you believe,» said media mogul Oprah Winfrey.

Step #5. Take Responsibility and Empower Yourself

At this point, you should have a clear understanding of where you are and where you want to be.

Now, before you start working towards the life you want, you need to take back control of your life – to remember how capable and powerful you can be.

How can you do this? It’s simple: Take responsibility for your future.

It doesn’t matter where you are, what life’s like, or how badly you’ve been treated in the past: It’s your life, so you’re responsible for improving it.

As the entrepreneur and author Stephen R. Covey said, «I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions.»

Step #6. Create an Action Plan

There are many different ways to stop being lazy, so you need to create a roadmap to navigate to the life you want.

To find out what you need to do, get inspiration from people you admire – what do they do to succeed and be happy? What do they suggest?

Once you’ve created an action plan, focus on taking action consistently.

The famous self-help author Dale Carnegie said, «Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.»

Step #7. Be Kind to Yourself

If you want to learn how to stop being lazy, you must practice self-compassion.

It doesn’t matter if you’ve messed up a million times in the same way – you can’t do anything about those times except learn from them and apply the lessons in this moment.

So, practice valuing yourself.

«Until you value yourself, you won’t value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it,» said the psychiatrist and author Morgan Scott Peck.

Step #8. Track Your Practice

Finally, learning how to be less lazy requires practice – and every small effort matters.

Vincent Van Gogh, the famous impressionist painter, said, «Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.»

However, when trying to make small, consistent changes, it’s difficult to measure our actions with our minds alone. We may feel like we’re doing brilliantly when in reality, we haven’t practiced in days.

So, write things down to keep track of your practice.

For example, you could create a spreadsheet, download a habit tracking app, or even report your progress to a friend or loved one each day.

Remember, you can’t control your progress – you can only control your practice. So, don’t worry about your progress – that will happen if you practice.

Summary: How to Overcome Laziness

If you’re feeling lazy, you may wonder if it’s «just who you are.» It isn’t.

You’re not inherently lazy. Instead, there are deeper emotions at play that are leading you to act lazy. Because of this, it’s completely possible to learn how to stop laziness for good.

If you want to learn how to stop being lazy and unmotivated, here are eight steps to follow:

To finish, remember that learning how to stop being lazy isn’t a quick and easy process – it requires practice, effort, and self-compassion.

However, it’s well worth it – as the diarist Anne Frank once wrote, «Laziness may appear attractive, but work gives satisfaction.» So, go get some satisfaction!