Laziness begets laziness

By Klaus Döring

Why go to the gym tonight? After all, you haven’t gone in a week. Why take out the garbage when your whole apartment is a mess?

Good points. But it’s time to break the cycle.

Here’s my big trick: I always try to leave myself something easy to do first thing the next morning. If I find a programming bug and see that it will be an easy fix, I leave it for the next morning. If I need to package up an installer for a new release, leave it for next morning. That way I have something easy to start out with, and I’m less tempted to do something else first.

Laziness may reflect a lack of self-esteem, a lack of positive recognition by others, a lack of discipline stemming from low self-confidence, or a lack of interest in the activity or belief in its efficacy. Laziness may manifest as procrastination or vacillation.

Laziness may be a momentary state or an issue of character, but it is not a psychological disorder. Further, if you’re concerned you might be lazy, ask yourself if you’re feeling deeply sad, have disengaged from things you used to love, and are having problems with sleep, energy levels, or your ability to concentrate.

It’s true that there are moments in our lives when we become overwhelmed by what’s on our plates, and during this time we tend to put off tasks or procrastinate on a number of things. Usually, this is caused by not wanting to deal with a challenge or decision that we don’t want to make.

But if you’re habitually lazy, then this behavior will ultimately lead to failure in life. That is why you should focus on behaviors that will help you eliminate your tendency to procrastinate and put off what’s important.

Maybe, you are uninspired by your present task. Motivation and inspiration pump you up and give you the energy to do whatever needs to be done, and complete it in the time frame that is expected.

Maybe, you are overwhelmed by your present situation. When you are completely overwhelmed with things that you have to do, your brain will often become confused and start to slow down.

Maybe, you are fatigued. You may work yourself too hard at work. By the time the day is over, you feel exhausted and can barely stay awake, let alone spend any time with your friends or family.

Maybe, you have a fear of failure or achievement. You may subconsciously fear success, so you use laziness as a way of sabotaging yourself.

The bible explains it as follows: Becoming a sluggard requires little effort. The “sluggard” is a very lazy person. His or her exercise is turning on his/her bed. Proverbs says he or she is hinged to it. Any far-fetched excuse – “there is a lion in the streets” – will keep him or her from going to work.

The result of such a life? Poverty, frustration or broken relationships. The sluggard still wants the luxuries had work earns, but he or she never gets them.

Proverbs laughs at the sluggard a little, but uses him or her to teach serious lessons. It doesn’t require much: a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest. Putting things off, making excuses, sleeping in – who doesn’t sometimes fall victim to these tendencies?

Forgive me asking this: What attributes of a sluggard do you recognize in yourself? Do you think of these as serious?

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Email: doringklaus@gmail.com or follow me on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter or visit my www.germanexpatinthephilippines.blogspot.com or www.klausdoringsclassicalmusic.blogspot.com .