If you’ve been carrying the weight of seemingly
insurmountable barriers and society has gaslit you to the point where you genuinely think the problem is because you’re a lazy person and you’re unwilling to work to change your reality, then this article is for you.
I mean, we’ve all heard it countless times. Those words that are incredibly linear and lack any semblance of empathy—”everyone has 24 hours, if you’re not doing so well, its because you’re lazy”
I’ve heard enough of those words from people and it still makes me shake till this minute.
Because, guys, first of all, there’s no such thing as laziness. It just doesn’t exist. I assure you that if you’re unable to complete tasks, miss deadlines, fail to reach the same heights your peers have reached, etc, it isn’t down to the behavioral condition we’ve all hastily accepted as laziness. What if, and hear me out, you are simply unmotivated?
To an untrained eye, its easy to judge people’s ineffectiveness as a problem on their part (and it is, actually, a problem; just not their fault) but what if we try to understand their context some more? Think about it. If you’re in a group project with a colleague and they’re constantly missing from meetings or fail to deliver their part of the work every time, what if instead of assuming they are lazy, you try to see things from their lens?
I had a friend in school whose grades were always shockingly bad. Everyone in class couldn’t understand the guy. Zero efforts whatsoever and a chief procastinator. So, we began, as per the normal, to assume his nonchalance attitude as deliberate and he was soon known as Lazy Bob. However, like it was fate, one day I met Bob at a massive Art exhibition in London. “Oh, I didn’t know you loved Art”. And then the Bombshell.
Bob wasn’t there as a spectator; he was one of the exhibitors. The one with probably the best art piece all evening. It was a masterwork creation and I spent 3 hours talking to him, trying to understand the creative process behind it.
You see, Bob, had all the motivation and desire in the world to be an artist. He saw colors and patterns in a way that wasn’t natural to the everyday eye. Yet, due to obligation to parents and sponsorship, he had to go through the university studying a course he had no interest and motivation in. It all made sense then.
Like Bob, the behavior of every single person in the world is driven by situational factors around them. Sometimes, these factors and contexts make us thrive a little more (or, sadly, a lot less) than other people in a certain niche or area of life.
So, when next you think you’re lazy, look at your context a little bit more. Are you properly suited for your current career path? Do you have enough resources? Because, almost always, a lack of motivation is to blame for your frequent procrastination and inability to complete tasks. It is not because you are lazy.
Below, I’ll be sharing a few things you need to do to overcome the functioning challenges that is making you stuck at work or in your everyday social life, and to give you all the motivation you need to thrive.
Define your purpose
What is your life’s purpose? An Existential question, I know, but a lot of people have difficulties answering it. To break it down more simply, what are the things you want to do in your life that would give you joy and fulfilment?
Often, the reason we’re unmotivated at work, school, or even at home is because we aren’t engaging in activities that bring us fulfillment. This is something you need to address rapidly and, sometimes, ruthlessly.
To gain more control over your life, to attain a high level of productivity, and to enjoy engaging in previous tasks that you thought you were too “lazy” to finish, you simply need to define your purpose in life. Get rid of the unnecessary and begin to streamline your career path in the line of the things you genuinely love doing.
Get rid of unrealistic goals
Our goals, and by extension, the things we expect to happen in our lives, end up defining our reality. It’s that simple.
Let’s look at this quick scenario for example. You’ve been stuck in a job for years without any sign of progress. Right there in your subconscious, you know there’s absolutely nothing the job has to offer you. You know the stress is killing you slowly and everyday when you wake up, it is with an existential dread of going back to the place you hate the most. Yet, you have to wake up, dress up and go to work. What do think happens to your productivity levels? Why else do you think you’re the number one candidate for lazy employee of the year? It’s not rocket science. You’ve set an unrealistic goal of hoping for a change in a work situation that will not change. And this affects your motivation levels greatly.
Before you embark on any project or decision in your life, you must first answer the question of realistic goals. Can this be done? Do I have the skillset and resources to do this? Am I in a condition/environment that will help me thrive in this niche? These are some of the questions that helps us define our expectations. Since the latter defines our reality, it is important to start from here when trying to solve any issue of lack of motivation.
Routine it up
Imagine waking up and going about your day without a specific direction or structure. How physically and mentally draining that would be!
And not to mention chaotic. For you will most likely miss out on appointments, dwell on less important tasks, fail to maximize your time, and so on. The list is endless. Some of the most successful people on the planet are slaves to their daily routine and it is not difficult to see why! A routine is an ultimate way to optimize your mind, body, and soul. By defining your itinerary, and sticking to them, it is almost impossible not to meet the daily goals you have set out to conquer.
A routine-less life will leave you feeling unmotivated and overwhelmed with the seemingly numerous hurdles you have to overcome.
Conclusion
For me, it took a conscious effort to understand the realities of the people around me. It was then I understood the concept of laziness and how it simply doesn’t exist. People fail to deliver on tasks, miss deadlines, set unrealistic goals, end up being very unproductive at work, not because they are lazy. It is a problem of lack of motivation. And with the few ideas talked about in this article, anyone can break their motiveless cycle.
