How to Overcome Laziness Easily – Say Goodbye to Sweet Sloth!
We humans like comfort. A life without stress, annoying appointments and tedious obligations appears to us as a paradisiacal utopia, something we hope to fund with a lottery win. Anyone who dreams of leading a life of idleness will soon be disabused of this notion. Even if many clever minds - such as Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, for example - recognized long before our time that nothing is harder to bear in the long run than a series of beautiful days. Whether we like it or not, we humans need the challenge, we need a sense of achievement and the odd stone in our shoe, so that we can really start to enjoy the good life and its beautiful sides again. If you let yourself be carried away a little bit by your inner sloth every now and then, we have 19 tips for you right here for how you can beat your lazy side.
1. Make a list
The good old to-do list is far from obsolete. It should get your undivided attention at the beginning of each workday, keep updating it and enjoy the feeling when you can check off an item as done or cross it off.
2. The easiest things come first
From your to-do list, you should always tackle the easiest item first. This way, you'll quickly feel a sense of accomplishment and you'll be in the flow with your tasks.
3. Set realistic goals
Whether professionally or privately, no human being can accomplish anything superhuman. If you set yourself projects at work that are actually designed for at least 3 people, reaching that goal is just as unrealistic as cleaning the entire house in half an hour or losing 10 kg of body weight in 2 weeks.
4. Break ambitious plans into small bites
Even successful entrepreneur Henry Ford used to work according to the motto: Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small tasks. Here, too, a list can be helpful, or a kind of sketch that breaks down the big picture into its manageable individual parts.
5. Bend to the 2-minute rule.
This self-imposed rule is practical and helps you achieve your goals every day. It states that anything that can be done in 2 minutes must be done immediately. This includes answering unpleasant emails, as well as cleaning out the dishwasher or making a neat filing cabinet.
6. Clutter and distraction are the enemies of productivity.
If you want to work on your goals without slowing down, first remove the clutter around you. No one can concentrate at their best in a pile of clutter. Music, internet, smartphone and other distractions are also on a break.
7. Make it nice
Make your workspace as beautiful as possible. Clear it of incriminating piles of paper or junk and decorate it with things that gladden your heart. Photos of your loved ones, a pretty plant or a beautiful piece of art. Anything that pleases is allowed. To make sure you don't forget to drink regularly, it's worth investing in a nice carafe or a reusable, sealable water bottle.
8. Your workplace needs free space
This tip might be a slight contradiction or even conflict of interest with the previous point, depending on how pronounced your deco love is. After all, the more airy and free your desk or workspace is, the easier it is for you to be happy creating.
9. Get reinforcements to check your progress.
A deadline with the boss, a regular check-up with the doctor, or a one-on-one with your best friend - it helps tremendously to put yourself under gentle pressure from a third party when you're desperate to achieve a goal. After all, no one likes to give themselves the embarrassment of failure.
10. Build in regular exercise or training sessions
Take a lap around the block, get on the stationary bike, or dance hard to the disco classic of your choice. Short bursts of exercise will get you going. Of course, it would be ideal if you could incorporate a fixed amount of physical activity into your daily routine every day.
11. Get into a fixed morning routine
Getting up at the same time, eating a healthy breakfast, showering, dressing nicely and optimizing your reflection in the mirror - all this helps you start the day. Of course, there's nothing to be said against yoga and meditation or reading a good book to help you start the day.
12. Focus on your strengths
Silence your inner critic. No one person can do everything, so focus on those talents that come easily to you and run in your blood. Once we start beating ourselves up internally, we dismantle our motivation piece by piece.
13. Regular breaks help to boost motivation
Do you know the Pomodoro technique? It provides for a work interval of 25 minutes at a time. It's best to set a timer for this, then take a 5-minute break and continue with the compulsory program. After every 4 of these alternating shifts, you can take a 15-20 minute break and a small reward.
14. Cultivate midday naps and power naps
If your work environment allows it, allow yourself a short nap of 15 to 30 minutes at noon. Your productivity will then increase again at a record-breaking rate. The same applies to a well-kept power nap in between.
15. Keep a record of your successes
It's best to make a note of the small or large progress you've made that day. Be generous and encourage yourself by acknowledging every little success.
16. Find a network of like-minded people.
If you're one of those people who desperately needs outside encouragement and a little competition to deliver the best results possible, join a network or start your own. If you work from a home office, stay in constant contact with your base at work. This pleases the bosses, too.
17. Say goodbye to perfection
The credo of Jillian Michaels, one of the most successful fitness coaches and entrepreneurs in the U.S., is "It's not about perfection, it's about progress." It's best to write these wise words down somewhere clearly visible. Those who emulate perfection will reap only disappointment. It is a myth, a utopia, and a purely fictional product that no human being in the world will ever achieve.
18. Constantly reinforce yourself
Positive thoughts, motivational self-talk and absolute belief in your own abilities are important building blocks that can pave your way towards success every day if you let them.
19. Ask for help
There is absolutely no shame in asking other people for input, assistance, a tip, or at least their opinion. There are professionals and experts for everything in this world. Take advantage of their knowledge and use it for your own purposes. I'm sure there's something they can learn from you, too.
Today’s Conclusion: Bye-bye sloth
The cozy cocoon of comfort can quickly become a prison if we are not careful. After all, what would be the long-term point of a life that no longer offered us adventure and the occasional adrenaline rush? We would sink into melancholy and would no longer enjoy the beautiful things because they would be taken for granted. Or in the words of the great Sean Connery, "Nothing is more helpful than a challenge in bringing out the best in a person. "That's it for today.