It’s tough to admit but… I used to be lazy.
Life didn’t go the way I thought it would when I was younger, and this resulted in me getting stuck in a depressed and unproductive state.
My peers saw me sleeping at lectures, gaming till early morning, and struggling to pull my weight in group projects.
All I cared about then was videogames and Youtube. Real life was too disappointing to hold my interest.
This attitude predictably led to a steep drop in my grades, and I was at risk of losing my state’s highest scholarship I somehow earned in high school.
Look, I wanted to change long before it got to that point. I couldn’t stand the way people looked at me then, but the worse part was that their thoughts about me were nothing compared to the horrible things I said to myself.
In order to change, I thought, I had to get motivated. So I kept looking for the elusive piece of content that would compel me to stop being lazy. I wanted to read an article that would excuse my inaction under the guise of mental health and encourage me so I’d feel good enough to actually start.
Well…
This is not that article.
I refuse to write that article because what I wanted then was not what I actually needed—or what eventually worked.
I’m not here to stir your emotions so you can fall back to the same patterns next week. I’m not interested in 20-item lists meant to trick you into doing busywork either.
My goal, is to change your identity.
Laziness isn’t just an act. It’s a label. So if you want to stop being lazy—and stop being viewed as such—we need to go beyond what you do and address issues with what you believe.
That’s what this article will do.
The 7 steps here aren’t just tips on how to stop being lazy. They’re foundational steps to become a person who’s productive no matter what.
7 Steps to Stop Being Lazy and Become a Productive Human
Step 1: Accept the Rules of Real-World Productivity
I mentioned earlier that what I wanted to hear wasn’t what I needed. So what did I actually need?
Truths about reality.
In my initial efforts to change, I tried to improve playing by rules the world didn’t recognize. I assumed motivation and confident feelings would drive transformation. That assumption left me more frustrated than before.
So what are the actual rules of real-world productivity?
I’ll explain each of the three below.
Rule 1: You will be denied in some way if you don’t produce what’s expected
Take production away from a transactional relationship and what do you have?
Nothing.
The world demands entertainment, information, and products constantly. Those who produce what’s demanded will be accepted. Those who don’t will be denied.
Life is set up in such a way that the needs of a community will always outweigh the needs of an individual. Laziness stands in opposition to this truth.
It’s common to think of laziness as simple unwillingness to work, but it goes much deeper than that. Laziness is actually a form of self-elevation (AKA, pride). It’s your ego saying your feelings and your struggles matter more than the responsibility you have to others.
Some of those “others”—like a future family—may not be apparent to you right now, but more people than you expect are affected by the choices you make. Since this is the case, the world is right to deny those who sabotage others and exalt themselves.
The global economy would collapse if the world didn’t punish those who avoid responsibility. That’s why we experience punishment at a micro-level when we’re lazy—we get poor grades, we lose a job, or we miss out on relationships that can’t succeed when one party drags the other down.
We’re all subject to the world’s ultimatum: be productive, or be denied.
Rule 2: You don’t need perfect conditions to produce
A few years ago, a local parts factory 30 minutes down the road was ravaged by a tornado.
Pictures of the aftermath showed a roof ripped away and expensive machinery torn all apart. The news here reported at least one casualty and multiple people injured that day.
Representatives from the community, government, company leadership, and customers all visited the plant in the following days to show support. Within moments of seeing the destruction firsthand, however, customers asked the company’s leaders the following question:
“Will this affect our supply of parts?”
The people consuming your work expect you to use available support and contingency plans to produce no matter what.
Maybe that’s unfair. Maybe it isn’t. But according to reality, it doesn’t matter.
Depression is horrible for example. Experiencing it was one of the worst times of my life. But I was going to lose a 30-thousand-dollar scholarship whether I was depressed or not. Reality had to trump my feelings of unfairness, and it needs to do the same for you.
And oh, going back to that company whose plant was shredded earlier…
They didn’t miss a single shipment.
Rule 3: Your passion for work is irrelevant
One of the biggest lies we tell ourselves is that we need passion to work effectively.
Sure, a love for what we do makes a huge difference from our perspective—and I’ll explain how to gain satisfaction from any work later—but personal feelings toward our production are irrelevant to those consuming and judging it.
When you buy a new phone for example, do you care if the manufacturer felt good making it?
Of course not. You just want it to work.
It doesn’t matter to you if an assembly worker enjoyed putting your phone together. You are more concerned about your own experience with it.
Similarly, the feelings you have about your work matter much less to others than they do to you.
No one’s output is judged based on how passionate they are when they produce it. Life only demands that the work in front of you gets done.
Step 2: Internalize Healthy Reasons Why You Must Be Productive
Most people think of motivation as only a feeling, but actual motivation—the kind you need to persevere—is simply a reason.
Why will you act in spite of the world’s harsh rules? You need strong reasons why you’ll endure those brutal realities.
Your reasons can be anything really. Strong drives to escape poverty, provide for family, or build your community are popular ones. Just make sure whatever you choose is actually healthy. You don’t want to trade laziness for an even worse character flaw.
Also, try to find reasons related to others if you can. It’s so easy to get caught up in your own desires that you forget how your actions affect people.
To give an idea of what all this might look like, here are the reasons I chose for myself:
- I refused to go back to my previous state: The thought of staying as useless as I felt terrified me. Once I understood the world’s expectations, I was eager to embrace responsibility so I could finally enjoy daily life.
- My parents loved me and they deserved to be proud: Imagine living 30 years, marrying someone you love, having a son as an only child, loving him as best as you can, and then realizing 20 years later he’s a bum. I couldn’t do that to my parents. They showed me so much love and I wanted to make them proud.
- I wanted to be a light for my faith: I’m a Christian who’s not ashamed of my beliefs. I wasn’t as knowledgeable about the faith then as I am now, but even the lazy version of me knew I wasn’t doing enough with what God gave me, so I chose to take care my business, and be an example of the Christian work ethic.
Again, these are just examples. The reasons you choose have to align with your own personal convictions, because if they do, it won’t matter how tough the grind gets. Accepting the alternative will be unthinkable.
Step 3: Prepare for Your Daily Audition
How would you prepare if you had an interview for your dream job tomorrow? I’m sure you’d do everything possible to present your best self.
Now what if I told you that interview happens every day?
People watch people. They notice small things you’d never think they’d notice. So when you present yourself as a self-respecting person with a determined attitude, it can open doors you weren’t even trying to open.
Productive people know every day is an audition. That’s why they prepare for it as such.
In order to be and present your best self though, you need to be diligent in the following forms of self-care.
Reduce or Eliminate Your Addictions
Drugs, pornography, drinking, smoking, overeating, those are all addictions that sabotage your daily audition.
All of those provide short-term pleasure but then harm your body so you can’t be your best in the long-run.
I’m sure you already know that though, especially if you have issues with any of the items listed. If it were easy to break those addictions, no one would find their lives wrecked by their effects, but most of us have seen even the most talented people stumble due to obsessions they couldn’t control.
So yeah, I know this point is much easier said than done. All I ask is that you try to break free and replace the act with something healthy.
Make Sleep a Priority
Sleep is always treated as a throw-in in articles like this, but it really does make a difference. Even going from 7 to 8 hours of sleep does wonders for my bouts with brain fog and mental exhaustion.
The actual amount of time you need will vary, but the main point here is that you should be intentional about sleep and its role in preparing you.
Many lazy people ironically treat sleep as an inconvenience. It’s something they have to do but they delay it as long as possible so they can watch shows, play videogames, or avoid the responsibility of a new day. Then they’re left needing more sleep in the morning because they didn’t take it seriously up front.
Treating sleep this poorly keeps you in a nasty loop where you’re too tired to act but too frustrated to prepare.
Please remember that the stuff you miss at night isn’t worth losing your strength for the next day. Buy a cheap sleep mask, set a reasonable bedtime, and force your body to get the repair it needs.
Be Presentable as Soon as Possible
One of the quickest ways to feel prepared for work is to dress like you’re going to work.
You wouldn’t go to an interview in your pajamas without a shower, so why should you expect to be productive when you’re dressed for the wrong occasion?
I’m obviously not saying you need a suit and tie every day, but make a habit of being presentable as soon as possible. Get away from constantly wearing loungewear like sweats and choose something that shows a bit more effort.
A good rule of thumb is to dress in clothes you wouldn’t feel comfortable wearing in bed. That will at least tell your mind it’s time to move and get stuff done.
Step 4: Commit to Showing and Starting
As a huge basketball fan, nothing entertains me more than watching a player who’s “in the zone”. Their shots that were once considered “low-percentage” and moves previously deemed “ill-advised” become inevitable feats done with uncanny efficiency.
Players who reach this state are responsible for insane point totals, but if you rewind the highlights, you’ll see that their monster output had innocent origins. Before the threes were drained from near center court, and before turnaround jumpshots floated over a 7-foot-tall defender’s arms, the player likely started with a layup, a free throw, or a play that left them with a wide-open jumper.
Basketball and productivity are similar in that their most desirable states are rarely possible without doing the easy work first. And in the case of productivity, the easiest work is to show up and start.
Real-world productivity isn’t about waking at 5AM or obsessing over your work. It’s about making consistent and sustainable progress.
If that progress is what you want, you have to at least give yourself the opportunity to make it.
I promise the actual work isn’t as scary as your doubts and excuses make it seem. All you have to do is keep starting.
Be a serious person who can pass the test of reliability. Then you’ll see your potential for much more.
Step 5: Develop an Exceptional Work Ethic
Laziness causes a lack of control in life because you don’t take ownership of your work.
It’s hard to feel a sense of control when your teacher, your employer, or your customer is the one who always dictates how you act. That’s why shouldn’t rely on those parties to set your standard.
You need to develop a work ethic of your own—one that goes beyond anything the people you’re responsible to demand. This way, you’ll wrestle back control and feel a sense of ownership.
So how exactly do you do this?
Follow these three guidelines below.
#1: Work before the benefit is apparent or needed
Go to the ant, O sluggard;
consider her ways, and be wise.
Without having any chief,
officer, or ruler,
she prepares her bread in summer
and gathers her food in harvest. (Prov. 6:6-8 ESV)
Certain work will always be necessary, even if its benefits aren’t needed right now. The first step to forming a good work ethic is to take care of that work in advance.
No one should have to tell you what to do here or when to do it either. You should already expect those demands and have a plan of action before you’re told about them.
Here’s what this looks like in practice:
- You set personal deadlines for tasks well before they need to get done
- You study new class material as it builds instead of waiting till it’s too complex to understand
- You knock out to-do items while the list is small before it snowballs into an overwhelming mess
Get the benefits of work in-hand early, and future you will have a lot less stress.
#2: Go beyond the minimum requirement
What additional work can you do that others will find valuable?
That’s a scary question to those looking for how to stop being lazy, but having an eye for more opportunities is how you innovate and set a better standard.
People say the customer is always right and going beyond their requirements is a waste, but the truth is, people love good surprises. They like when things they ask for exceed expectations without adding fluff.
Doing that consistently makes others crave your work, but more importantly, it’s how you make them rely on your standard instead of their own.
Even if you do miss your lofty target though, you’ll at least hit their lesser one pretty easily.
#3: Find satisfaction in work itself
High productivity doesn’t stem from finding work you love. It stems from working enough that you find a way to enjoy it.
Passion for any work can be developed, just like skills can. But in order for that to happen, you need to be insane for the mundane.
The boring work—the stuff that doesn’t excite you—those actions are your foundation, the substance of what you do. The part you enjoy is the pizzazz—the cream and cherry on top—but you have to build the foundation first before you get to the sweet part.
We talked about showing and starting earlier and this is why. If you expect passion for work to be your primary experience, you’ll be severely disappointed. Once you have a routine of doing the boring things though, your growing competence will become addicting.
People who find joy in work this way are extremely valuable because they can be successful in any environment. They aren’t dependent on initial feelings or outcomes. Their attitude towards what they do makes good results a near-guarantee.
Step 6: Focus on Effective Work
You wanna know a secret?
It’s good to be a little lazy.
All effort is not equal. Some people are convinced they’re being productive when they’re running on a hamster wheel.
Productive laziness, as I call it, is resistance to that ineffective work.
Examples of ineffective work include…
- Over-researching to delay the act of writing a paper
- Answering numerous emails that don’t require a response
- Doing tasks you should delegate to a lesser-skilled employee
All those actions look productive, but really, they don’t help you make serious progress.
That busywork is dangerous when trying to break lazy habits because it feels right. It feels right to do any work after avoiding it all, but busywork is fool’s gold that prevents opportunity for reward.
This is why you need focused effort. Work is frustrating when it’s fruitless, interrupted, or inefficient, but focus takes care of all that.
I’ve already written a detailed article on how to focus and the strategy I use to do so. I encourage you to read that and apply it to your own work as well. That article will show you how to deal with mental blocks preventing focus, how to choose focus-worthy tasks, and how to eliminate distractions to make efficient use of your time.
Adding those skills to your newfound conviction will bring your output to another level.
Step 7: Stand Firm in Your Productive Identity
“When did you become a tryhard?”
Please don’t fold when you first hear that.
It’s funny how people talk down to you when they think you’re lazy but then get mad when you decide to change. It’s like they want you to be a failure so they can feel better about themselves.
If you complete steps 1 through 6 though, there will be a different aura about you. You’ll be driven to act in spite of adversity, you’ll be prepared for life’s daily challenges, and the work you’ll have completed will speak for itself.
As we said earlier, people will notice that stuff. Some will appreciate it. Many will respect it. But a few will somehow view you as a threat.
That last attitude often leads to childish games, but as a mature person who takes life seriously at this point, don’t throw it all away to play with children.
Sometimes you just have to stop caring what people think. You could make the most positive change in the world, yet others would still find a way to question your motives or assume you think you’re superior. It has nothing to do with you—it’s an issue with how they view themselves.
Have the fortitude to stick with your decisions when others are a bad influence. You are ultimately responsible for your life, not them.
Be who you need to be, and you’ll attract people who want to join you.
How to Stop Being Lazy: A Review
Hopefully you weren’t too lazy to read all this, but if you were, here are the 7 steps to stop being lazy and become a productive human:
- Accept the Rules of Real-World Productivity
- Internalize Healthy Reasons Why You Must Be Productive
- Prepare for Your Daily Audition
- Commit to Showing and Starting
- Develop an Exceptional Work Ethic
- Focus on Effective Work
- Stand Firm in Your Productive Identity
So how did the steps above work for me?
I made the dean’s list for the first time to keep my scholarship…and kept making it each semester till graduation. About a decade later now, I’m still grateful to younger me for giving my current self a better life.
That’s why I wrote this article the way I did: I want you to feel the same gratitude in the future.
I know how hard it is to get started when you feel stuck, but I’m living proof that the effort is well worth it.
You too are capable of shedding the “lazy” label. And you too are capable of becoming a productive human.
All that’s left now is for you to prove it to yourself.
-Drew
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