We all have those days.
Those days where we let laziness and procrastination get the best of us.
Those days where you don’t want to out of bed and pull back those curtains quite yet.
You don’t want to start the day, preferring instead to prolong the warm fuzzy moments you stay curled up like a caterpillar underneath the covers.
You want to skip breakfast and even forsake a shower and (gasp)… a toothbrush.
When you wake up feeling like this, you know immediately that your day is not going to go as planned… that you quite possibly awoke on the wrong side of the bed… as in the “shites not getting done today” side!
You woke up to a day chock full of weak and lame ass excuses to help you avoid doing that thing you know you need to be doing and feed on distractions like they’re your Last Supper!
Trust me, I completely “get” this feeling.
Everyone Gets Lackadaisical and Unmotivated at Times
See, I work from home, and as a result… I manage my own time. And I say “manage” with a healthy dose of dubiousness because let’s face it… I’m pretty realistic on the quality of my management skills.
On good days I’ve always thought that this lifestyle is great. I’m a killer manager of one! Great that is until I get another attack of lazybone-itis. (Yes I made that up.) Then I realize my managerial skills have been highly overrated and wonder how I ever became so deluded.
I’ve had more than my fair share of feet-dragging and cursing under my breath because I am too fracken weak-willed to force myself out of my oh so comfy bed so I can start my day and earn my keep.
Especially on those lovely rainy days, which we’ve been experiencing a lot of lately!
Hmnn… there’s something about that darn rain.
I can honestly say though that I’ve improved quite a bit in my self-management skills since starting my entrepreneurial journey. And hey… improvement is improvement right?
But let’s face it… it’s kind of a do or die situation isn’t it? Either I figure out how to be productive and stay on track… or I veer so far off course I end up in a smushy, bloody heap at the bottom of the proverbial hill.
Dunno about you, but I’m not fond of smushy and bloody. And if you’re anything like me, you probably aren’t too inclined to let such crappy days defeat you.
So, here’s a little secret… you can take it or leave it, but it works for me.
When I’m Feeling Uber Lazy, I Don’t Fight It
I just let the master procrastinator take over, even if it’s just for a day.
BUT—and here’s where things get a bit tricky—I wheedle and cajole that other side of me that really needs to be productive, to work at its own rhythm and at its own pace.
Does that sound slightly nuts? Ha… how about we just call it cutely quirky instead and you just do what I tell you to anyway? (I know, so bossy.)
Make a Pact with Yourself
Make it something that makes not working a HELLUVA LOT harder than actually working.
OK, at first glance, this may seem like a nutty thing to do too, but really… I’ve found that it works. It’s a kind of a punishment that you give yourself when you choose not to work.
Like this- let’s say you want to watch a TV series instead of working on your priorities for the day. Save that TV series to an external hard drive, and give it to your spouse to take to their office for the day.
Then, if you want to watch it, you actually have to travel all the way to his or her place of work just to retrieve the hard drive so you can watch it. Chances are you’ll be so discouraged by all the trouble you will have to go through to watch the freakin’ TV series that you’ll just opt to work instead.
Genius right? (I know, I amaze myself.)
Exchange One Thing for Another Thing
If you don’t want to work, make a trade-off and do some other chore.
Don’t want to face your laptop to do that long-overdue business plan?
Go mow your lawn instead. (Yikes… I think I’d prefer doing the business plan… have you ever mowed a lawn in Florida?!)
Think you need a break from working four straight hours in your craft shop? Perhaps you can sort out the junk in your garage and put away some stuff to be given away for charity.
This is called structured procrastination, and it has actually been around since 1949. The theory is to exchange your work task for another chore that may not be quite as important but is also in dire need of your attention.
So… technically speaking, even if you’re not working, you’re still doing something productive. (Gotta love splitting hairs!)
Automate and/or Delegate
You’re a true-blue lazybones if you’ve gone to the trouble of figuring out ways to work on auto-pilot!
There are many ways you can do this really—you can get an online app to help you handle your tasks and remind you about important updates, appointments and things to-do. You can also delegate some lesser tasks to your employees or outsourcers in order to sort of “farm out” the burden.
This way, you’re not really working per se, but by using your time to make things run more efficiently, you are actually using your time pretty wisely. That’s called leverage my friend. And we’ve already established you’re genius! (Or wait, were we talking about me?)
Simplify and Think Things Through
I’ve found that the biggest procrastinators (read: lazy. OK! Kidding! You’re not really lazy…) are those who have the longest to-do lists on the planet. Maybe you started out with genuinely good intentions—you want to make sure that you list every single task down so you don’t forget one… until suddenly the enthusiasm to actually START on any of them has ebbed away.
Does this sound familiar?
Don’t worry; been there done that… actually still do that sometimes! A good work around is let’s say you already have that mile-long list in front of you because you simply couldn’t help yourself and had to create it. None of which is crossed out yet by the way.
Prune it up! Go through it again and see if there are any extraneous tasks that don’t really have to be done, (be honest here, because you know not all of them will be life or death!) or that are no longer necessary because you’ve waited too long. (See, procrastination can be a good thing too! Well, sort of. At least your list just got shorter…)
Give Your Lazy A%! a Reward
So this is a kind of promise that I make myself to motivate me enough to finish something on time. If I’m working on something big and important, or that needs to be done asap… I tell myself that I can reward myself with an equal number of lazy hours IF (and only if!) I beat the deadline (with only quality work, of course, don’t get all half-butted here).
I can do whatever I want after I finish the job. Watch my fave TV series, go get a pedi done, or grab a few extra hours of shut-eye (Heaven!). Psychologists call it positive reinforcement, but I call it a self-pat on the back for a job well done. (Go me!)
Don’t Forget to Focus on Your Strengths
Often if you think back to the days when you’ve felt that incredible and irresistible twinge of laziness travel down your spine, and found yourself on the procrastination train, you’ll notice that those were the days when you were faced with a task that either seemed boring, mundane and much too easy to do… or on the flip side virtually insurmountable.
The challenge, therefore, is to do things that interest and motivate you, but are not so ridiculously difficult to complete successfully that it saps your energy just thinking about it. Capische?
And personally, I’ve found that when you’re working on something that just completely fits you and what you are meant to do, that you begin to experience less and less of those lazy days, and that crazy urge to procrastinate slowly begins to become a not so fond memory. (Mostly.)
Just be realistic with yourself though. You won’t always have challenging and interesting activities to do in your freelance or entrepreneurial career, that’s just the nature of the beast. But the great thing about freelancing is that as you grow and begin to lose that feeling of “I need cash NOW” and start to have a little financial cushion… you can begin being selective and picking and choosing the projects that interest you the most.
And you’ll find as you go that you naturally begin to select projects with the right mix of work that keeps you not just busy, but productive and entertained as well. And let me tell ya… that’s a beautiful thing!
So how about you? Battle with procrastination and the urge to be lazy during your work day? Got ways you give it the beat down and award productivity the champion’s belt? Drop your thoughts in the comments below, we’d love to hear them!
Warmest,
{ 29 comments… read them below or add one }
I always have to-do lists, so if I really don’t feel like doing something important, I just do something else that also needs doing. It could be the dishes, lifting weights, going for a walk, brushing the dog — even taking a nap.
John Soares´s last [type] ..Free Podcast Interviews With Successful Bloggers
Perfecto strategy John.
I’ve been using Teux Deux online, and love it. Mars Dorian turned me on to it, and it’s so darn handy for keeping track of things that need to be done, especially when I’m online and working. lol
One of my greatest lessons recently has been to focus on my strengths. I get the lazy-itis regularly as well and many times it’s usually because I am trying to do something that I am simply not wired to do.
So the excuses come hard and fast! Other times I just give in and try to make the best of it. For example today, I am forcing myself to WORK on money producing activities! Hence my latest post and several emails I have sent to past clients!
Great article and love the honesty. You’re just like me! HA!
Love it.
teevee´s last [type] ..Free Images -vs- Stock Photography
Lol.. see I knew I wasn’t alone with this lazy-itis stuff.
And my best excuse to myself is “Hey.. I work for myself, so I can work when I want, right? So I can do this tomorrow instead of today and everything will still be perfectly on track!” NOT! So now my new mantra is “Why put off for tomorrow what can be done today!” lmao
OMG no! You are not alone. And it seems like we say the exact same things to ourselves! HAHA!
“Yea, I’ll just work later tonight” WRONG!
Another part of my problem is that I suck at waking up and do my best work late at night. I have just accepted it and have been working really LATE the past few weeks.
And I can do this because I work for myself. lol
teevee´s last [type] ..Free Images -vs- Stock Photography
Exactly..I always say I’ll work later and by the time later rolls around I am too tired and way toooo easy with the excuses. lol I work well at night too if I get a nap during the day..but if I don’t I’m too knackered. But as I told Angela, everyone has what works for them, so if you’ve found it, then awesome! If not, keep looking till you figure it out!
Great post! Good to hear I’m not the only one. I’m in New Zealand and it is briskly cold at the moment – very hard to get moving in the morning! One technique I’ve used to combat the occasional bout of lazy-itis is I have put together a set of ‘rules’. They are rules like, “Never watch TV alone”, or “During school hours I have to be in the home office except to get food (i.e. not fluffing around elsewhere in the house)”. I always obey rules – I’m a total rule-abiding geek! Probably why I ended up marrying a lawyer
Anyway, the rules mean that even on a lazy day I don’t even consider breaking them and, although on those days I’m not as productive as usual, they stop me from doing absolutely nothing.
Ha ha.. well I’m a rule breaker by nature, lol. So that wouldn’t work for me, but everyone has something that DOES help them stay on track.. the key is figuring out what it is, and then implementing it!
I can’t imagine how cold it is there, we’re in the high 90′s! HOT. And good on you for figuring out what works for you and doing it.. even if you are a rule geek! Luckily I’m a geek too, and I don’t discriminate lmao. So you’re in good company with me and Teevee down there. Thanks for taking the time to comment Angela!
c
RT @BigGirlBranding: Time to Get Your Lazy, Procrastinating A%! Off of the Couch… Or Wait… Maybe I Mean Me? ##BGB http://bit.ly/avQsb5
RT @BigGirlBranding: Time to Get Your Lazy, Procrastinating A%! Off of the Couch… Or Wait… Maybe I Mean Me? ##BGB http://bit.ly/avQsb5
Hey Cori
I’m fighting a battle against laziness, especially in summer time. The heat is melting my creativity, and I see my productivity flushing down the toilet. Focusing on my strengths helps, just like giving yourself a pat on the back.
But with 40 degrees on my back, it’s haaaaaaaard…
Mars Dorian´s last [type] ..How to Build a Digital Killer Brand in 6 steps
Ha ha.. I know the feeling hun.
I’m like a ghost I’m so white, because it’s so darn hot I hide out inside all the time! lol I wish Florida had nice 70-80 degree weather in the summer, then I’d be golden and enjoying the warmth rather than melting!
Time to Get Your Lazy, Procrastinating A%! Off of the Couch… Or Wait… Maybe I Mean Me?… http://bit.ly/avQsb5 via @BigGirlBranding
Just read an excellent piece on “demotivation” that fits in well with this topic, so you might want to drop by if you’re in for a bit of extra reading! http://www.productiveflourishing.com/how-to-recover-from-10-types-of-demotivation/ GREAT post on some of the subconscious things that go on and contribute to lazybone-itis.
RT @BigGirlBranding: Interesting article about dealing with laziness/productivity. ##BGB http://bit.ly/avQsb5
Nope. been there, done that, it just ain’t worth the frustration; for me.
If I wake on a morning wherein I don’t wanna do nuthin…..I don’t. Period. I may go back to bed, I may watch TV, I may read, whatever.
Anything else will just get me so worked up and emotionally drained, the next day will be the same.
Besides, even on those days, I’m usually good to go in a few hrs anyway…usually.
Dennis Edell @ Direct Sales Marketing´s last [type] ..I Figured it Out- Plus – I Need HELP Locating a Plugin
Lol.. well, as I said.. everyone will have their own ways of dealing with lazy-itis and procrastination. And if yours works for you and you still get done what you need to get done… then that’s a system worth keeping!
It all gets done, just not all at the same time. lol
Dennis Edell @ Direct Sales Marketing´s last [type] ..I Figured it Out- Plus – I Need HELP Locating a Plugin
Lol.. I hear ya.
Cori..I have to say I have been following you just over a week now and you are quickly becoming one of my top 10 with ease.
Today is one of those lazybone-itis days for me. Just crawled out of bed with a commitment to myself to do the exact opposite of my usual online routine and do some light reading and enjoy the day. Which is already 70 at 9:30 AM (ouch).
If it was not for the kids I am sure I would still be in bed. I know it is where I want to be.
After reading your post I am now committed to taking the whole day off. Pamper myself a bit as I deserve it. The honey to do list is being tucked in the drawer so I don’t have to look at it…besides my wife is away for another week so she will never know
I wonder if I can keep this commitment to myself? I guess I will find out soon enough.
Hey Rick! That is awesome, so glad to hear you’re enjoying BGB.
I feel ya, today is a lazy day for me as well.. I am trying to get motivated, but just not quite getting there! lol And good for you.. keep that honey-do list tucked away, I won’t tell if you won’t! 
You can get back on track tomorrow! That’s my plan at any rate. LOL
This is much like my theory of avoiding junk food. I never buy it during our grocery shop, forcing myself to make a special trip to get it if I want it. And the idea of going to the supermarket with my toddler? Less than appetising at the best of times.
I love your ideas – I work from home, and sometimes I could use a shot of productivity.
Zoey @ Good Goog´s last [type] ..43-365 Cake- Anyone
Lol.. I feel ya Zoey! It’s so much less motivating to go to the store with children, especially small children! And I’m the same way, I simply don’t buy it (mostly anyway! lol). Glad you found some useful info here hun… productivity is a beast!
I don’t have much problem with laziness, as I am kind of workaholic and enjoy working. My problem is procrastination. I am constantly at war with this monster (procrastinating). And the situation I am in, doesn’t help much either.
I am not a work at home person (yet). I started last year (with a simple blog). So, I have 2 (almost) full time jobs, which means I am out of home for 14-15 hours a day. When I get home, I have to start working on my blog (content, link building, seo, and etc). It gets hard at times.
To make the matter worse, I suffer from sever depression. So, its easy for me to procrastinate.
I have learned to use the 2nd technique you mentioned, I trad one thing for another, write a post, watch 30 minuets of universe. It really works wonders for me, specially on my day off, when all I want to do is… well nothing! LOL!
Thanks.
Satrap@ Ways to Make Money Online´s last [type] ..Get Paid to Install Games and Apps On Your iPhone!
Hey Satrap.. you’re not alone. Procrastination is the bane of my existence at times. lol But it sounds like you’ve got a LOT on your plate in addition to your entrepreneurial ventures, so cut yourself a bit of slack.
Maybe give yourself 1 day a month to goof off and be lazy without guilt.
I am really having trouble with procrastination. Thanks a lot for your help on dealing with this issue.
John@Make Money Online´s last [type] ..Make a Website – Step by Step Tutorial
John, you’re not alone friend. :0) I’m thinking of having a tshirt made, lol procrastinator by trade!
Yes you are right. Having a home based-job could lead someone to do procrastination that is because they do not have a boss who sits near them, who checks their work from time-tom-time, and who personally gives them hard-to-beat deadlines. But these should not hinder us from doing what we can actually do RIGHT NOW.
Very true, it’s just way to easy to put off right now for later.