Again and again, I’ve had clients and students tell me that their big problem is they’re lazy. That they just can’t motivate themselves to do the things they should.
And my response is always the same…
We’re ALL lazy. And we’re all profoundly NOT lazy. Lazy is not the problem.
Let me explain…
Everyone I’ve ever met has and will many times again expend tons of energy on certain things. Maybe on a hobby they’re passionate about. Maybe caring for someone they love. Maybe scratching the itch of a deep curiosity. For you, maybe it’s something else. We’re all different.
But we’ve all got something for which we’re willing to make the effort. And much of the time, that effort feels good.
But at the same time, it’s human nature to conserve energy. It’s been an evolutionary advantage to us.
For early humans, food was scarce and hard-earned. So the people who survived were the ones who didn’t waste effort — physically or mentally — on the things they could get away with skipping. (Our brains are huge energy hogs, btw. They comprise about 2% of our total weight but use about 20% of our metabolic energy.)
So the problem is not laziness. It’s that we’re trying to work against the way we’re built — as humans and as individuals — and are pushing ourselves in ways that are unsustainable.
This month, I invite all of us to set these lazy narratives aside. (Which, ironically, will take a concerted effort, because those narratives are deeply entrenched in our culture!)
Instead, let’s *celebrate* lazy.
Let’s look at ways we can make things easier in every facet of our lives. Let’s give ourselves permission to put forth the effort ONLY on the stuff that matters most to us, and to revel in slacking off on everything else.
Let’s liberate ourselves with intentional, joyful laziness…