How to Overcome Laziness and Achieve Your Goals
It’s 2:15 AM, and you’re in bed and scrolling on Tiktok, saying to yourself, “Just 15 minutes more and I’m going to sleep”. Then you are hit by the sudden motivation to change your life, start a new, and reinvent yourself just to find yourself scrolling on your phone, witnessing other people living the life the next day afternoon. I’ve been there too many times to count. It’s so easy to lean into a comfortable cycle of procrastinating and doing the bare minimum but at the end of the day, we all know this is not how we are supposed to be living our lives. So how do we fix it? Here are the steps that helped me to overcome my laziness and actually enjoy doing the things I need to be doing.
Identify the root cause and patterns that are holding you back
This step includes bigger issues like identifying why you avoid doing the important things and smaller habits that distract you from doing the important tasks.
Ask yourself:
Why do I feel unmotivated? Are you overwhelmed by a big task? Are you unsure where to start? Once you identify the underlying cause, you can tackle it head-on.
2. Break down your big goals into small, time-sensitive goals
One of the main reasons people get lazy and procrastinate is they get overwhelmed by their big goals. Break down your goals into smaller steps and set a deadline. Without a deadline, it’s so easy to procrastinate. But doing the right thing consistently within a certain amount of time will build momentum and don’t feel so overwhelming
Instead of writing a book write one chapter in one month
Instead of reading 20 books a year, read 10 pages every day
3. Build a consistent habit
As a serial procrastinator, the only thing that actually helped me to get sh*t done is building habits. Write down the habits you like to have. If you don’t know what habits to build, envision your ideal self and ask yourself, “What my dream self would be doing every day?” maybe your ideal self eats healthy every day, wakes up early in the morning, and tries something different every week. Then, start tracking your habits on your planner of choice.
Your whole day doesn’t have to be filled with a to-do list. Start by having consistent morning and evening habits. Keep it simple at first. You can always add more and make changes later.
Also, remember NOT to beat yourself up when you fail to do tasks on your to-do list. Consistency doesn’t have to look perfect. Let yourself try again tomorrow.
4. Balance your work and rest
Rest and spending time with your family and friends are so important. The last thing I want for you is to spend non-productive days and also be tired af. Have a dedicated day to rest and care for yourself every week. That way, you can spend truly relaxing day without feeling guilty. Creating clear boundaries between work and rest is crucial to our well-being. When working, concentrate hundred percent and when resting do the same. Don’t spend your days in a blur between working and resting by looking at your phone.
5. Optimize your environment
Your surroundings play a huge role in your productivity. If your workspace is cluttered, distracting, or too comfortable (looking at you, bed), it’s harder to get things done.
Create a dedicated workspace with minimal distractions to encourage focus and efficiency. Keeping your workspace clean and organized will help you to think clearly and be productive. Take time to clean your desk before working will help you to get into the work mode
6. Find out your purpose
Define what you want to achieve and make it clear. In your self-development journey there will be so many days you will feel like giving up. Having a clear goal and reminding those goals to yourself regularly will keep you motivated and focused in those days.
Ask yourself:
How do I want to feel every day?
What do I want my days to look like every day?
What can I do today to be closer to my ideal life?
Remind yourself of your answers every day. This will help you to spend every day with a sense of purpose rather than getting distracted.
7. Let go of perfectionism
First, let it exist. You can make it better later. We put so much unnecessary pressure on ourselves to make no mistakes and do things perfectly on the first try. Perfectionism leads to procrastination, which fuels laziness. If you’re waiting for the “perfect” moment or for conditions to be just right, you’ll never start. Accept that done is better than perfect, and allow yourself to make progress, even if it’s imperfect.
8. Reward yourself
Positive reinforcement can make forming new habits easier. Set up a reward system where you treat yourself after completing tasks. It could be as simple as enjoying a coffee break, watching an episode of your favorite show, or buying yourself something small. Make it fun for yourself.
9. Have an accountability partner
Having someone to keep you on track is a great way to keep you motivated. Ask your friend to help you stay on track every week. You can also help your friend to achieve their goals by encouraging them. It’s also a great way to have a stronger, meaningful friendship with your friends.
✨Self-improvement doesn’t happen overnight so remember to be kind to yourself in the process. Getting out of a lazy lifestyle doesn’t mean working yourself to exhaustion. It’s about balancing work, rest, and building habits that align with your goals.
✨Stay focused and consistent and make sure you are taking steps toward your dream life every day, no matter how small that step may be.
