Productivity

5 Ways to Take Advantage of Laziness To Be More Productive

Can you be lazy and productive at the same time? The answer is yes. Here’s how.

Most people see laziness as an enemy of productivity. It’s counter-intuitive to be lazy and simultaneously be productive.

Well, I’m a seriously lazy person. And by “lazy” I mean I have very low energy to physically move out from my space — if not necessary.

Just yesterday, I sat at my computer for legit 3 hours to come upon the fact that there’s enough DNA in the average human’s body to stretch from the sun to Pluto and back, 17 times. Totally useful knowledge.

Apart from that, I run 2 online businesses since 3 years ago to date. I have a side job as a video editor, a freelance graphic designer, and the most recent thing is I’m trying to be a writer on this platform. If you see the pattern, all my “productive” activities seem to only require my computer and my brain to do so.

Talking about the brain — technically speaking, our brain is “lazy” too.

The human brain comprises 60% of fat and is one of the fattest organs in the human body. Unlike our muscles which can store excess carbohydrates, our lazy brain needs to be constantly supplied with oxygen and energy to run properly.

But guess what? Our brain is the most productive organ in our body. It controls and coordinates everything; by being lazy.

Laziness is a natural part of us. Therefore, if you think you’ve never been lazy your entire life, you still have a brain, so there’s laziness inside you. It’s an advantage to the brain, and so to you — if you know how to use it the right ways. And even if you’re not as “lazy” as I am, you still can take advantage of the laziness side in you to be more productive (and avoid getting burn out).

So here, I’ve listed the valuable lessons I learned of how to outsmart laziness and reach more productive, happier you:

#1: Screw your to-do list

First thing first, you don’t need that 35 tasks on your to-do list. If you’re a “lazy” person, making lists could even leave you feeling more disillusioned and stressed than you did before.

Truly productive people aren’t focused on doing more things; it’s the opposite. To-do lists could do you more harm than good since you’ll bypass important or complicated tasks in favor of what’s easier to do.

Rather than making a to-do list, you can create a schedule maker with specific time constraints to help take ownership of your time and tasks.

Take notes if you must, but use “laziness” to do fewer things by prioritizing tasks and focus on accomplishing things that matter.

#2: Multitasking is a myth

Changing tasks over 10 times a day drops your IQ to an average of 10 points — according to science. No kidding.

People who think they can split their attention between multiple tasks at once aren’t getting more done. We can’t do two complex things at once, that’s just not how our brain works.

Multitasking is not good for the brain and it can reduce productivity by 40%, makes us less efficient and more likely to make a mistake.

Rather than trying to multitask, you can use laziness more effectively and efficiently by doing one task at a time.

#3: Build good habits by starting small

Let’s be honest. You’re not Bill Gates who needs 16 daily habits to fulfill your productive life.

Use successful people as inspiration, not imitation. Instead of mindlessly imitating the habit of the pros to your life until you burned out, start with 1 good habit and stick to it. Just 1 habit that is so easy you can’t say no.

For example, I have a daily habit of reading. I didn’t set a goal to read 20 books a month. But I just committed to reading 1 sentence each day. That one sentence then led me to one paragraph, one page, one chapter, one book, and so forth.

• Want to build an exercise habit? Exercise for 1 minute each day.
• Want to start a writing habit? Write 1 sentence each day.
• Want to create a healthy eating habit? Eat one healthy meal this week.

Start small. Stay persistent. There’s a whole TEDTalk about this seemingly lazy method that may actually lead you to reach your big ambitious goals.

I have goals, but I don’t think about the big crazy, unrealistic goal every time I’m doing the little things, I’m more focused on enjoying the process.

#4: Daydreaming recharges your brain

Contrary to popular belief, daydreaming is not an enemy of productivity. Daydreaming is where things like problem-solving, creativity, goal-driven thought, future planning, and so on find space to exist.

We need to feel more comfortable getting lost in our thoughts.

Albert Einstein came up with the theory of relativity when he let his mind wander away from the math he was working on. Nobel Prize winner Kary Mullis discovered a way to duplicate DNA fragments while driving down the highway.

This week, don’t feel guilty if you don’t wake up at 5 AM and run 10 miles. You may be better off spending those extra couple hours in bed, keep it in low gear, and thinking about wherever your mind takes you.

#5: Take care of your personal responsibility

Let’s be real: there’s a fine line between laziness and irresponsibility. If you neglect your responsibility to give yourself more time to watch TikTok for no apparent reason, you’ve crossed the “productive laziness” tolerance border.

And I’m not talking about the responsibility that your parents expected you to do. Brushing your teeth 3 times a day is not a responsibility, it’s a choice.

I’m talking about your personal responsibility. What are the things that make your life worthwhile? What can you do to get them? Is it by taking care of your children, paying taxes, doing your job well?

Your self-control, honesty, accountability, self-fulfillment, civility — whatever they are, take care of the things that fulfill your life roles, whether socially or economically.

Bonus: Laziness is a sign of intelligence

Don’t listen to me. Science backs it up: Lazy people are likely to be smarter, more successful, and better employees. Shortly: laziness is a sign of intelligence.

And yes, including binge-watching TV dramas — believe it or not — can improve your intelligence, especially emotional intelligence.

Intelligent people get bored less easily, leading them to spend more time engaged in thought. While non-thinkers get bored more easily, so they feel the need to fill their time with physical activity.

Well, it kind of makes sense to me. All we lazy creatures can rejoice now.

Bottom line: There’s a reason why sloth is a sin

I need to make this clear. Yes, laziness is bad (in fact, super bad) if you’re just withdrawing yourself from life and aren’t doing anything about it. There’s a reason why sloth is a sin. This entire article is basically saying that:

You can choose to be lazy and still be productive, not to be lazy and choose to not be productive.

See the difference? You can be tactically lazy and set self-development as your important life goal, just like I do. The key is to balance both your laziness side and your productivity level as well as to avoid getting burn out.

Takeaway

Laziness is not an enemy of productivity. Many research has shown that it can help you be more productive. No matter how counter-intuitive it seems, laziness is beneficial to improve our work-life balance as we give our body and mind the opportunity to recharge.

Moreover, many great influential people were also said to be incredibly lazy — Einstein, Newton, Picasso, Mendeleev, and others. And yet, they achieved unbelievable success and become well known all over the world.

I’m no great thinker. We can‘t all be geniuses, but we can learn from them.

Besides, a study said geniuses made with hard work; not born. And hard work is… well, hard. But it’s not impossible. Those people are proof that we can use laziness as a well-placed conscious tool to achieve greatness in life.

The 5 tips above worked for me, and maybe it can work for you too. Embrace the laziness side in you — and use it to your advantage. Let that sink in.