7 Things to Do When You Want to Reach a Goal, But You Don’t Want to Do the Work

The lazy guide to making progress.

I can be quite lazy sometimes.

Most times, actually.

I’m guilty of making big lofty goals. I come up with exciting ideas that I can’t wait to add to my legacy.

So, I get to work.

I draft out all the planning.

I iron out all the nuts and bolts.

When I’m done with that, all that’s left is to do the work.

And then?

I get too lazy to do the work.

I don’t want to work. I want to nap!

Hopefully, you’re not as unmotivated as I am.

And if we’re being realistic, there are a lot of reasons why someone wouldn’t want to do the work that have little to do with laziness.

But in any case, what do you do when you want to reach a goal, but you don’t want to do the work?

I came up with 7 options:

1. Suck it up and do all of the work.

Count to 5, put on some music, listen to a meditation, remember the “why” behind setting this goal in the first place, etc. — find something that propels you to get off your butt and accomplish what you want to accomplish.

Easier said than done, but it’s generally not impossible.

2. Suck it up and do some of the work.

Can’t find the motivation to do all the work in one go?

Procrastinating because there’s so much that needs to be done and you don’t know where to start?

Pick a place to start and only do a bite-sized chunk of the work.

Sometimes, I have a story idea that I want to write, but the idea of writing the full piece sounds dauting.

So, I set a timer for 10 minutes and I voice type all the information I want to include.

The next day, I’ll set a timer and work on the editing.

If you can’t stomach everything in one go, consider tackling it in chunks.

3. Get an accountability partner.

They won’t do the work for you, but they may be good at holding you to your goals if you pick the right person.

Sometimes, we’re better and more thorough with our work when we know someone’s watching.

4. Ask for help.

You may have access to people who are willing to help you in some capacity because they want to see you succeed.

You may have access to people who have more experience than you, and who can help you get unstuck if you’re facing roadblocks.

But you’ll never know if you don’t ask.

5. Pay someone to do it.

If you really don’t want to do things or you can’t do them, and you can afford it, consider paying a freelancer to tackle them.

This is the most expensive route to get there, but it’s always an option.

6. Do nothing.

Doing nothing is always an option. If you’re unmotivated or feeling lazing and you’re not on a strict crunch, consider doing nothing.

Give yourself a break.

You may find that if you really, really want to hit your goal, you’ll start to feel guilty and antsy about doing nothing, so much so that you end up doing something to make yourself feel better.

I know that happens to me a lot.

Most of us stink at relaxing. So, by giving yourself time to relax, you may decide you don’t want to take it and you’d rather work on your goal instead.

And if that doesn’t happen to you and you do end up doing nothing, at least you got to relax and rejuvenate.

In a stressful world, relaxation is so necessary.

7. Set a new goal.

If you’re really, really, REALLY unmotivated, you may have set a goal that you don’t actually care about.

We’ve all done it.

We’ve all heard stories of doctors and lawyers changing careers because they picked the most lucrative field or followed their parents’ guidance, but then they decided to actually live life for themselves instead of others by following different career paths years later.

There’s nothing wrong with leaving a goal behind, especially when you determine it no longer suits you, if it ever did in the first place.

Whatever you decide to do, in the grand scheme of things, it’s all progress!