Five Valuable Behaviours That Make You Productive When You’re Lazy
Aren’t you tired of being lazy?
Don’t you wish this was you?
You’re so productive that laziness seems like a distant reality.
Whatever task you’re given, you focus on it and work hard to achieve it, and within a short period, you’re done.
Within a week, you can finish the 75-page report you’ve been assigned accurately.
You get up early and go to bed late so you can finish your work.
You’re even commended by your boss and respected by your colleagues for your productivity and lack of laziness.
After work, you finish seven pages of the report you’ve been working on.
You don’t procrastinate and leave the work for the last minute; instead, you work on it continually for a long time and produce more than expected.
Don’t you want to be this productive?
Are you not tired of being lazy?
Don’t you want to be able to write 15 pages of essays a day?
You’ll learn five behaviours that will make you more productive and less lazy.
So, if you’re ready, let’s dive in.
Behaviour #1: Set out time to work
“Until we can manage time, we can manage nothing else.” — Peter F. Drucker
You should have a set time to work.
Have a time when nothing should distract you like people, especially your phone.
Research by Dr. Gloria Mark found that setting time to do stuff helps individuals focus better, reduce procrastination, and complete tasks more efficiently.
Scheduling time for tasks has been shown to increase productivity.
This is how I schedule my time for tasks:
- I set my writing time for 8 p.m.-10 p.m. to stay consistent.
- I set my time to complete my tasks from work from 4.30 p.m. to 7 p.m. This way, I have the time to finish my tasks from work.
Behaviour #2: Change your mindset
“Work hard, stay positive, and get up early. It’s the best part of the day.” — George Allen, Sr.
Many people view work as a dull task. They don’t want to do it because it doesn’t interest them.
They make it feel so tedious that they feel too tired to do it.
This feeling happens to me occasionally, but it’s by having a positive mindset that I overcome it.
I remember one time, I had a task from work due in five days.
On the day I had the time to do it, I treated it as a tiresome task that I didn’t do it.
It was the next day when I saw the assignment with a positive mindset, I was able to finish it.
This is how I maintain a positive attitude:
- I don’t focus on what I can’t do.
- I don’t see my tasks as an obligation that I must do but as opportunities to get better at what I do.
Behaviour #3: Make what you’re doing important
“It’s not just about being on top, it’s about being relevant.” — Paris Hilton
If you want to be less lazy and more productive, you should make your tasks so essential it’s wrong not to do it.
By making your assignment crucial, you become more motivated to do it and less motivated to avoid it.
This is what I do with all my projects from work.
I treat them as opportunities to prove my worth, so every time I get them, I do a great job at them.
This is why I’m able to finish my projects in a short time and avoid being lazy on it.
This is how I make what I do critical:
- When I get a task from my boss, I take it to mean it’s an opportunity to prove to him I’m valuable in the company.
- I get motivated, so I work as hard as possible to finish the work on time and avoid being lazy.
Behaviour #4: Be motivated
“Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” — Theodore Roosevelt
Having a motivation for why you do things will make you more productive.
Have something that keeps you going even though you don’t want to.
Research published in the Journal of Applied Psychology (2009) found that people who were intrinsically motivated meaning that they found personal satisfaction and enjoyment in their work…
…Demonstrated higher levels of productivity.
This internal drive led to better task performance.
This is how I stay motivated in my writing:
- I write because I know someday I will become a famous and well-known writer.
- I write because I don’t want to let my audience down. I always want to provide them with practical tips to improve their lives.
Behaviour #5: Prepare yourself
“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” — Benjamin Franklin
Before any productivity journey you will take, you must always prepare.
Have an idea of the obstacles and how you can tackle them. You should know what will make your journey easier or harder.
A study published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine (2011) found that people who set clear goals and made action plans had a higher chance of achieving their objectives.
Effective planning was associated with improved performance and productivity.
This is how I prepare myself:
- Whenever I get an assignment, I have a step-by-step plan to finish it.
- If I need to eat, drink water or watch a motivational video on YouTube before I begin working, that’s what I do.
If you want to be more productive and less lazy, do these:
- Set out time to work
- Have a positive mindset
- Make what you’re doing feel important
- Be motivated
- Prepare yourself
Most are backed by science to help you become more productive.
I have some personal tips in each section that I practice to help me be more productive.
Use this blog as your reference whenever you want to be more productive.
