In speaking to individuals about happiness and good habits, individuals generally speak about “laziness.” Both they are saying, “I’m lazy” or they are saying, “That particular person is being lazy.”
However I feel it’s unhelpful to consider “laziness.”
It appears to me that when individuals (together with ourselves) seem lazy, there are extra useful explanations. In my remark, different issues could also be occurring:
Avoidance: There’s one thing that an individual ought to do, however they’re avoiding it. This particular person ought to work, however is avoiding doing robust evaluation, so is spending hours watching Sport of Thrones clips on YouTube. That particular person ought to go to remedy, however doesn’t need to face unfavourable emotions, so retains canceling appointments.
Accountability: In my “Four Tendencies” personality framework, Obligers are individuals who want outer accountability to satisfy internal expectations. In the event that they need to train, they want to enroll in a category, work out with a coach, increase cash for a charity, be a job mannequin for another person, and many others. (Effective accountability strategies range amongst Obligers.) If Obligers lack outer accountability, they gained’t comply with by. This may appear to be laziness, however as quickly as accountability is established, Obligers do comply with by.
(Wish to know in the event you’re an Obliger? Or a Questioner, Insurgent, or Upholder? Take the free quick quiz here.)
Exhaustion: Typically individuals get drained and overwhelmed, and so they merely can’t muster up the vitality to do something—not even one thing small, not even one thing enjoyable. So they only do no matter exercise that feels least taxing to them—as an illustration, scroll by social media, watch TV, or play a video-game.
Choice: One particular person’s laziness is one other particular person’s selection. A buddy mentioned of his son, “He’s so lazy. He might be out enjoying basketball along with his mates, however as a substitute, he lies on the couch, simply studying.” I additionally think about one other mum or dad saying of a kid, “He’s so lazy. He might be studying and bettering his thoughts, and as a substitute, he’s simply operating round along with his mates.”
As all the time, after we face a happiness stumbling block, it’s helpful to determine the issue. Should you’re calling your self “lazy,” what’s occurring?
Do it’s good to discover a strategy to get began, to get accountability, or to get extra relaxation? Or is that “laziness” truly an indication that two individuals have totally different values?
Should you’ve referred to as your self lazy, or end up saying that different persons are being lazy, I’d be curious to know the context.
