10 Ways to Make Laziness Work for You
Leo BabautaBy Leo Babauta
You’re feeling lazy right now, and reading blogs instead of doing what you’re supposed to be doing. That’s OK — we all do that. We’re all lazy, in different forms, at one time or another.
But let’s look at how to make that laziness work for us, and how to turn lazy into productive.
We often beat ourselves up about our laziness, even though it’s a natural condition that every human being gets to some extent. It’s time to stop the self-criticism and see how laziness can actually be a positive, no matter what society tells us.
Here’s an observation: often the smartest people are the laziest ones. They’re always looking for ways to get out of work, or do make something easier, and their creative ways of doing that have come up with some of the most ingenius, productive inventions: the computer, the microwave, the car, the Clapper, to name but a few.
Now, I don’t know about you, but laziness doesn’t seem so bad to me when you look at it that way. Let’s see how laziness can actually be productivity if you use it the right way.
Make not doing it harder. We lazy people hate doing hard stuff. So let’s use that for us. Let’s say there’s something hard that I need to do right now. Of course, I don’t feel like doing it. But if I put up obstacles that make it harder NOT to do it, then I’m going to do it, because I’m too lazy to do the even harder stuff. For example, if I’m prone to watching television instead of working, and I put the remote on the roof of my house, well, it would be too hard to get a ladder to get that remote. And being lazy, I hate to watch TV without a remote. So I’ll get to work instead. Same concept could be applied to the Internet — take your cable modem’s cable and give it to someone to hold until after lunch. Or tell people that if you don’t complete this project on time, you will wash their cars. Engineer a solution that will make you more likely to actually do what you need to do.
Be productive to avoid doing something. Now turn that concept on its head. It’s an idea called Structured Procrastination, and written about much earlier by Robert Benchley in a great article called Getting Things Done from 1949. The basic concept is that in order to avoid doing something difficult, you’ll do a bunch of other things instead. A lot of those other things might also be important too, so you’re being productive because you’re too lazy to do the most important thing on your list. So, to implement this, put one really hard task at the top of your list, and a bunch of other important stuff below it. Now, tell yourself you really must, must get that first task done right away. If you’re feeling lazy, you’ll do the other stuff on the list instead. Now, when more important stuff comes up, the first item of the list gets pushed down and will get done.
Delegate. Lazy people like to become managers, so they can delegate things to others and look productive while doing that. Even if you aren’t a manager, learn how to delegate to your coworkers or even to your boss. Look at your to-do list and see if you can delegate half of it. If in doubt, route it and ask for input. Now you can cross off half the items on your list and you haven’t done anything!
Automate. Instead of doing the same things over and over, see if you can find a way to automate it. This will require that creativity that lazy people have. You can find ways for the computer to automate it, or give others the authority to do something following certain rules without your approval, or outsource something you really don’t want to do all the time. Great! Cross off more items from your to-do list without actually doing anything.
Eliminate. Now look at your remaining items on your to-do list (assuming you weren’t too lazy to write out a to-do list — if you are, it can be something you do to avoid doing something more difficult). How many of these items absolutely have to be done? Is there any way you can eliminate some of them, especially ones that you really don’t want to do? You can always go and ask to be removed from a project for one reason or another, or say that you have too many commitments and can’t do this right now. OK, more items off your list without doing anything!
Stall. Another good way to cross things off your to-do list without actually doing them is to not do them until they are no longer needed. I’ve done this many times — I stall and delay and procrastinate on something, doing other things I’d rather be doing, and then in a week or two, those things I was procrastinating on are no longer necessary. Turns out they didn’t matter anyway.
Simplify. If there’s something that you do that is complicated and difficult, find ways to make it easier and simpler. List out the steps, and see which can be eliminated or streamlined. Which steps can be done by someone else or automated? What is the absolute easiest way to do this?
Wait until the last minute. Sometimes when you stall (see above), it turns out that the thing you’re stalling on is really important, and needs to be done. If so, you will find this out when someone else who needs it done gives you an urgent call and 10 emails, asking for it to be submitted. This is when urgency comes into play, and it’s a great motivator. You’ll get the thing done. But that urgency didn’t exist until you stalled for a week. So the trick is to wait to do things until the absolute last minute, when you will be super motivated to do them. So don’t schedule some of your tasks until the last possible time you could start them and still get them done before deadline.
Lazy reward. I like to reward myself by telling myself that if I just do this work, I get to be lazy. This will motivate me, because I love being lazy. In fact, if I can finish the next item in five minutes, I get to go watch an episode of Gilmore Girls.
Go with what excites you. If you are too lazy to do something, it’s probably because that something seems boring to you. If so, move on to something more exciting. Come up with a list of things you could do that are important and productive and still exciting. And go with those tasks. You will be avoiding something boring, sure, but you will be motivated to do the other, more exciting stuff. Now, if you still need to do the boring stuff (and can’t stall, eliminate, delegate, or automate that stuff), then find a way to make it exciting. Rewards of sweet treats or laziness can make something more exciting, or try this technique: instead of thinking of how hard something is, think about all the benefits that you’ll get from doing it. Money, fame, gorgeous women, snacks … these exciting things can all be yours by accomplishing this task.
OK, now off to watch that episode of Gilmore Girls.
Johnatan
June 15th, 2007
This text is awesome! It’s so true, I found myself in every sentence. You make a great point.
Pristine
June 15th, 2007
Great article! It’s the most applicable to me of all the work productivity articles, so thanks
Anyway, with the part about making not doing it (ie work) harder, I seriously need some help. You see, the internet is my great vice, but, I have wireless! Curses! How should I work with that?? Ideas, anyone?
Anyway, just so sum it up, in Leo’s words:
stall, eliminate, delegate, automate or excite!
ColorThreads
June 15th, 2007
I wouldn’t agree that laziness is a good thing
Sandra Mendoza-Daly
June 15th, 2007
wow Leo. I have become a loyal reader of your articles, but this one seals my devotion.
The laziness factor is what has kept me from being more proactive in my freelance life. I think, “Can I do this? I’m so lazy sometimes. I procrastinate.” But the “being proactive by being lazy” tip is spot on for me. I often get a lot of house cleaning-literal and administrative-done when I am avoiding doing something.
This is definitely by far, the best productivity article I have read. Thanks!
Montoya
June 15th, 2007
My fiancée once asked me, “how is it you are able to work so hard?” Well, I told her, “it’s because I work hard and I play hard.” I let myself have breaks where I will do the laziest things… play videogames, watch TV shows, surf the net… I let myself have tons of fun and completely rid my mind of work. That way, after an hour or two of taking a break I feel totally relaxed and I can get back to work without any stress. It allows me to keep going and in the long run I get a lot done!
Pristine: Have someone else change your wireless key and not tell it to you until you do your work!
Tayler
June 15th, 2007
I was too lazy to read this article.
Alek
June 15th, 2007
This article is right on. I don’t consider myself lazy at all, but still many of the points I find come into play every day in order to keep me NOT lazy. Structured procrastination is big one for me. Without that I don’t know how I’d get by.
jos
June 15th, 2007
great tips… i can be lazier now… yay
Nemesis
June 15th, 2007
Gr8 and helpful article.
BTW: You watch Gilmore Girls! hahaha
Dim
June 15th, 2007
Wow. Thanks. This actually really helps. =D I needed this during the school year though. =D But it’s ok, I’ll make sure to do this next year/ This would surely help. Thanks again!
Steven Ashley
June 15th, 2007
I knew I was lazy, now I know why.
Vincent
June 15th, 2007
Haha, Leo. Gilmore Girls? That made me laugh.
(Although I shouldn’t. Typically, my reward involves Nintendo.)
This is such a funny way to think about procrastination–stalling important tasks until the absolute last minute, I mean. That’s so very different from what I’ve been taught my entire life; to my parents, teachers, and pretty much everybody else, that procrastination was (and still is, even by me, and even though I still do it) seriously frowned upon. Talk about turning a negative into a positive! I could really learn a lesson from you, master Babuta.
Joe Casabona
June 15th, 2007
Great Post. I find myself most in the wait until the last minute category. I don’t delete emails until I finish the task in the email and if I find I have a bunch from the same person, it motivates me to get the task done so I can finally delete the emails.
Thomas Champion
June 15th, 2007
The survival sense of my laziness ask you to remove this post : if everyone read it > everyone will delegate > nothing will be done > I’ll get stuck.
Get lazy !
doug
June 16th, 2007
Everything sounds like me very funny!!
Luis Cruz
June 16th, 2007
I saw myself in practically every point here, but my favorites would have to be automating and simplifying things.
I’m also with Montoya here - you gotta play hard to make up for working too hard.
Tim
June 16th, 2007
Those with wireless internet who want to create even harder obstacles to their internet usage:
Hardware solution: Set WPA encryption as active on the router and use a randomly typed password. Don’t look at the keyboard when typing the password, and don’t write it down. You’ll have to go hook up a wired connection and reset the wireless password in order to use wireless! Alternatively, disable wireless and/or the whole internet, then set the admin password randomly. Now you have to reset your router in order to use the internet!
Software solution: Open up your hosts file and set all the major websites to random ips, i.e. set google.com, digg.com, and other time sinks to 127.0.0.1 or some other ip. The hosts file is in your c:\windows\system32\drivers folder.
Jermayn Parker
June 16th, 2007
That idea of punishing yourself
That sounds scary
THX 1138
June 16th, 2007
Tayler you beat me to it. What’s worse is I’m not joking.
My browsing has come to point where I no longer actually read the article, headlines are enough. Somehow the information I gather is an amalgam of what can be divined through headlines only.
Tomos
June 16th, 2007
I’m going to print and read the second half now
And then try and get my science work done :p
ChaserMag
June 16th, 2007
How can you write an article on laziness without mentioning Hlade’s Law?
For those too lazy to Google: “If you have a difficult task, give it to a lazy person. They will always find an easier way to do it.”
Kuahine
June 16th, 2007
Why the hell would anyone want to be productive? Take an honest look around. Today’s world is the inevitable outcome of “productivity.” Thanks a lot, GTD’ers.
tsk
June 16th, 2007
Stalling to a point of the last minute isn’t always such a good thing. I agree with you that it is a serious motivator. However this should be planned with great discretion. Otherwise you’ll end up completely dry after such a home-run for the deadline.
I know this because it happens to me all too often. I leave most projects on the last minute approach and I end up tired, without much satisfaction and by the time I recover I notice other projects nearing the deadline.
I strongly don’t recommend this approach!
What has been working great for me lately is doing stuff in short bursts (40-50 minutes) then rewarding myself with a few minutes of blog reading, email check or anything else fun and less stressful.
This way I get to keep my sanity whenever deadlines come around. I’ve only started using this method but it’s the most successful remedy for completely lazy days.
jesus
June 16th, 2007
quack quack. Im a duck
Jhon
June 16th, 2007
I’m too lazy to red the entire article.
Yianni
June 16th, 2007
What if I’m too lazy to read the article?!?
varat
June 16th, 2007
I laze around and drink teas all day long. Occasionally in a burst of activity you may see me scribble a few notes and make a tick here and there on my checklist.
Wait a minute!
That’s my work!
vp
http://www.puerhcha.com
Bobby
June 16th, 2007
makes sence
Tuan Nguyen
June 16th, 2007
Being lazy is ok, being busy is ok, as long as the creativity is still running in the mind.
Mohsin
June 16th, 2007
This is the thing with freelancers, they are uber lazy and ultimate procrastinators. The reason why they are freelancing, rather than doing 9 to 5 office job, is that they don’t like tight schedules and don’t fancy being forced to work by disciplinarian bosses.
Anyway, this was a great article, and applies to almost everyone of us to some degree.
P.S. Thanks to procrastination, i just came across your article
Noid
June 16th, 2007
Nicely written. I agree entirely. I always love how there’s a few things on my to-do lists which never get done… and so I carry them across to my next to-do list… and so on…. sometimes for monthes. Eventually something happens to them.
Jorge Diaz
June 16th, 2007
Nice, article. All the people think, that lazyness it´s a bad thing. But its a gift. All the people are lazy by nature. We need to start using, the brain and start to analize situations or problems for a better outcome. Use your directed thought and your logic, for solving these problems and get a good experience.
If you like to earn money, the Lazy Way head to http://www.innovapixel.com/marketing/domain-investment-domain-names/
moses
June 16th, 2007
sweet article, i think i need some lazyness in my life…:D
Online Television
June 16th, 2007
Not bad, the structured procastination is what caught my eye..I think it would actually work, I’ll have to read up more on it..
vmarketics.com
June 16th, 2007
Lazy idea for lazy boys.
more lazy reviews at lazy.datagrep.com
deptaro
June 16th, 2007
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proc...thatthing
June 16th, 2007
Good ideas, read through 30%, then decided I got the point, went to comment.
That is lazynxxx!
Survivor Ron
June 16th, 2007
Yes, it does not pay to work yourself to the bone, especially when someone else will often get the benefit. Work smart!
Benek
June 17th, 2007
I like the structured procrastination idea a lot. The fact is that everyone is lazy to some degree, and knowing how to get past it is very important.
I don’t really understand the point “stall.” I’ve never had one situation where I think that would have worked. How can you just expect the task to go away? I feel like that point is just a bad advertisement for being lazy but in real life it’s not applicable.
Steven Vandevelde
June 17th, 2007
Interesting article, I really have to something about my laziness!
bojan
June 17th, 2007
man you are NOT lazy
Motorcycle Guy
June 18th, 2007
I kind of doubt laziness inspired the car…. maybe desire for efficiency but not laziness.
jon
June 18th, 2007
Good article. Finally an acticle that pertains to me! I’ll definitely give this a try and get back to you with my progress. I’ll for warn you though, I’m lazy just like the guy who wrote this and might and this might fall under Eliminate!
Crayzi Lady
June 19th, 2007
Great article…and for the most part, those of us who are lazy have pretty much figured these things out. Professional laziness is wonderful and it can work if you’re good at it!
lyzzal
June 20th, 2007
This is sooo me. I use some of these already. Procrastination goes hand-in-hand with laziness. I bet this article was written instead of doing something harder or more boring.
Leo
July 6th, 2007
You must be really lazy, ’cause you have it all down pat, down to last stroke of the key. Problem is, it describes me, It’s one of those things about being the boss, you get to delegate tasks to everyone else while you sit back with donut and coffee. I disagree with the TV thing though, I’m so lazy I would sit and watch TV without a remote before I’d do anything - a horrible confession I know. But this post I think might work for me, I no matter what the situation, I can find a way to be lazy about it, to make the situation as comfy as possible - so much so that I’ve pretty much got down to an art - so I think there is a possibility that this might actually work.
Titus-Armand
July 15th, 2007
I’m so lazy I didn’t even read the whole post.
Just joking. My favorite way to do things is SIMPLIFY.
Einstein said that “any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more COMPLEX, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius - and a lot of courage - to move in the opposite direction.”
Steve
August 29th, 2007
I found I could be lazy by reading the bold bits, woohoo.
Some good points, cheers
Lia
October 2nd, 2007
Hahaha! Thanks, I needed this.
Ellina
October 2nd, 2007
This tip is great? isit well better start writing the list!
Andy
October 3rd, 2007
Not very good advise. Some of it was worth reading but I think everyone needs to get off their ass and get their work done. I would fire you!!!
Tara
November 4th, 2007
I’m really glad I’ve got to read this article because I am an engineering student but I’m so lazy that I get depressed. I don’t feel so down anymore. Thanks:)
palooch
January 25th, 2008
Great article. I already follow half of those rules!! lol
Janak Rajani
March 10th, 2008
Wow - see, I always knew it pays to be “lazy” - working smart is always best
garry
April 1st, 2008
There are times when being lazy is just the right thing to do, but if you want to achieve greatness or something substantial, then full time laziness isn’t going to work. Could you imagine Tiger Woods when he first started out playing golf, if he allowed the lazy attitude to take control of him, istead of pracitising for countless hours to make himself what he is now, he would be like the rest of the too lazy to do anything to make your life better club.
gia
April 6th, 2008
….. i am in a critical condition out here…. i am too lazy to even read the entire article!! pathetic me!!
João Carvalhinho
April 14th, 2008
Waiting until the last minute is the Portuguese way of life… So… nice to see that I am Commited to at least one of the rules…
In some jobs I have been to, this rule is cumulative with delegate… Usually my boss delegates his workload to me, just at the last minute