If there’s one question I ask as I approach my work, it’s “how can I make this easier?” Not that I’m afraid of hard work. It’s just … nothing frustrates me more than working hard, unnecessarily.

How do I ease the frustration of avoiding hard work? It’s tied directly to (one) of my core principles. ‘If you don’t do, you don’t get.’

If I find myself struggling to sustain motivation for a new habit, combating the ‘lazy’ option, and not bothering … I immediately look at what the cause for apathy may be. What is making the decision unnecessarily difficult? I know how to remedy the dilemma, I just need to stop ‘lazy’ winning. It often boils down to a few key areas.

Decisions (or, is it important?)

If I have to make too many decisions to start an action, I am less likely to do it. So, I need to address the steps holding back my actions. Here’s a good example …

I own a set of golf clubs that I don’t use often. One reason for this is that I have yet to decide to pick them up.

Always I have questions for myself …

Do I have time?

What’s the weather like?

Who do I call for a game?

Am I up to it? Fit enough?? And on it goes.

Here’s what I know to be true.

If I can arrive at the course, I will play. I will do the hard work of ‘playing the game.’ (Sounds contradictory, I know.)

It’s all the stuff beforehand that trips me up. That’s when I choose lazy instead of recalling ‘If you don’t do, you don’t get,’ … making it simple to pick up the clubs.

Willpower (It’s my mind thing)

Do I enjoy golf? Yes. Does it keep me fit? Yes. Is it hard work?? Yes.

Why then should I exert willpower before the event? My willpower should come to the ‘fore’ (excuse the pun) during the actual game. You see, I want to keep enough of the willpower in the tank for the full eighteen holes. Not to burn-out after nine.

So my routine? I like to prepare the night before …

This is how willpower overcomes the lazy … being ready, (ahead of the game,) preparing ahead of time helps me ‘be lazy’ and still do what I want to do.

Why not let me know what’s getting in the way of your efforts? What’s making your work unnecessarily hard? How do you overcome ‘the lazy?’

Apart from blaming the weather? 🙂