How To Be Productive When You Are Lazy.

 

Have you ever looked back on your day and wondered how it was spent yet battling feelings of ingratitude? It's a daily struggle personally because I've assimilated so much productivity culture that on lazy days, I beat myself up trying to do every single thing in my day. On those days, feeling productive is a long shot and you can't wait or the day to be over. 

It's easy to see tips that tell you how to manage your time, but it’s better to plan.

I believe things should be simple, especially if we were to remember it. What usually helps is taking big actions in small chunks.

I think it was until recently that I saw that laziness could enhance productivity. The usual response is to feel guilty and try to compare our standard of work to that of others. Yet when you understand your unique circumstances and incorporate some steps, you can be productive even on those lazy days.

Plan.

It sounds almost counter-intuitive to tell someone that feels lazy to plan ahead,but here's what I mean.

During the weekends, I take Saturday or Sunday as my planning day. I have like 3 goals I want to achieve in a week. I'm a chronic writer, so paper and pen by my side and I begin. Those 3 goals are the main things for the week. The rest can be put down. Just like a priority list. Every action or step towards it is then distributed during the day. for instance. I want to submit an article or blog post. I know it's compulsory for the week, so I plan for it. What do i want to speak about, who's my audience, when would I write it, when would i publish it? Having a little time map makes it easy to know what I set out to do when I feel lazy. I would feel like once I'm done, I can rest or I just have this article to write and I can rest. When you plan in the less lazy days, you have a cushion to fall back on when you're in a rut.

Take the simple steps first.

If you're to-do list has 5 things for the day. Start with the simple and enjoyable one. One that you can do in little to no time. Mine is laying my bed. Once I do this, I always feel like my day has started and there's a little excitement to proceed to the next. 

Timing methods

Ever heard of the Pomodoro method? I heard it for the first time last year. According to this, the pomodoro technique is a time management method where you work for 25 minutes and take a 5 minute break. You do so for the duration of the task you want accomplished. There are lots of varieties, but it's all about time blocks that suit individual needs. It's a simple way to break down tasks with time. This comes in handy for tasks that require focus and you want to get done. This method is super helpful because you assign an amount of time to your work and take breaks in between. This is also useful for reading. Once you prepare your mind to write for 25 minutes and take a break, so much can be done in that time and you'll be thankful for it.

It also helps your brain to focus

Indulge in something that makes you happy or gets you excited.

What works for me, and I believe could be helpful for you too, is indulging in things you feel inspired through or have a calming effect on you.

Listen to music, take a walk, nap or meditate. Whatever works for you.

Structured procrastination

Structured procrastination is a funny yet lovely technique. This article explains how procrastinating is simply your brain's way of saying you'd rather do other things than that task. Thus starts the moment of evasion. With Your brain will be deceived into thinking task is desirable.

Plan rewards for finishing your task.

I do this one in a while, especially for big projects I have delayed because of being lazy. I plan a simple reward. It could be me indulging in a treat like ice cream and seeing a movie. I would plan to buy it once I finished my work. That way I have something I'm looking forward to when I'm done with work.

PS

I don't intend to just dish out listicles for you, but I'm sharing some things that have helped me in my lazy days and what I would try for myself. Here's to lazy days that will be productive in the real sense of it.

Iruoma Osonwa.