As Brene Brown says, it is an act of “courage to say yes to rest and play in a culture where exhaustion is a status symbol.”

What is lazy?

By definition, lazy means unwilling to work, expel energy. Relaxing could be lazy. “Lazy” can also be a calculation of what’s “worth” doing.

The implication of lazy – and all the emotional crap that word heaps onto your soul – is that you’re unwilling to work for specious reasons. Lazy is 100% judgeable. So, when you’re berating yourself as “lazy” it is not likely that you think there’s a perfectly good reason you’re not willing to work.

Sometimes you’re just tired. Sometimes you need a break. And, many of us permit rest and relaxation for others but not for ourselves. If you have a hard time justifying recreation or just lolling around, take a minute and ask yourself, are you lazy? Or are you just the victim of your overactive work ethic?

Sometimes you just don’t wanna. (whine.) And “don’t wanna” is when you’re most likely to scold yourself for laziness. Is “don’t-wanna” a specious reason to be unwilling to work? Maybe. You’ve got to dig in a little, and ask yourself:

  • Why don’t you want to do it?
  • Is it something you must do?
  • Is there a way to make it easier, more palatable?
  • Is bullying yourself into it going to work?

“Don’t-wanna” can also be a red flag that tells you what you’re working on is not really something deserving of your talent and voice. It is your integrity resisting. This is your laziness working very hard to get you to walk away from the project and pick up something that is more urgent for you – closer to your core values, worth your time, energy and effort.

Are you lazy or resting? Which are you? What are you experiencing?

  • Is laziness your pal – your way to rest, relax and reup your energy? And your “get out of jail free” card – your way to notice that what you’re working on isn’t exactly your calling.

In fact…

Lazy is just a  judgey, icky state we enter bec we are not performing up to expectations. The answer seems not necessarily to perform better, but expect better, with more compassion and curiosity.

Unless you’re too lazy – perhaps you’d like to discuss laziness and productivity in the fb group this week. 🙂