Hello all,

I don't know if this is the right place, but I have a problem with indolece: I'm addicted to doing nothing, wasting time, and leaving the stuff that I have to do undone.

So, how can I be less lazy? I have lost a significant amount of business due to my lazyness (thousands of dollars), and even though I know at the time that I am being lazy and the consequences it may have, I am almost powerless to be less so.

Please provide resources that will help me deal with this.

Thanks,

Henry

RSB

It sounds like you have a problem with procrastination and not laziness. Many times so many things need to get done that you can become so overwhelmed that you do nothing at all. You need to attack projects from a different angle. Set small goals for yourself each day. You can't do everything at the same time. Think of how great you will feel when you have finished what you have set out to do.

Are you lacking energy? Are you eating right? Be sure to take care of yourself. You certainly can't take care of anyone else if you don't take care of yourself.

It is a bad habit to put things off until tomorrow, and when tomorrow comes to put them off until the next tomorrow etc... (vicious circle and nothing gets done)

Get Organized! Get a daily planner and keep up on tasks.

PROCRASTINATION HELP

I think Clarebear gave an excellent response. My senior year of highschool was extremely hard because I suffered from what you are suffering from. The daily planner helped me out tremendously!! For one, I was able to actually remember important things like my assignments and tests. Secondly, I wouldnt feel satisfied until each of those "to do's" were complete. To Do lists are an excellent way of setting small goals. Good luck

Perhaps its an undiagnosed case of depression?

I get it seasonally and the mood that underlies my "laziness" is one of defeatist nature.

"Why bother doing that? It's not worth it."

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OR - It could be attention deficit disorder - even a slight case where things become unmanageable to sort through and you take the "easy" route out by doing nothing. Though doing nothing is not easy because one spends a good deal of time Shoulding themselves. "I should do________, I should go________, I should see________."

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OR - Maybe you are under too much stress which leaves you feeling powerless and unable to tackle new problems because you are stymied by others. Again doing nothing adds to the problem creating more stress. Its the Shoulding thing all over again.

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OR - Maybe you just don't really need to do that other stuff and you are content with what you have - Which there are many people out there who feel as though they are under achievers because society in general tends to put this great importance upon gain and doing and excelling at so much. This time the Shoulding is creating a problem when in fact you are not doing anything "wrong". Society places a great deal of importance on "things" owning, buying, having, doing etc. It is not at all wrong to not want these in your life. Perhaps you are just content with what you do have and society and what other people are doing are making you insecure in the way you conduct your life.

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Do you need those thousands of dollars? Before saying "yeah sure, everybody does" Seriously consider the question. Money is a nice thing to have around, it is the basis of how we do things, but if you are happiest doing nothing then perhaps you don't need that much money to do things with. You may have your life in order to suit YOUR NEEDS - Don't confuse your needs with society's ideals - you will never, ever meet those lofty ideals.

Now I am having a terrible time picturing a person doing "nothing" Do you sit or stand to do that? Do you just remain idle, not moving? not thinking? not whatever?

Or are you doing something else with your time? Computer, TV, Hobby, Smelling flowers, sleeping, eating???? Maybe you place more importance on friends? Spend a lot of time gabbing, visiting and at your local café drinking coffee? These are priorities in one's life, we can still do these things we just need to set a timer and stop when the buzzer goes off. Presently I am playing an online computer game. The first couple of days I wasted 8 hours each day - It is addictive and time flies - so now I set the stove alarm for a couple of hours so I get a gentle reminder that I have been on for a couple of hours.

What are your underlying feelings about life? Do you look at projects and figure what's the use knowing that no matter what you do it won't make a difference (A common depression mentality). or does your heart go all a flutter and your blood pressure raise knowing that you have yet one more thing to situate in your life? This is a common sign of anxiety which is a form of depression.

Laziness is rarely a problem itself - it is a symptom of other problems, of other issues going on - once you can figure out what is really the problem and work on that the laziness will resolve itself.

David

I think Clare and David both have very good thoughts on the subject. I think that you may have to do a bit of self discovery with this issue and get to the whys of it all.

I understand where you are coming from! I am a bit bi-polar indolece. To me, being lazy is luxurious. It comes down to my reasoning for putting things off and not getting things done. I am bad about this at home. I tornado clean the house, for example. I let it get a little messy and do everything at once because I am too wrapped up in some movie I am watching or just wiped out from work and don't put something away as soon as I am done with it. I am famous for my paper stacks and have to sort a stack of things when bills are due.

The fact is, I don't like doing circular chores at all. I feel like a dog chaising it's tail. I end up putting off things and ending up with a limit, of some sort, that I will tolerate before I do something about it. I have to sort my paper stacks when bills are due, but not a minute before. The house can only get so messy before I can't stand it, so I clean it all up at once.

You would think that I am completely lazy, seeing me at home. At work, I am complete opposite. I don't like being at work. If I don't stay very busy, time drags.

Work people would be shocked to see how I am at home. People in my personal life would be shocked that I work very hard, on the clock. I have my own reasons for doing what I do. I am sure you do also, but what are they? Are you unhappy with your work? Is your personal life something you feel satisfied with? Is it that you just don't like the tasks in front of you? Do you feel depression?

Only you can answer these type of questions and I think you should give it some thought as to why. Motivation can be a difficult thing to find!!