Embracing My Laziness

A big part of happiness needs to be that you understand your strengths and have at least some idea of your weaknesses and flaws. Once you have the introspection to understand your weaknesses and flaws you can either correct them or in the case of my laziness work around them effectively.

1. Work needs to be done

Regardless of anything else, we all have stuff we have to do related to our vocations, our family needs, some form of chore like yard work and other tasks related to whatever constituencies we all have in our lives.

2. Don't procrastinate

If there's a task or a chore waiting for me to be done today, I will be distracted, probably not having my best day (not really a bad day though) knowing that the work still needs to be completed.

3. Something can't come up

Delaying work that needs to be done until, maybe later afternoon, puts you in a position where something can't come up. We all have something that is a source for expected things, the easiest example for most people might be something that one of your kids needs. Kids come first but not completing necessary work can still be problematic.

4. Do it early, the earlier the better

Doing the work we don't want to do very early has several benefits. If things go smoothly, then it's done and you still have the whole day to do whatever you really want to do. If it doesn't go smoothly, have more flexibility (time) to address the unexpected issue.

5. Cooler when it's earlier

If the work you need to do is outside work, pouring sweat while you're working hard doesn't make it better. For most of the year cooler is more comfortable.

6. Fewer people

If you have work that involves going somewhere to complete the task, would you rather spend time waiting in line or not having to wait in line? Another form of my laziness is not wanting to just stand there, waiting, doing nothing.

7. Satisfaction

There's always a sense of satisfaction from completing a task or a job. Something that needed to get done, was important for whatever reason and it's done by 7:30 am or 8:00 and you've accomplished something and now you have your whole day to do what you want to do.

8. Great rest of the day

I try to always get things done early including tasks, projects chores and working out. Whatever things like this in your life, once they are complete for the day you have time to do what you want to do. For me, that includes watching baseball, reading and writing.

That's what I'm doing right now after earlier having taken two pickup truck loads full of pine needles and other forest litter to the community chip and haul pile (part of our annual wildfire mitigation efforts) and a couple of other quick tasks all done by 7:30 and now watching an early Red Sox game while I write this list. If something comes up later, like a fire department call for service, all good, no stress, no sense of dread for anything waiting for me.

Randomroger