Why being lazy can actually help your create your dream life
HEIDI’S JOURNAL ENTRY | 027
WHY BEING LAZY CAN actually HELP your CREATE your DREAM LIFE
FOR THOSE WHO ARE TRAPPED IN CYCLES OF 'DOING' OR FIND IT HARD TO REST
Laziness is generally a pretty negatively charged word, and one that often creates quite a reaction within us. Consider how you responded to the title of this post. Curious? Dubious? A little (or a lot) annoyed?
The thought of being labelled lazy can bring up so much fear and judgement.
We may believe that being lazy would make us...
A bad person.
A failure.
A loser.
Selfish.
Unambitious.
Incompetent.
… and and no doubt many other negative things!
But when turning to the dictionary, you may be surprised to realise that what it really means is far less fatalistic.
To be 'lazy' actually means to be…
unwilling to work or use energy.
not energetic or vigorous.
moving slowly.
not rigorous or strict.
Reflection
I don’t know about you, but the true definition of laziness seems suspiciously similar to how we might describe self-care, honouring our body, rest, rejuvenation, intention, and dare I say it... feminised energy.
This is a humbling realisation that shines a spotlight on how words like this get negatively contextualised within cultures that praise constant productivity, achievement and more masculine ways of creating and being in the world.
So today I’d like to challenge you to get a little lazy! And before you think I’m telling you to dash your goals, give up on yourself and be a passive observer of your life, take a breath and remember the true definitions above. Then consider the following...
Who could you be and what joy / health / power would become available to you if you were to:
Become unwilling to overwork or override your body’s need for rest?
Prioritise peace and calm as you move through your day?
Approach things slowly and intentionally?
Create alignment with your needs and goals?
Treat yourself and body with kindness?
Stop punishing yourself for not being 'perfect'?
No matter how much our brain will try to tell us otherwise, we can’t create our dream life when we’re consistently hustling, overworking and pushing forward to no end.
If you want to achieve success on your own terms, actually enjoy your life and arrive at a destination you truly want, we must carve out time for laziness!
It’s in these gentle spaces that stress melts away, clarity comes forward and our intuition is able to tell us what we want, what’s not working and the steps we need to take to feel healthy, happy and deeply fulfilled in every area of our life.
This post was inspired by a talk on Clubhouse which I hosted together with career coach Sabina Haas and psychologist Doris Maybach. You can join us every second Wednesday at 08:00 am Zurich time in our club 'Gutes Leben und Arbeiten'.RELATED Posts
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