Am I lazy? No, you’re not. Here’s why…
The truth about laziness
So many people beat themselves up with some version of ‘I’m just lazy’. Too lazy to cook a healthy meal, go for a run or work harder.The beat themselves up for procrastinating.
But here’s the thing about telling yourself that you are lazy:
It doesn’t change anything
It makes you feel awful, reinforcing your lack of motivation and keeping you stuck in a cycle of self-denial and self-hatred
Change only becomes possible when you break the cycle of telling yourself that you’re a lazy person
Beating yourself up for not going on that run, for eating the doughnut or avoiding a big assignment is a learned habit that is ineffective.
Breaking this habit requires reframing the thoughts and beliefs that feed it.
You can begin doing this by bringing the focus back to your authentic values.
If you are calling yourself lazy for avoiding going for a run, ask yourself whether physical fitness is one of your authentic values. If it isn’t, notice whether you’re judging yourself then accept the fact and begin to explore other ways of moving your body that DO align with your values.
Here’s how it works for me
Physical fitness is not one of my authentic values, but it is important. Knowing this stops me from having the unrealistic expectation that I’ll be motivated to run every day. Here’s what I do instead to align ‘fitness’ with my authentic values of family, health, personal development and travel/adventure :
Get outside and kick the ball, bodyboard or walk with my family
Hike in nature alone whilst listening to a podcast or audio meditation
Do a short daily workout where I constantly visualise myself growing stronger emotionally as I grow stronger physically! (I have to do the visualisation part or I wouldn’t be motivated to work out)
Doing this won’t make me a fitness influencer, but it does keep me healthy enough to feel good and pour energy into my highest values.
You are not supposed to be and do everything, you are here to focus on your highest values - and everything you do will be easier when you frame tasks that way.
I help coaching clients to go beyond cultural conditioning and align their lives with their highest values. Contact me here to make a booking.
