I’ve always been a pretty indulgent person but only yesterday did I realise that it was seriously hindering me from my full potential.

How are we able to so readily give in to our temptations when we know we could do better than that? Are we really trying hard enough with self-discipline? Is it all just psychological?

The Whys

Your laziness mightn’t be strictly psychological. If you’re constantly feeling tired, dizzy or just blah, it could be a case of anaemia. Women, especially those who are pregnant or get particularly heavy periods, are more prone to it.

Another obvious culprit is lack of good quality sleep, which frankly all of us could use more of. Each faction of our bodies benefits from sleep. We’re talking central nervous system, immune system, respiratory, digestive… the list goes on. Work on your sleep hygiene, which means falling asleep and waking up at the same time everyday, as well as treating your bedroom as a bedroom and not as a second living room.

On top of all this, it could be your diet. Health is cyclical, which means that one thing almost always affects another. Eating the right foods (you know which ones – it starts with “V” and ends with “egetables”) combined with sleeping should be your number one priority to get you through your uni days.

But What If It Is Psychological?

A big part of laziness has to do with procrastination – the buzzword of university. Often, we view tasks as impossible monstrosities so we never want to get started on them. In reality, most tasks can be tackled in mini bite-sized challenges.\

Not starting means that nothing ever gets done. And a big fat nothing is even worse than an “average” something.

But if it isn’t about the quantity for you but the quality, then perhaps you’re skirting the line of perfectionism (something this writer is guilty of). “Why start when perfection is unattainable?” you ask yourself. Well, not starting means that nothing ever gets done. And a big fat nothing is even worse than an “average” something.

Every small effort counts towards the big offerings you’re capable of creating. Motivation comes naturally when we love what we’re doing or we’re being recognised for it. Which is well and good, but how are we to feel motivated towards boring compulsory units, a pile of dishes or a messy room? Because, well, we’d feel even worse if we didn’t do those things. Maybe you just need to accept that not all tasks are meant to be enjoyed.

Starting a task is the hardest part, not the task itself. Grit your teeth, clench your fists but start that task if it’s the last thing you do.

There’s Something Deeper At Play

We’re lazy for deeper reasons than just being unmotivated. In all of us, we’re avoiding something. Procrastination and perfectionism are just scratching the surface. It might be something different altogether.

Confronting what’s keeping you from your full potential is the ultimate key to unlocking it. For me? It’s failure and pride. But for you, it might be fear, confusion, doubt or something else. They say a good tradesman never blames their tools so let’s make this our place to start for beating laziness.

(Lead image: The Simpsons/FOX)