America’s workforce is full of industrious, innovative, and creative people. It also seems to have an equal number of dawdling, disenchanted, and lazy people. That’s because they’re usually the same person. I’m talking about you and me — and the people around us — everyday. Here’s the deal.
Most of us have sparks of genius and lumps of laziness in us at the same time. We have good days and bad days. And even in the same day, we have periods of high creativity and low productivity. If you agree with that — and we hope you do — the real question becomes, “How do we deal with ourselves and our colleagues when we experience the doldrums within?”
The solution is the same as it is for procrastination. It’s all about the processes. There are times when we simply don’t feel like working on a project or completing a task. It is during those times that we really need to get back to the basics. By “the basics,” I mean … a clearly defined process.
When you understand the processes behind the work you do, you can counteract the tendency for low performance as soon as you experience it. You do this by …
- “Setting aside” the project. Quit working on the project!!!
- Focus on a single, simple, easy-to-mange step in the process. Don’t stop, but shift gears. Make it really easy on yourself.
- When you feel your energy and productivity coming back (it may even be the next day), get back on the larger project again.
Since all work is actually a process (or a series of processes), you have never really left the project. You have simply taken a smaller bite of it. When you deal with even the simplest step, you are still making progress … on a process … for the project (whoa!).
Here are the keys …
- Know yourself.
- Know your colleagues.
- Know the processes in your work and the steps that make them up.
- Understand that you have good days and bad days. Know the difference!!!
- Learn the naturally productive patterns of your day, as well as the unproductive periods.
- Be prepared for the doldrums by focusing on the simplest steps in the processes of your work when they occur.
Try this! Teach it to your co-workers! You will become a better worker. Your co-workers will be more reliable. And America’s workforce will be more productive. You’ll work better because it works consistently.
WOW, so true! I never really thought about myself as being lazy, but I see the patterns in my behavior in the article. Learning how to manage your time and become more productive is an important aspect in today’s workplace.
Well … certainly didn’t mean to suggest that any of you are lazy (rofl) but you got the point! There really are patterns, times, and “seasons” in all of our lives. We can improve our productivity and performance by becoming more aware of them, accepting that they exist, and planning our activities to coincide … especially with those really high performance times. For me, that is early in the day.
Have a great one!
Laziness,
What a word. It is true we all have lazy streaks in our lives. Maybe these times are also some times that we are just we charging our batteries and not being totally lazy. Maybe some time is needed to reflect on our past endeavors. However, some people never have the high effecient work time and I guess you could say they are lazy.
ROFL … I think you’re on to something, Danny. I guess it’s okay to be lazy if you also work hard. Maybe laziness is a problem just when it becomes a lifestyle … ? Good thought!!!
Have a great day!!!
I’ve always thought of myself as being a procrastinator, which I am, but maybe that’s a fancy word for lazy. I have learned that my peak time of the day is early morning until 2:00 pm. I try to get as many things as possible done during those hours. I also try to accomplish things in “baby steps” so as not to become overwhelmed with the current project.
I can really identify with with laziness. Bi-polar illness really requires me to stay on my toes and not let it take over when I’m down. I have found that a good reward system works for me. I plan to work for a certain amount of time or until I accomplish a certain task and then the reward. Let’s see, a piece of candy, chat with a co-worker or just sit at my desk and look busy while I’m really thinking about my plans for the evening works just fine for me. Be Careful! Do not be so lazy that your reward time lasts all day and you never get any work done.
I find that I go through cycles. But after a period of “lazy”, I am so productive. So maybe it is just a time to re-energize!
I think that I have been stuck on a bad day. I do have good days where I can get eveything and more done. Then I have those bad days where no matter what I do I still have not accomplished anything. I am going to take my process one day at a time and maybe my bad days will become less lazy. I never thought of it a lazy, but when you read the article it makes you look at yourself alittle harder.
I don’t feel anything but energetic at work most of the time. My downfall is accompolishing things in the afternoon, at home. I liked the suggestion of taking small bites. It seems that when you start somewhere it is a “big bite” to accompolishing any task. When you start a project and see that you are making progress it does make you want to continue until you finish the project.
Yes, Barbara … I agree. Nothing spurs success as well as success does. Success breeds success.
I couldn’t quite put my finger on why I felt the way I did yesterday. Now I know. It was the doldrums
Yeah … and sometimes they just seem to flow in and out like the tides. But if you know what you’re doing, you can still have a good day sailing, in spite of the tides. Just a little analogy there. Hope you are having a great day today!