WATCH THE VIDEO IN FULL ON YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/V6puUQzk93g
WATCH THE VIDEO IN FULL ON YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/V6puUQzk93g
It’s always the same, isn’t it? At night, just before bed, you tell yourself, “Tomorrow is the day!” But guess what? It never is. Instead, it’s just another day of laziness, ending with guilt and a sense of uselessness as your “reward” for wasting it. And so, the cycle continues—day after day, week after week.
Today, I’m going to show you the only way to break these self-sabotaging habits for good. We’ll dig deep to tackle the root of the problem.
Laziness: A Part of Being Human
If we could count how many people have never faced laziness when trying to get something done, I bet you wouldn’t need all five fingers of one hand. Laziness is part of the human experience. Over time, our bodies have developed defense mechanisms to conserve as much energy as possible. The reality we live in today—where you can just grab food from the fridge—wasn’t always the case.
Think about it: in the past, our ancestors had to do heavy labor just to survive—farming without machines, for example. Today, we find ourselves making excuses for not sitting in front of a computer in a comfortable office chair. This is just one of the challenges our brains face today—we live in a completely different world, but our brains are still wired for prehistoric survival. We must learn how to deal with this because what was once an evolutionary advantage can now be a roadblock to achieving our goals.
But there’s no use in complaining about this reality—it won’t change. What sets us apart, however, is our ability to think, reflect, and evaluate what we’re doing versus what we should be doing to reach our goals. This is why I’m sharing this project with you! Knowledge is transformative, but sometimes you need someone to tell you a few hard truths, even if they’re uncomfortable.
No Magic Solution
Unlike many other articles you might come across, I’m not here to introduce the latest productivity app, the newest ancient technique to end procrastination, or the perfect morning routine that will turn you into a productivity machine. Don’t get me wrong! I support all content aimed at helping people solve these problems—and I especially support practical methods that help people adopt such habits for the long term.
Personally, I’ve spent thousands of hours over the past few years studying productivity, procrastination, lifestyle habits, task management, morning and evening routines, work methods, time-blocking techniques (like Pomodoro), efficient work calendars, and much more. I’ve even used app-blocking software—in fact, I’m using one right now to help me stay focused on writing this article. You wouldn’t believe how long it took me to find software functional enough to block nearly every loophole to prevent me from slipping back into procrastination. By the way, if you’d like me to make a review about it, let me know in the comments. Relying solely on willpower 24/7 is tough, as you probably know.
The Trap of “Productive Procrastination”
Many people spend countless hours studying personal development content. They have goals, life plans, and purpose, and they know what they need to do. They work hard to reach their goals, even though they experience moments of laziness like anyone else. They try to improve day by day, overcoming challenge after challenge to become better versions of themselves.
But from my experience, this isn’t the reality for most people. Instead, they spend hours watching videos looking for magic formulas to make them productive—but, of course, those formulas don’t exist. They live in what’s called “productive procrastination,” where they consume endless content on a topic without putting any of it into practice.
As a result, they become course and book junkies—resources that should be used to sharpen skills and competencies—but instead, they only feed the false sense of being productive. This feeling replaces the discomfort of actually doing the hard work that needs to be done.
The Cycle of Mental Self-Sabotage
When we realize we lack the ability to sacrifice the present for the future, we enter a cycle of mental self-sabotage. We begin to applaud the “luck” others had in life or envy their success. Then we feel bad for not doing anything with our lives, and, in that negative state of mind, we often make even worse decisions, like using social media to relieve stress.
We follow the success stories of multimillionaire actors without knowing their past. We see bodybuilders who look like Hollywood stars without understanding the sacrifices they made to reach that point. No one would refuse the chance to become a multimillionaire if it was handed to them, but if the requirement was working 14 hours a day, every day, for 15 years, I bet most people would think twice.
And there’s no shame in choosing a life with fewer resources and less work—that’s totally legitimate. But it’s not legitimate to criticize the success of others. Yes, some people were lucky—that’s a fact. But I can assure you that most people wouldn’t have achieved their success without hard work. You only see the highlights that people want to show you, not the moments of despair that came before.
Laziness as a Temporary Escape
All of this to show you that no one is lazy all the time. Laziness is just an escape valve to avoid the hardest tasks, which are often the most important. But it disappears like lightning when the task involves playing video games or binge-watching your favorite show.
Procrastination is another term people love to use when they put things off. And just like laziness, no one is inherently a procrastinator—it only shows up when faced with challenging tasks. Have you ever felt lazy when it was time to watch the last episode of your favorite show? I didn’t think so. Laziness and procrastination are just excuses.
What Would You Do for a Million Dollars?
Think about this: Imagine I’m a multibillionaire and I make you the following offer: If you show up at my house tomorrow at 3 AM, I’ll give you a briefcase with one million dollars. What would you do? Whether you live next door or five hours away, whether you’re tired or with your girlfriend, I bet you’d find a way to be at my door 10 minutes before 3 AM, watching the clock, waiting for the door to open.
So, ask yourself: How often do you use this excuse? Only on weekends when you go out with friends, or every day when you leave important projects until the last minute?
Three Key Changes You Need to Make
Here’s the truth—if you’re honest with yourself, you’re probably not as responsible and reliable as you should be. But the good news is, you can change that by making three key adjustments in your life:
- Take responsibility for your life
As cliché as it may sound, the responsibility for your life is solely yours. And here’s the irony—when it comes to your own life, you act as if it has no value. You spend time thinking about what it would be like to achieve your goals, but the first thing you do is grab the nearest distraction. - Develop self-discipline
When we were kids, our parents enforced discipline: either we listened or… well, you know. But as adults, our parents step aside, and we’re left to take control of our lives. They’ve done their job. Now it’s time for you to take charge of your own life. - Value yourself enough to achieve an abundant life
A lack of self-discipline is a sign that you don’t value yourself enough. It’s the inability to face a challenge and see it through. I don’t know the specifics of your life (or your ambitions), but I can guarantee that whatever motivates you is far more important than scrolling through social media or watching random videos online. And if you have a family… well, I’m not sure what stronger motivation you could need than providing the best for the people you love most.
Final Thoughts
So, the next time you find yourself feeling lazy or procrastinating, or whatever excuse you prefer, think about how short life is. Think about the experiences you could have had by now but didn’t. Think about the glorious moments you could have experienced but missed out on because of a lack of courage, action, and determination.
When you’re in your final days, do you want to feel fulfilled or weighed down by regret? The choice is yours.
As I said at the beginning, the pursuit of knowledge is essential for personal development (I’m a completely different person today because of my pursuit of knowledge—it literally transformed my life). But I guarantee that knowledge alone won’t change your life if you don’t have the foundational principles I mentioned earlier. This was true for me, and it’s true for many others I’ve mentored throughout this process.
Most of the time, the issue isn’t a lack of knowledge—it’s an “obvious” mindset that’s hard to implement. If you’re thinking this is simple and obvious, ask yourself: If it’s so obvious, why aren’t you doing it?
Before applying more complex techniques and concepts to your life, make sure the basics are solid.
Every time you’re about to waste your most precious asset—your time—reflect on these words that changed my life, and I hope they’ll change yours too: “Facing difficulties, obstacles, and headaches at work is good—it shows how unique your work is and how hard it is to replicate. The difference is in the work you’re avoiding. The value you bring and the authenticity you create are proportional to the complexity of the task. If anyone can do it, the result will be like anyone else’s. But above all, remember this: growth always requires sacrificing the present for the future. Don’t let small rewards today prevent you from living a glorious life tomorrow.
If you’re interested in learning more about the app I use to dramatically boost my productivity without relying on willpower, I’ve got great news for you! I’ve created an entire video explaining exactly how it works and how you can use it to take control of your time and focus.
To watch the full video and dive deeper into this topic, just click here https://youtu.be/V6puUQzk93g to head over to my YouTube channel.
While you’re there, don’t forget to subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss out on future content that could make a real difference in your life.
Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you in the video!
