Oct 1, 2019
So I once had a client who said the only thing standing in his way to better health and fitness was his laziness. Come on, really? I told him if he didn’t want it for himself, neither did I.
And unfortunately, I've seen this scenario play out many times in the Fit Dad Nation community and today I'm talking about it.
Hell, we all would like to be lazy asses and sit on the couch watching Netflix because it doesn’t require any mental or physical exercise. But you'll never get what you want if you do that.
Maybe you've used the word "lazy" to describe yourself but that doesn’t mean you’re a doomed to a life on the couch or that you aren’t capable of changing.
Laziness is a habit, not something you “are”.
There could be any number of reasons you think you're lazy.
Maybe you're uninspired by your life. Look at your job, is it mind numbing and boring? Look at your relationships. Are they draining you mentally? Look at your diet, exercise and lifestyle, are they conducive for good health?
Or maybe you’re overwhelmed. Too much to do and not enough time. Is it just easier to do nothing than take on all the things you know you need to do?
Or you’re just honestly tired. Look at your food, water intake, stimulants and caffeine, sleep, and stress levels. All can have a huge impact on your motivation.
Maybe it's self-sabotage due to a fear of success. You don't think you're good or worthy enough. Maybe you feel that succeeding will push those closest to you, away.
Or a fear of failure? People may see you trying and not succeeding thus showing your weakness and vulnerability. It's far easier not to try at all. Why risk failure when you can just do something you know you can do well?
The good news is that laziness is a habit and you can change your habits.
Start by changing your daily routines, one at a time. It takes on average 66 days to create a new habit.
Find your why, as in "why" being motivated and accomplishing things is important to you.
Challenge yourself. Push yourself out of your comfort zone.
Find inspiration somewhere or in something. It’s out there, I promise.
Get quick wins. Stop trying to hit home runs and shoot for singles.
Break down tasks into small chunks.
Put away mindless things that take away from you actually thinking about why you’re lazy. TV, video games, social media, and other time fillers.
Stay true to your word. This will build self-confidence in the process. If you tell yourself you WILL do something, fu*king do it!
Get help, join a tribe like the Fit Dad Nation Inner Circle (fdnic.com), find an accountability partner or someone who cares about you. Hire a coach.
Write your bucket list down. Look forward to something.
Start moving more. Exercise daily. Do things you enjoy.
Get rid of things that suck your energy like booze, soda, fast food, and energy drinks. Eat food that gives you energy and is healthy.
Realize you aren’t perfect and don’t need to be. We all can be lazy, but once it's a habit, it can keep you down in that dark hole for a very long time.