Overcoming Laziness: Reclaiming Your Time and Potential

As mentioned in previous articles, the biggest obstacles to reaching your potential are within you. The most powerful and destructive force among them is laziness.

Busy People Get More Done

It has been proven time and again that the busier a person is, the more they’re ready to act. If you’re someone who wakes up early, goes to bed late, and fills your time with meaningful activities including studying, social involvement, work, exercise and mitzvot, you are less prone to laziness.

People who say they "don’t have time for anything" usually have a lot of free time- they just don’t use it well. The more structured and active your day is, the more time you’ll feel you actually have.

Laziness robs people of time. Someone may say they’re not available before 10 a.m., because they like slow breakfasts. After 5 p.m. they’re “off the clock,” and need time to relax in front of the TV. And so it goes.

You Do Have Time- Use It

There are 24 hours in a day. You can work or study for 8 hours, sleep 8 hours, eat, solve personal matters, relax, and still have time remaining. In today’s world, a person who devotes just one hour a day to helping others, studying Torah, or contributing to a social project is already above average.

Don’t Compromise With Laziness

Laziness is an internal roadblock, a form of resistance fueled by the yetzer hara (the inner evil inclination). The best way to fight it is without negotiations. “Just one more minute of sleep” is the gateway to downfall.

When your alarm goes off, don’t think. Act. Like a robot, get out of bed and wash your face. Sure, there’ll be that whisper in your head saying, “Maybe I should stay just a little longer…” but block it out. Never argue with laziness. Instead, think of the good things this day might bring. Focus on what’s possible, rather than what’s comfortable.

The Spiritually Strong Are Proactive

People who are spiritually aware overcome laziness more easily, because they live with greater awareness of their purpose. When they wake up, they’re not thinking about the softness of the blanket, but about the significance of a new day. They know that G-d doesn’t owe them a thing- not even another morning. The fact that they woke up at all is a gift of divine kindness. They therefore respond with joy, appreciation, and action. They jump out of bed because life is too precious to waste.

You Have What It Takes

A wise person doesn’t sleep in because they know that time doesn’t wait. Every extra minute in bed is a minute stolen from what could be. Those who understand this live extraordinary lives.

You can be one of those people. You already have everything you need to be someone who rises, acts, and lives with purpose.

From the book "Dan's Journey for the Meaning of Life," by Roni Dayan.