CHRISTINA WRITES: I love being active and getting things done, but so often battle the want to do nothing. I hate having the regret at the end of the day that I wasted time… time I won’t be given back. I know we are called to rest, but how do you fight the want to do nothing? I know that in my head, I don’t actually want to do nothing. I know I will end up disappointed later, but I do nothing anyways. How does everyone else battle this?
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I think that if you set limits for yourself, it will be easier. Like, set aside a specific amount of time for one thing. If you want to take a break, set an alarm on your phone. This makes it easier not to get sidetracked.
This is something I struggle with as well. I always feel as though I should be doing something productive, but I just want to lay down and do nothing. I would definitely agree with @Hannah T. You should set limits for yourself. I have done that and it helps a lot!
I think everyone is in the same boat about laziness. It’s something that’s really hard on me.
There are many verses on the subject in the Bible, particularly in the book of Proverbs. It’s great to study them, but they won’t help you unless you put them into practice. Pray about it, share your struggle with a trusted friend, have an accountability partner, set limits and work on managing your time by making yourself a list of priorities. That really helps.
I struggle with laziness too. I think @disqus_07LiKAru5N:disqus’s idea is really good, of sharing our struggle with a trusted friend and having and accountability partner. Praying is a must, because we have to be determined to get stuff done and not be lazy, and God will give us the strength to keep going. And, like @harpistforhim:disqus and @JesusIsTheLife:disqus said, setting limits for ourselves is good too.
Something else we could do is have a goal set in place, and have a reward for when we finish it. Then just start over, but extend the time for the goal. So, like we could start with a week and then increase it to two, and so on. It will take determination and an iron will, but God is with us every step of the way!
I think that there is a part of all of us that wants to just be lazy and do nothing, and this can be a very hard thing to fight. Some things that you can do to counteract this laziness, is to get involved in something that demands your time and attention.
I really like what you said about setting goals and rewarding yourself. I think it is important to set goals, but it is also just as important to motivate yourself, most of the time via a reward.
Also, I was wondering if someone would explain to me how to link a user’s name with the @ sign. I tried to do it on my comment below, but it did not work. Any help would be appreciated! 🙂
@harpistforhim:disqus
You push the “@” sign and then wait for a bar thing to come up. At the top of the bar, it says “In This Conversation”. The bar lists people in the conversation you are commenting on. Click the person you want to link in your comment to tag them, and then you can finish writing your comment and post it. I hope this helps! 🙂
And sometimes it doesn’t tag the person right when you first post the comment. To fix this, I just click “edit comment” and then I immediately post the comment again.
I set reminders for myself in places that I will see them. For example, I am trying to cut down on my social media time and replace it with reading time, so I changed my phone background to a book. Every time I look at my phone, I am forced to reconsider how I am using my time. (So far it’s working, I’m in the fourth chapter of a biography about Henry VIII. ) I also put sticky notes with scriptures, motivational quotes, and reminders on my mirror and in my locker. I find that structure is very helpful to me. When I have a large chunk of time, I try to partition it out, figuring out what I am going to do instead of ‘just letting it happen’.
Thank you! That helped me a lot!
For me, it helps to think of James 4:17 “So whoever know the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” Sometimes I want to tell myself that it’s ok if I give myself a break, or don’t get everything done that I know I should, but this verse is convicting to me because it tells me that if I know I should do something but I don’t do it, I’ll be sinning.
I really like that verse! Thank you for posting it. It will serve as an excellent reminder when I just want to do nothing. 🙂
Yes, and sometimes it does the disqus username instead of the actual name. But don’t do anything, just refresh the page and it’ll be tagged correctly.
Oh, okay! I never thought about refreshing the page when that happens. Thank you for letting me know!
That makes it so much simpler… XD
Good ideas!
It’s funny, because I have the opposite problem. I almost have to have a picture of my phone in my book.
Great verse! And a hard one too.
This. Yes. Me. I honestly have no answer because I struggle with this every day (I’m procrastinating right now lol) but I’m looking forward to reading everyone else’s answers! (You know… later… after I go do what I’m supposed to be doing. Hehe)
Thank you all so much!
You’re welcome! 🙂
Haha I procrastinating right now too, so I don’t think I should answer either!
Do you have any suggestions for actually getting started? Once I get moving, momentum takes over usually. It’s just the process of actually going to DO something.
This is most certainly something that I struggle with, what I have learned is that accountability is the best way.
Yep, I feel you. Should be working on my last projects of the year… instead I’m doing literally everything else. Fun times.
This is me in a sense, I am active in getting things done but sometimes I have to really fight the urge to not be lazy and get my school work done and do my chores…I think the key is self-discipline. It’s hard but if you learn to discipline your self in the little things you will be disciplined in the big things in life. Hope this helps:)
God bless!
My tablet and computer are usually the source of my laziness. Through June, July, and sometimes August I do not use my tablet, opening my eyes to what I could be doing instead. Sometimes it’s super hard and all I want to do is binge watch the Andy Griffith Show, but I trust God and the my family to help me stay on track.
I struggle with this every day. As a rising senior in high school, I have a lot to think about and a lot to do to prepare for the future, as well as lots of things I want to do that aren’t necessary. If I give into distractions as I often do, I go no where. While I know this, I struggle to find purpose and fulfillment in being productive.
Last night I had the opportunity to hear the story of Chris skinner, a man involved in a near fatal car accident. (More info at http://www.chrisskinner.org) Chris is now wheelchair bound, and shares his story to motivate youth to make the right decision. His decisions to drink and ride with an intoxicated friend, while much more drastic than simply laziness, led to the end of life as he knew it. He implored the group of students in the room to make the right decisions, and treasure the little things. Life is precious, and we must take advantage of every moment. He also shared the impact his actions had on others around him, who felt responsible in part for the accident.
Our actions affect more than just ourselves. They affect friends, family, and most importantly God. When we are lazy, we disrespect the priveledge we have to be in this world. We have a responsibility to be responsible and do the right thing. We have a responsibility to not be lazy, to get out there, do what is required of us, and then some. You can only do something by doing it. With this in mind, I am able to say no to laziness, take distractions out of my life, and give 110% to the tasks I and others give to myself.
Before this, I didn’t have the willpower to do the right thing. Even still, I will struggle. What others have said about accountability partners and schedules can help to keep us on track, but we have to have the resolution within ourselves to truly abandon laziness. Hope this story that helped me can help you.