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  Laziness is something we’ve all struggled with at some point. You set goals, make plans, and even get excited about them but when it’s time to take action, you suddenly feel tired, distracted, or unmotivated. In this article, we’ll consider some practical ways to overcome laziness and boost your productivity this year, 2025.

1. Understand Why You Feel Lazy

One of the things I always tell people is this: before you fix a problem, you need to understand it. This is because self-awareness is the first step to change. So, ask yourself:
  • Are you feeling lazy because you’re physically tired?
  • Are you overwhelmed by too many tasks?
  • Or are you just procrastinating because the work feels boring?
Take a moment to assess the root cause.

2. Be Clear on What and Why

Oftentimes, the reason you feel lazy is because you’re not clear on what needs to be done and why. Yes, you do understand the need to work or get something done but you are not able to tell yourself what exactly or why it should be done. This situation of uncertainty could create room for mental stress and when you’re mentally stressed, it becomes easy for laziness to set in.

3. Create a Routine and Stick to It

I once heard a speaker saying, “You won’t always be motivated to do your work. So, you need discipline.” And that is true. The reason people often feel lazy is because they rely on “inspiration” to work, but waiting to feel motivated is a dangerous trap. Instead, create a daily routine and system that will ensure you do the work you need to do.

4. Avoid Procrastination

Procrastination is laziness in disguise. Avoid it. If you keep saying, “I’ll do it later,” you’ll wake up one day and realize a whole year has passed and you’re yet to do what you’re supposed to do. You can set a “5-Minute Rule” for yourself. That is, you tell yourself you’ll work on a task for just five minutes. What you’ll realize is that most times, you’ll keep going after those five minutes because starting is the hardest part.
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5. Reduce Distractions

If you can be honest with yourself, then you’ll be able to tell yourself how your phones are one of your biggest productivity killers. You have several things on your phone calling for your attention every minute. Notifications from WhatsApp pings, TikTok videos, Twitter trends, all vying for your attention that before you know it, you’ve wasted hours checking each one of them out. So, if you want to overcome laziness, limit distractions. You can set your phone on “Do Not Disturb” or “Focus Mode” when working.

6. Take Care of Your Health

Sometimes, what we call laziness is a lack of energy caused by poor health. If you’re always feeling weak and sluggish, check your lifestyle.
  • Are you sleeping enough?
  • When you sleep, what sleeping posture do you maintain?
  • Are you eating balanced meals?
  • Do you exercise at least a few times a week?

7. Surround Yourself with Productive People

You become like the people you spend the most time with. If your friends are lazy, always complaining, and never working towards anything, the tendency of that rubbing off on you is very high. You want to surround yourself with hardworking and ambitious people whose drive will inspire you to do better.

8.  Stop Overthinking, Take Action!

One of the biggest traps of laziness is overthinking. You spend so much time analysing and planning that you never take action. At some point, you just have to just do it. Stop waiting for perfect conditions. The conditions will never be perfect. Stop doubting yourself. Take the first step. Even if you don’t feel ready, start anyway. Action creates momentum, and momentum kills laziness.
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Concluding Thoughts

The only thing standing in your way is you. Overcoming laziness is not about working harder, it’s about understanding your struggles with it and developing strategies to combat it. This post has shared with you some strategies. Decide to do things differently starting today by applying these strategies.
Did you find this article useful? Contact us: editor@connectnigeria.com
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This article was first published on 15th March 2025
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victor-ifegwu-mbonu

Ifegwu-Mbonu Victor is a Personal Growth and Leadership Trainer who provides training and coaching to individuals and organizations.

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