Article by Jentana Lee Dabbs
Photo Credit: Dasha & Mari
Magazine: Issue #18
Did you know that using the word “lazy” in your vocabulary can not only interfere with the success of your goals but it can greatly interfere with the success of other peoples goals if you label them as lazy too?
How many times have you found yourself saying, “I’m just too lazy to workout today,” “I’m too lazy to go to a networking meeting?”
And how many times have you labeled someone you know as lazy?
The Go To Label
The word “lazy” has been used as a label over the years to define the reason why a person is not achieving something or doing something that should be done towards reaching a positive goal.
Negative Label
The word “lazy” has a negative, underachieving stigma attached to it. The word “lazy” not only brings up old feelings of worthlessness and underachievement, but it might cause you to beat yourself up every time that labeled act of laziness is repeated regardless of how much willpower you use towards not being lazy.
Willpower does not work
Many times when a person attempts to use willpower to overcome laziness, chances are high that the person is going to easily fall back into the same lazy pattern after a couple of times of using willpower.
Why
The origin of the word “lazy” goes back to the 1540’s and was spelled “laysy.” It replaced native slack, slothful, and idle as the main word expressing the notion of "averse to work." It also meant weak, feeble and tired. Every time you call yourself or another person “lazy” you are affirming that you or another person does have an averse to work, is slack, slothful and idle as well as weak, feeble and tired.
Wrong Labeling
Because we live in a society of labels, I believe that the word “lazy” became a common label only because it seemed like the most logical word to use during a time when we didn’t know as much about the brain and habits as we do now.
Use The Correct Label
Many times when we don’t follow through on a goal, its not that we are being lazy, it simply means that the“HABIT” to achieve the goal has not been implanted. The dictionary definition of “habit” is: an acquired behavior pattern regularly followed until it has become almost involuntary.
Delete Lazy Today
When you delete the word “lazy” from your vocabulary and understand that if you can’t get yourself to the gym, its not that you’re lazy, you just need to get into the habit of going, you might see yourself achieving your goals with much more effortless, success, in the future!
