Why Is Being Lazy Important for the Evolution of Human Beings?
How did Steve Jobs use laziness to find the next big product idea?
Introduction
In our fast-paced society, it's hard to find time for rest. We're always on the go, working to meet deadlines and achieve goals.
But what if I told you that laziness could be a virtue! Focus on being lazy and achieve the results you dreamt of.
What about making laziness your new mantra of life?
Human beings are lazy by nature.
Researchers have done several experiments to answer the question — Are human beings lazy by nature?
The answer they came up with is; Yes. Our brain is always trying to find an easy way to do things.
We are looking for ways to save our energy. And the natural inclination is to avoid unnecessary exertion.
So, why not accept that our true nature is being lazy. Then, instead of fighting it, embrace it.
Be the Lazy General of your life.
Forget what you learned in school about being lazy. In school, they teach you if you want to be successful, you have to work hard.
It makes students think that laziness is the antonym of hard work. But that's the misconception. The goal is to be successful and not be hard working.
Being successful and being hardworking are two separate things. And we should keep them that way.
The fact is you can be both lazy and successful at the same time.
How did Steve Jobs use laziness to find the next big product idea?
Laziness is the mother of innovations and disruptive ideas.
The trick is to focus on finding easy ways to get things done. If there is no easy way to do a certain task, you find yourself a business idea.
In the book "The Steve Jobs Way," by Jay Elliot, Jay mentioned that one of the many traits of Steve Jobs was being lazy. Steve wanted to make his life easier. And in the process, he came up with the ideas of iPod, MacBook, etc.
Steve was a big fan of music and wanted to take his favorite music with him wherever he went. But, he didn't want to carry a Gramophone and a large disk with him to listen to his favorite music.
So, Steve's need to listen to music on the go gave birth to what we know today as iPod.
Let laziness motivate you to find new ideas to simplify your and others' lives.
Why is Laziness Important?
Laziness can sometimes get a bad rap, but it's an important trait to have! Here are four reasons why laziness is a good thing:
1. Laziness keeps you motivated. If you're always doing something, it can be hard to stay motivated. But by taking a break and doing nothing, you allow yourself to recharge and come back stronger than before.
2. Laziness prevents burnout. If you don't take breaks, you're more likely to experience burnout. This can lead to decreased productivity and even depression.
3. Laziness makes you more creative. When your brain is rested, it's more likely to come up with clever solutions to problems. At the same time, laziness pushes us to find creative ways to get things done. Bill Gates once said that I prefer to hire a lazy engineer, as he will find ingenious ways to get things done.
4. Laziness is good for your health. Too much stress can lead to all sorts of health problems. So, it's essential to take some time for yourself. Relaxing and doing nothing can be as beneficial as exercising or spending time outdoors.
4 ways to take advantage of your lazy side
There's a reason why the saying "take it easy" is so popular. Taking things easy is the key to a relaxed and productive lifestyle.
By embracing our natural tendencies to be lazy, we can get more done in less time! Here are some of the best ways to take advantage of your lazy side:
1. Take short breaks often.
Our brains start to wear out when we're working for long hours without a break. It makes us less efficient.
We can give our brains a chance to rejuvenate by taking short breaks. Studies say that people who take regular breaks get more done in less time than people who don't.
Hence, be lazy and enjoy your short naps, chit chats, walks, stretching, or an episode of "Big Bang Theory."
2. Set simple goals and deadlines.
As per James Clear, the author of the famous book "Atomic Habits," setting simple goals and deadlines is the key to success.
More often than less, we set ambitious goals which are inspiring. But, most of the time, we work towards them initially and quit after some time.
For example, the most common goal is to exercise an hour every day to get in shape. But, the report of a gym franchise shows that 90% of the people give up in the first three months of joining the gym.
One of the main reasons for this occurrence is setting ambitious goals.
You can solve it by using the method shared by James in his book Atomic Habits. Set simple goals!
Set a goal to change into exercise clothes every morning. Then change it to exercise 5 mins daily, and later to 15 mins.
Once you start showing up for 5 minutes every day, you will automatically start increasing the time you exercise.
So, do not try to do too much at once and get overwhelmed. Instead, be lazy and use it to your advantage.
3. Take advantage of technology.
Laziness triggers creativity and innovation. The reason behind every invention is to make our lives easier.
We used horses to travel as walking was lame. Soon, we built cars as riding on horses was uncomfortable.
Then, we built airplanes as driving for days to reach a destination was tiring. Now, we are building rockets as spending 8 hours on a flight is annoying.
Soon we will be developing teleportation guns as the concept of spending time traveling will be such a 21st-century concept.
There are already several tools at your disposal to make your life easy. You have to be lazy and let your laziness force you to find these tools.
For example, the tools I use to make my writing more comfortable and better are:
- Grammarly: To correct my grammar
- Hemingway Editor: To make my article easy to read
- Headliner by Coschedule: To come up with catchy headlines
- Jasper AI: To help me write an article
- Canva: To create beautiful images for my article
4. Delegate tasks whenever possible.
What is better than someone else doing your task for you?
Thus, if there are tasks that you can delegate to someone else, don't be afraid to do so!
Not only will this free up your time, but it will also help to build relationships with the people you delegate to.
Every person has a limited time. But, there is no limit to the number of people. So, use them and their time to achieve your goals.
This is what large corporations do. They deploy people to build things in a year that will take a lifetime to build for one person.
Conclusion
Being lazy has a bad reputation, but in truth, laziness can be a powerful tool. It can help us get more done in less time and achieve our goals with less stress when used correctly.
Hence don't be afraid to embrace your inner sloth.
