Lazy Thinking
Work ethic, like it is to a lot of people, is important to me. I see it as a reflection of my quality as a human. It’s important to me that I accomplish certain things like exercise regularly and that I show myself as reliable and responsible especially where work is concerned. I’ve almost always looked at “doing the work” as an action. Did I swim laps over lunch? Did I strength train multiple times last week? Did I finish that project? Did I take the cats outside? Did I give them their supplements? Did I finish that task for my side hustle? You get the point. Work has been to me largely a reflection of the things that I can “point to” and can say are done. I would have considered laziness or a solid work ethic being measured by that list of accomplishments.
With all that I want to achieve in a day building a business and working towards other goals, I need to be using my time well. I think that most of us can say that but for our own, varied reasons. In order to be more productive, I have wanted to make the habit of getting up earlier. It wasn’t until recently that I realized a bit of laziness that I’ve permitted in my life without being conscious of it. I noticed that I would think negative things first thing in the morning. I would keep snoozing until all of the free time that I could have used for working on my side hustle, for reading, for writing, etc. was gone. There was an area in my life that I was regularly permitting laziness - my thinking. I say this is laziness because I was doing nothing to combat those thoughts and my life was affected negatively - over and over again.
This morning I tried something new. I can’t say that it got me up earlier but the battle has just begun. As I was laying there feeling sleepy and not wanting to get out of bed, I CHOSE to think positive thoughts instead of negative ones. I will continue to do this. I am also now looking for other sneaky times when I’m just casually letting negative thinking determine my actions.
In case you feel like you don’t have anything positive to think about…well there in may lie your problem. Don’t believe that thought - that debilitating, controlling thought. As long as you are breathing there is something positive to think about. Pretend if you have to. Imagine the person that you want to be and the life that you want. Think of one thing - just one - for which you are grateful.
If you’re wondering if there is some area of your life where you are letting negative thoughts control you, think about what you do consistently that you wish you wouldn’t; or something that you don’t do and wish that you would. What are your thoughts around that situation?
As always, I’m rooting for you!
Your Coach,
Martha