I am inherently lazy.

I love a good movie night, an evening out to eat, and I look forward to a stay-at-home weekend.

I love the looseness and spontaneity of vacations- they give me the luxury to relax without feeling guilty.

Now, there’s nothing wrong with a little rest from time to time- I think rest is important when you are working hard. But if we aren’t careful, we can start to live in this comforting state of laziness and I’ve learned that we can’t grow when we are comfortable.

Step outside of your comfort zone

Some of my favorite vacations have been the times when I am lounging on the beach, eating what I want, and not really doing much at all.

Now don’t get me wrong, I love experiencing new things and site-seeing when I’m at a new place but there’s a sense of comfort in laying out in the sun without a care in the world. I feel completely content and at peace in this scene.

I think vacations are a wonderful thing because they give me the opportunity to get outside of my typical day-to-day routine and they help me relax.

Oftentimes, I struggle with wanting to replicate this relaxation at home… as often as I can. I believe this is where an issue can occur and this is where relaxation can turn into laziness.

I’m a major fan of vacations and relaxing as needed but these things work best when we have routines and discipline in place.

Everyone’s routine and self-discipline will look different from person to person so it’s important to know yourself well and know what works best for you. For me, it works well to have things written down and planned out- this helps me prepare and stay on track. It also helps me to have parameters set up such as not checking social media before noon and putting my phone away an hour before bed.

Maybe for you it’s helpful to take an end goal and work backwards. So, if you want to lose 10 pounds what sort of habits will get you there? These could include: exercising five days per week, eating veggies and protein at each meal, and cutting out 90% of processed and junk food. Once you establish what you should do you start to work on one or two things at a time until you hit your desired goal.

Maybe you want to be more intentional about spending time with your family. That may look like sticking your phone in a drawer on Sundays and opening up a board game with the family. No matter what your method is, there are a few things that must be in place in order live the life and have the body we desire.

1. We must be clear on what we want and where we want to go
   -If you have no target goal or desired outcome it’s easy to get lost and distracted

2. We have to know what we are willing to give up and sacrifice
   -We can’t do it all so it’s important to get clear on what our priorities are and what is not as important

3. We have to be willing to step outside of our comfort zone, put the time and hard work into the process, and stay consistent
   -This one probably seems the most obvious but honestly ask yourself- How much of your day is spent working toward building your body and how much is spent making sure it’s comfortable and eating out of convenience? How much of your day is spent working on that business venture or just dreaming of it?

4. We have to have strong accountability with someone that we trust
   -When we feel tired, weak, and overworked it can be easy to slip back into laziness. That’s why it’s important to have somebody along our side who can remind us of what is important and what can wait. We all need somebody to lean on.

Guys, I struggle with all of these things. Sometimes it can be hard for me to get clear on what I want and where I want to go. And that makes the other steps harder to decipher. My vision can be foggy at times but the more I map things out on paper and take action the clearer things become.

I suggest taking some time to do some deep thinking on what is most important to you and what you are willing to give up to have it. Writing it down helps me.

I am inherently lazy.

But if I feed this I won’t get anywhere. Reaching any goal takes hard work and sacrifices. I have to be willing to step outside of my own comfort in order to see the changes that I want in my life. I hope that you will too.