What does it take to make you do the things you have to do?
And why do you have to make yourself do anything?
Those are questions that have fueled the productivity industry for years. It’s a pretty lucrative one because we seem to have such a hard time making ourselves get shit done that we buy book after book, training programs and even coaches, to whip us into shape.
Why is that?
I’ve heard that procrastination wasn’t a problem until most people migrated from the farm to the cubicle, but I’m not buying it. Too many writers and philosophers have weighed in on the subject for centuries.
“You may delay, but time will not.”
― Benjamin Franklin“Never put off till tomorrow what may be done day after tomorrow just as well.”
― Mark Twain
We may procrastinate more than ever these days, but it’s not a new problem for humans. (Notice other sentient beings don’t seem to suffer from it at all.)
Obligatory puppy pic
Could it be that we should stop trying to get more shit done and start doing less?
I know: shocking! Oh, the humanity!
I have been accused of terminal laziness by some very authoritative people — my parents and my grandmother, among others — just so you know I have credibility in this field.
I believed them, sort of, but I also knew a secret: life is much more enjoyable when you stop trying to do so much.
I’m not talking about a four-hour work week in which you earn skads of money sitting around on the beach. I do not have that secret, sorry.
It’s simpler than that
The secret is this: eliminate the unnecessary. Automate your bills. Stop buying so much stuff that you have to take care of. In fact, get rid of as much stuff as possible.
Use the extra time and money you’ve saved to pursue what you love.
That way, you won’t have to make yourself do anything. You’ll do it gladly, out of pure love. That’s it.
Told you it was simple
And you know, I’m here to help if you need it. (To get the half-off beta discount, use the code ACBETA.)
