Struggle with procrastination and lethargy? Learn the secrets of the East! Unleash your inner warrior with these 8 powerful Japanese techniques for crushing laziness and conquering your to-do list. From Ikigai’s purpose-driven motivation to Hara Hachi Bu’s mindful eating, master ancient wisdom for a thriving, productive life. Say goodbye to the couch and hello to the zen of achievement!
How to Overcome Laziness
Laziness, that seductive siren luring us from action and achievement. We all succumb to its whispers, be it a skipped gym session or the ever-growing pile of “to-dos.” But fear not, fellow procrastinators! There’s a path out of the swamp of sloth, paved with potent techniques rooted in unexpected places: within ourselves and across oceans.
IKIGAI
It means to have a purpose in life. The reason you wake up each working excited to do something.
When you have a purpose, you won’t feel lazy or unmotivated.
Uncover your “reason for being.” This philosophy posits that finding your life’s purpose ignites an intrinsic motivation, propelling you to action like a rocket fueled by passion.
Buy Your Book : Click Here
4 Rules of lKIGAI
1) Do what you love,
2) Do what you’re good at,
3) Do what the world needs,
4) Do what you can be paid for.
Kaizen
It means focusing on small improvements every day and not waiting for big improvements but trying to
become 1% better every day. Instead of setting a big goal, we should divide it into multiple small goals
and tackle each of them one by one.
Embrace the joy of incremental progress. Forget about overnight transformations. Celebrate small wins, like writing a single paragraph or organizing a drawer. Tiny steps, consistently taken, pave the way to massive mountains climbed.
Get Your Book: Click here
Also Read: 24 things to stop doing in 2024
Shoshin
It’s a concept from Zen Buddhism that means approaching things with a beginner’s mindset.
“If your mind is empty … It is open to everything. In the beginner’s mind, there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s mind, there are few. ” – Shunryu Suzuki
(author of Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind)
Hara Hachi Bu
This means to stop eating after you’re 80% full. If you eat too much, you’re more likely to feel lazy.
This happens to people all the time. Once they eat their lunch, they start to feel tired because the body tries to digest all the food they eat. So you start to feel sleepy, and you will not love to work instead you would like to procrastinate.
Eat for life, not laziness. Mindful eating, like this Japanese practice, promotes digestion and energy levels, preventing the post-lunch slump that often invites afternoon naps.
Also Read: How Does Our Human Brain Works?
Shinrin-yoku
Shinin in Japanese means “forest,” and yoku means “bath.”
It means that one should spend more time with nature. Spending time with nature is the best way to
deal with stress. Whenever you’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed, go for a walk.
Wabi-sabi
This means that instead of perfection, one should find beauty in imperfection. Things can’t be perfect
all the time. Some things can’t be perfect, and that’s okay. There is beauty even in perfection. Love the
things the way they are. Don’t be stubborn and try to chan e them. You will ruin their beauty.
Also Read: How to Read a Book a Week: Unleash Your Inner Speed Reader
Ganbaru
Nothing worth doing takes much time, no matter how hard one tries. One should be patient with the results and still try to do the best that can be done.
Gaman
It means to show patience and perseverance when things go hard. When you go on a journey it’s not
going to be all pleasant there will be a lot of times when things will go wrong. You will face many
difficulties when you start doing the things you want to do. There will be failures.
Also Read: 12 laws of karma: Learn how to create a more positive and fulfilling life
Western Hacks for Eastern Inspiration
- Pomodoro Power:Divide tasks into 25-minute bursts with short breaks in between. This method harnesses the brain’s natural focus cycle, preventing overwhelm and keeping you productive.
- Reward Yourself (Strategically):Don’t confuse bribery with positive reinforcement. Earning a reward after completing a task, like watching an episode of your favorite show, anchors achievement with pleasure, strengthening the “work, then play” loop.
- Tame the Tech Tyrant:Social media notifications are the sirens of distraction. Disable them while working, focusing on one task at a time. Reclaim your attention, and watch your productivity soar.
Remember, laziness isn’t a life sentence. With a sprinkle of ancient wisdom and a dash of modern techniques, you can vanquish the urge to do nothing and become the champion of your own to-do list. Now, go forth and conquer!
I Hope you understand now how you can overcome laziness and be Productive instade.
