Monday Motivation: Achieve More by Being Lazier!

What’s that? A Monday Motivation post where I am encouraging you to be lazier?

Yup. But not just lazier. I want you to be both smarter and lazier

I once read about a German General (General Helmuth von Moltke) who classified his officers into four categories:

• Stupid and Lazy
• Stupid and Hard-Working
• Smart and Hard-Working
• Smart and Lazy

Interestingly, his breakdown of the pros and cons of each type were not what you might expect:

• Stupid and Lazy – He didn’t mind these types. Stupid people can be dangerous, but since they’re lazy they don’t do much, which means they don’t cause too many problems. These people don’t hurt much, and work pretty well when told specifically what to do. He would give them simple, non-critical tasks.  Curious how two typically “negative” traits can lead to an ok worker…
• Stupid and Hard-Working – These are the most dangerous types of workers. They are dumb, but like to be very active, so they put lots of their stupidity into action. His advice is to get rid of them immediately. Obviously there’s more to success than just “working hard.”
• Smart and Hard-Working – You would think this would be the best one, right? Smart and hard-working are the two positive traits. While they play a useful role, these are the officers he would use as managers. They are good at getting things done in the right way.
• Smart and Lazy – You guessed it; smart and lazy is the best combo! Why is that? Simple: because the smart person does the right thing, but his laziness makes him seek out easier, more efficient, higher ROI ways of accomplishing those things. The smart and lazy person is the innovator.

To summarize, the best were smart and lazy, the worst were stupid and hard working.

Which Are You?

We are mostly taught the value of hard work, and I am not here to dispute that. However, if you are working too hard for the results you are getting, then I suggest you put your intelligence (and I am assuming that you are in the “smart,” and not “stupid” category) into finding ways of being lazier.

Take a step back and ask yourself:

• How can I achieve the same results with less effort?
• How can I get a greater return on my energy, money, and time by prioritizing, delegating, and hiring out?
• What can I automate or eliminate to make my life easier?
• How can I “multiply myself?” Not in a creepy, “Michael Keaton in Multiplicity” sort of way, but in a “let me reach more people in less time” sort of way.
• Are there areas in my life I am “saving money” by doing things myself, and would I still consider it saving money if I didn’t value my time at $0?
• What have I been doing the same way for so long that I need to pause for a moment and say, “is this really the best way to be doing this?

Laziness is usually considered a negative thing. I suppose it is, when you consider it “lazy and stupid.” If you’re lazy and stupid, well, you’re not going to get very far in life.

However, if you could indulge that lazy feeling and apply just a bit of intelligence you may find better, faster, cheaper, and more lucrative ways of doing things. And that, my friends, should be very motivating…
***
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About

By Avish Parashar. As the world's only Motivational Improviser, Avish uses techniques from the world of improv comedy to engage, entertain, and educate audiences on ideas around change, creativity, and motivation. Connect with Avish on Google+

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