The lazy person’s guide to getting stuff done

You want to know how to stop being lazy so you can achieve more? Cool. I’ve got you.

After all, I’m a mom of three running multiple businesses. I know how to get things done even when you’re a little bit tired (which is always).

But first, you should know I think laziness gets a bad rap. Depending on the time and place, I’m a big fan of strategic laziness. I don’t care if you’re running around in a cape, getting all the things done — sometimes you just need to be lazy and take a break.

And if you’re like whyyyyy am I so lazy? I wrote a whole post about that here.

But let’s say lazy break time is over, it’s time to do all the things, and you just don’t wanna.

Here’s how you get er done — even when you have no mojo.

1 - Let go of being “busy”

“OMG I have sooo much to do. I’m soooo busy!”

Being busy is the new humble brag. It’s like if you’re busy then you must be super important right? Meh.

Here’s the deal with talking about how busy you are. It becomes an identity and you start to subconsciously do things to keep yourself in a state of constant busy-ness:

• You focus on being busy, not effective

• You make things harder than they need to be

• You feel overwhelmed by your to-do list and cope by procrastinating

• You feel constantly pressured

• You always feel behind

In short, being “busy” is stressing you out. The stress is making you procrastinate. And procrastination is making you more busy. Yikes.

2 - Know exactly what you need to do

I’m not talking about what you WANT to do (I see you with your mile-long to-do list and your dream of doing it all).

We tend to overestimate what we can accomplish in a short period of time and underestimate what we can do in a long period of time.

So let’s get real — what ACTUALLY needs to happen? What’s going to move the needle the most? What’s the priority? And most importantly — what’s the BARE MINIMUM you need to do?

Once you know the bare minimum, you can aim for THAT.

I know, I know. It’s not sexy to aim for the floor.

But who’s to say you have to stay there?

If I don’t feel like working out, I tell myself I just have to put on my shoes and clip into my bike. Then I can be done if I want to.

I almost always do a full workout.

It’s way easier to aim for the bare minimum in the moment and then keep going than to tell yourself you have to do all the things.

Speaking of….

3 - Embrace half-assing things

Once upon a time I had a running coach who would assign days with only 20 minute runs. I used to think, “What’s the point?” and skip the runs. I felt like only the long workouts were worth my time. (Hmmm…Maybe that’s why I bombed my last race)

Half of an ass — or even a third or a quarter — is so much closer to a full ass than it is to zero.

But wait? That’s not how math works right? Uh yeah. But that’s how success works.

Behold:

• Person A gives 10% effort.

• Person B gives zero effort because “why bother if I can’t give 100%?”

Person A has given 100% more effort than Person B.

More mathy maths:

• Person A only has 10% effort to give — because, you know, life.

• Person A gives 10%.

Person A has given 100% of their effort.

The person who takes half-assed action will always succeed before the person who thinks the choice is all or nothing.

4 - Stop making stuff so damn hard

I say this with love — But some of y’all are out here making stuff way too hard and complicated (see point 1).

Thinking “That’s going to be hard” or “That’s going to take a lot of time” is stressing you out.

Adding a million bazillion steps to tasks is stressing you out.

Trying to be perfect is stressing you out.

And let’s review: Stress -> Fight or flight -> Procrastinate (flight)

If you want to get more done, let it be easy. I’m talking stupid easy.

Take, for example, the task: “Learn how to do marketing”

Sounds good, right? Except what does that even mean? How will you even know that you’ve actually learned marketing?

It’s confusing and sounds like a huge task. And that’s going to make you feel so overwhelmed you decide to go watch Netflix.

Now let’s break it down into granular steps:

1. Open laptop

2. Search “What do I need to know about marketing?”

3. Watch videos and research for 30 minutes

4. Make a list of things I will need to learn later

5. Choose an item from that list next time

6. Lather. Rinse. Repeat

See? So much easier! And you get to feel accomplished when you’re done!

5 - Stop waiting to feel motivated

Listen. Sometimes you’re just not going to feel like it.

If you’re waiting for motivation to arrive like a package on your doorstep, you may end up waiting foreverrrrrr.

You’ve got to learn how to take action, even when you’re not motivated. But how the heck do you do that?

Here are my two favorite tools to take action when I have no motivation:

• Ask yourself “why” you want to do it. Why does it matter? What’s the purpose? Is it propelling you toward a better future or keeping you stuck in old habits? When you tap into your WHY, you create your own motivation.

• Feel your “It’s done” feeling. There are lots of things I never feel like doing — Going to the gas station, working out, etc. But I know I always feel good after I do them. So yeah, I don’t feel like it in the moment, but I can imagine how good I’ll feel when it’s done. And that’s enough to get me moving.

6 - Stack your habits

This is science, yo. We love habits because you just do them without thinking. But what about when you want to create a new habit?

You can stack or pair new habits with old ones.

I used to never make my bed. It didn’t matter how much literature there was saying people who make their beds are happier. It always felt like a pain.

So I started to pair making my bed with brushing my teeth in the morning. It takes me two minutes to brush my teeth and lo and behold — that’s exactly how much time it takes to make my bed! So I’d do them at the same time. Now it’s a habit and I don’t even have to think about it.

Want to create a new habit but you feel too lazy to keep it up? Try using an existing habit:

• Habit pairing — Do the new habit at the same time as your old one (like me making my bed)

• Habit stacking — Add the new habit after your existing one (like journaling for 5 minutes right after you make your coffee)

7 - Reward yourself for doing it

I find that a lot of my clients who claim to be “lazy” are anything but. They’re actually running around, doing a million things. But all they can see are the things they didn’t get done.

The goal post is always moving. So they always feel behind, never accomplished.

You are not naturally wired to see the positive. So you have to MAKE yourself notice all the things you are getting done.

• You can make a “to-done” list — write down all the things you got done during the day or week. Look at it! Feel amazing!

• Set a goal and create a visual representation of your progress. It sounds childish but sticker charts are super motivating to me. I always feel accomplished when I can put a sticker on a chart!

• Take a second to savor the experience of getting something done when you didn’t want to do it — even if it’s going to the gas station! You did it! Doesn’t it feel great?

Celebration has to be intentional. But when you reward yourself for doing something, you strengthen your habits, see yourself as productive and dependable, and you get to feel great!

8 - Be lazy — strategically

We’re back to where we began. You NEED rest. I’m not talking about 8 hours of sleep rest. I’m talking about activities that serve no purpose other than to recharge your batteries and make you feel good.

Here’s the deal — The activity may be the exact same thing you do when you procrastinate.

But procrastination is driven by AVOIDING.

Rest is about RECHARGING.

If you want to be lazy in a helpful way, here are some tips:

• Understand your energy patterns. How much rest do you need to feel good? I know that I need one day a week to lay on the couch and do nothing. If our calendar gets filled with activities and I don’t get my day — yikes. I know I'll have an energy crash the next week.

• Know what gives you energy and pleasure — My husband loves to do yard work and projects. I like to read murder books and do puzzles. And while I can scroll TikTok for hours, it doesn’t really provide me with rest or pleasure. Find what works for you.

• Decide ahead of time when, where, and how you will rest — It’s hard to rest when you’re thinking “I should be cleaning my toilet right now!” When you are lazy on purpose, it’s easier to remind yourself that no, you SHOULDN’T be cleaning the toilet. You’re actually doing exactly what you need to do.

So there you have it. Your lazy person’s guide to getting stuff done.

You get to be both — Lazy AND productive.

P.S. My clients create their most fulfilling careers and lives by learning to release the fear that keeps them playing small and stuck.

If you're ready to experience professional and personal growth that’s fueled by what you WANT (not what you fear), I currently have two spots available for private 1:1 coaching.

Click here to submit an application to work together. You'll tell me why you think you’re stuck and what you want to change, and we'll book a call to talk more if it's a fit.

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Hi! I’m Erica

Wife to Brendan. Mom to twins + one. ADHDer. Slow runner. Coffee drinker. Swear words enthusiast.

I’m a licensed mental health therapist, former management consultant, and certified coach. I help busy professionals get out of their own way so they can achieve more with less stress.

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