Laziness Checklist For Entrepreneurs

Are you a lazy entrepreneur?

I’m absolutely sure you wouldn’t answer YES to that question yet majority of we entrepreneurs exemplify various forms of laziness in our entrepreneurial journey more times than we would like to come to terms with.

So much emotional sentiments have been attached to the word ‘entrepreneurship’ or ‘entrepreneur’ top on the list is the passionate feeling of being your own BOSS.

This and many more has subtly turned we entrepreneurs into some sort of “hero” in our own fantasy world of risk taking adventures. The idea of being lazy will totally seem like an insult to our entrepreneurial personality; for crying out loud, we dare what others don’t, right?

The truth is we entrepreneurs are more susceptible to laziness in more ways than the average person in the world. The very fact that we are on a mission to create change through whatever business we’ve chosen to venture into calls for more discipline and hard work many of us are having a hard time coping with.

Consider the following quote I came up with while trying to examine this subject of laziness in my life as an entrepreneur;

“Anyone is lazy who expects change without action (doing something);
anyone is lazy who expects change with the same action (refusing to try new things);
anyone is lazy who expects change without intelligent action (a plan/strategy);
anyone is lazy whose actions doesn’t yield measurable outcomes! (significant results)”

Laziness for an entrepreneur is not easily detectable, no wonder it is often neglected much to our own peril. Have you ever wondered within yourself if the reason why you aren’t yet living your dream life or haven’t been successful as an entrepreneur is as a result of your laziness?

That might have come out rather harsh I suppose, it was intended so. There wouldn’t be any need to read further if you are already feeling uneasy right now! This article is for those who can boldly look truth in the eyes and accept whatever correction needed.

No one wants to be labeled “lazy”, yet many of our actions are perfect reflections of laziness. When I was much younger, I used to think people weren’t successful because they didn’t know ‘how’ to be successful. As I grew and observed life, I came to another rather painful conclusion; that people weren’t successful not only because they didn’t know ‘how’ to be successful, but because they are simply lazy!

Ignorance isn’t the cause of un-successfulness; laziness is. People are not living their dream lives, not because of lack of knowledge or opportunity, but simply because they are lazy! They have simply chosen to ignore the work required to create the kind of life they desire.

It’s quite natural to think that people remain in their prevailing conditions in life because they don’t know a way out of it. For a very long time, I believed this, even though deep down I knew there was more to it than it seems.

What would you say about someone who obviously knows their current condition in life desperately needs a change but refuse to do what is necessary to make that change happen, even after being told what to do repeatedly?

How would you describe someone who repeatedly complains about their life, but would rather “talk about it” than “go to work on it”?

How would you describe someone who openly shows admiration at the achievement of others but has never tried for once to be the object of admiration?

What would you say to someone who knows your source of success but will never replicate that same source in their own life?

There is only one answer to these questions, and it is – laziness!

Really?

YES!

We often think laziness is simply or only not working. Therefore, we seem to associate idleness with laziness and label ‘busy-ness’ as ‘non-laziness’. Yet we forget there are many “busy” people who hardly get things done (results). We forget there are so many people who are “busy” doing nothing. We have become a generation of “doers” but “non-achievers”.

We have gradually replaced productivity with activity. We never accuse the busy ones of being lazy. Of course NOT! They are working, doing something, actively engaged and not idle. I’m sure you’re wondering, how can I possibly call a busy person lazy? Well, you’re about to find out!

I dare so to you, that the world is full of so many unsuccessful people not because we have so many ‘idle people’, but because we have so many ‘unproductive people’. What we have all suddenly forgotten as entrepreneurs is how success is actually measured. If we have ever asked ourselves this question; “how is success measured?” Then, maybe the meaning of laziness wouldn’t have been this confusing to the world in general.

How Is SUCCESS Measured?

Success is measured by ‘results’ and not by ‘efforts’. If you are one of those who brag about how much effort you put into making things happen but never actually made anything happen; you are LAZY! We do not measure success by how much effort expended; we measure success by the results achieved. We do not measure success by “how much” we did (activity); success is measured by “how well” we did (productivity).

Success is not obscure (vague); it is obvious (noticeable). Unless the results are measurable, one cannot claim to have achieved success. The measurement of success is most accurate at the ‘end’ of the process and not ‘during’ the process. All that takes place during the process are simply efforts and nothing more.

No one has ever been awarded for their ‘efforts’; awards have always been the reward given to those with ‘results’. What we do and how we do (process or effort) is good; but much better is what we achieved (outcome or result). The world only becomes better from the outcome (productivity) of men’s efforts (activity) and not the other way round!

What Then Is LAZINESS To An Entrepreneur?

As entrepreneurs the world awaits the changes we’ve set out to create; the superior values we’ve promised to deliver to our customers; the significant business (an indispensable company) we’ve set out to build.

Laziness creeps up on us when we begin to sacrifice the ultimate for the immediate; when we begin to focus on the output (the money we will get) rather than on the input (the value we will create).

The list is endless, in fact i suggest you keep coming up with more on your own after reading this and please share them with us once you do either by sending us a mail, posting it as a comment under this article. I’ve tried to come up with a few ones that I will like to share below in two basic categories;

(1) Laziness is choosing;

‘Good’ over ‘Great’;
‘Better’ over ‘Best’;
‘Effort’ over ‘Result’;
‘Emotion’ over ‘Logic’;
‘Quantity’ over ‘Quality’;
‘How far’ over ‘How well’;
‘Motion’ over ‘Progress’;
‘Urgent’ over ‘Important’;
‘Available’ over ‘Suitable’;
‘Personality’ over ‘Policy’;
‘Security’ over ‘Freedom’;
‘Action’ over ‘Contribution’;
‘Charisma’ over ‘Character’;
‘Survival’ over ‘Significance’;
‘Activity’ over ‘Productivity’;
‘Average’ over ‘Excellence’;
‘To blame others’ over ‘Yourself’;
‘Faithfulness’ over ‘Fruitfulness’;

(2) Laziness is desiring;

‘Profit’ without ‘value‘
‘Change’ without ‘Pain’;
‘Love’ without ‘Sacrifice’;
‘Wealth’ without ‘Wisdom’;
‘Health’ without ‘Exercise’;
‘Power’ without ‘Discipline’;
‘Progress’ without ‘Patience’;
‘Respect’ without ‘Character’;
‘Perfection’ without ‘Practice’;
‘Fulfillment’ without ‘Purpose’;
‘Success’ without ‘Preparation’;
‘Development’ without ‘Learning’;
‘Freedom’ without ‘Responsibility’;
‘Opportunities’ without ‘Challenges’;
‘Authority’ without ‘Accountability’;
‘Leadership’ without ‘Followership’;
‘Promotion’ without ‘Contribution’;

This is the bottom line; Laziness is every action and anything that is ‘anti-change’. It involves any attempt to maintain the status quo! In other words, you are lazy if you always focus on efforts (playing it safe) rather than results (making change happen).

Thanks for reading!