The Good and Bad Lazy
I hate the word lazy when used with the idea that you are procrastinating or avoiding work. Let me be clear. If you are procrastinating or avoiding things that need to get done which will deliver the results you have pledged to deliver, then the word lazy can apply. Now lazy can be a good word when applied to those “Lazy, Crazy Days of Summer.” Being lazy for some brings joy and that is why we are entrepreneurs, to bring joy to the lives of ourselves and those who we surround ourselves with in the work place and at home. One of my newest clients beats himself up using the word lazy.
On the other hand there are some that are so driven they lose the value of the spoken word. The other day I was making calls for an organization I recently joined. I had some wonderful conversations with those who were doing good work. One of my fellow members was in Houston doing clean up work after Hurricane Harvey. Another was in New Mexico doing some repairs to her home there. One fellow I spoke to answered the phone as he was speaking to someone else. I gave him my name, the reason for my call, and the organization we both belong to. He stopped me mid sentence saying, “Gerry, can I call you back in ten minutes? I am on the other line.” To which I replied, “Yes.” I am still waiting for his call. You see I believe this fellow is waiting for the “million dollar telephone call” and thought I was it. Why would someone be on a call, answer a number he does not recognize, ask if he can call back in 10 minutes, and then never return the call? If you have an answer for me I would love to hear it!
I am sure this fellow is never called lazy. I have to wonder how much joy he has in his life. I also wonder if he ever longs for a day to be lazy. You see I think lazy, used in the right context, can be a good word. Bringing joy to life is important. Reflecting on what brings joy to a life then planning to bring said joy to your life can be extremely important.
As an entrepreneur, small business owner, sales professional, or however you might describe yourself, we get caught up in the systems for doing more with less. Multitasking has become a way of life. Today I was talking to a business client with my phone propped up on the kitchen counter while I prepared lunch. Thinking back to the conversation, I would like to think that I was fully engaged. Thinking back to the conversation, I am sure I was not fully engaged. Shame on me! Answering multiple calls takes away from the ability to give our full attention to the person in front of us. It is like the dog who chases two rabbits. The dog catches no rabbits.
The point of all of this is we can beat ourselves up better than anyone else, especially when we are the ones who are calling ourselves lazy. This client is in the 50 year age range and has had a lot of success, saying in his words, “By just skating by, being lazy.” I believe word choices are especially important when it comes to self talk. These mental messages become our mantras such that we believe what we say to ourselves, even when we deny negative messages to be truths. You see, I remember my dad telling me I was lazy. During the times that he told me such I am sure it was true. Dad motivated me to do more by telling me to get off my butt and do things that would help me be a better man. As a child, even though I needed that to motivate me, it was used in a positive way to move me from negative to positive. As an adult business professional we might take the word lazy, when applied to our work day, and see it as a negative because those messages from our youth which motivated us then now have the opposite effect.
Does anybody take a nap during the work day? When I do take a nap during the work day I can hear my father and the word lazy. He worked most weeks six days, some weeks seven, as an entrepreneur in the bakery business typically 10 to 12 hour days. He was anything but lazy. Yet, what is in my head is put there by me, by my own choice. I can today realize why I need the nap. As an example, I now have two days where I have a late night business meeting, getting to bed after nine and then getting up at three thirty the next morning for a business meeting at six thirty. I usually take a nap both days and do so without guilt because I have changed the message of lazy into something good.
Today is one of those days for a nap. I am up before five to get my day started. It starts with feeding and walking Jude, our Shepherd/Husky mix for 30 to 45 minutes. Then breakfast, prayer, and preparation for a client meeting at 10:30. After that it is lunch, benchmark evaluation, and preparation for my 6:00 PM meeting after which I will have a light dinner before I travel to the meeting. I am looking forward to being lazy, finding time today to take a nap.
Gerry Rose runs INTEGRITY Networking Solutions in Marana, AZ. He works with people in business who want to attract the right prospects and generate more referrals. More than 10,000 businesses have been presented the INTEGRITY Networking Solutions system in San Diego, Los Angeles, Riverside, Orange counties, California and now in Arizona.
Gerry’s stimulating presentation Unlimited Prospects, Unlimited Referrals is ideally suited for small business owners, home-based businesses, and independent professionals who want clearer direction and want to attract more prospects, develop dynamic systems, and strengthen their companies’ accountability. Gerry does one on one consulting, conducts a range of keynote speeches from thirty minutes to full-day education workshops. His book series, Unlimited Prospects, Unlimited Referrals, are available on the website, www.integritysd.com.
Gerry has more than 20 years’ experience directing business owners how to grow their businesses. He is a networking dynamo. Those who know him will assure you that he does a great job of bringing people together—which is why he started INTEGRITY.
Involved with networking organizations since 1984, Gerry is a Distinguished Toastmaster, a member of Toastmaster International, and has chaired numerous chambers of commerce and non-profit organizations.
Are you truly committed to attracting the right prospects and generate more referrals? If so then contact INTEGRITY Networking Solutions for availability and information. You can contact Gerry by mail at 5107 W. Wild Burro Spring Drive, Marana, AZ 85658. Direct dial (760) 439-4623; e-mail to gerry@integritysd.com. For more information, go to www.integritysd.com
