We know: having the willpower to achieve our goals and dreams. But willpower isn’t always strong enough, and it’s replaced by laziness. Nothing moves forward. In fact, it’s as if we’ve lost our taste for anything. So how do we overcome laziness? In other words, how do we get more willpower? Here are the top 10 tips!

1 – Having the willpower: repeating to yourself “I’m in great shape”.

The more we tell ourselves “I’m tired”, the more tired we feel. That’s why it’s worth repeating to yourself “I’m in great shape”.

Not to cut ourselves off from our feelings, but rather to avoid falling into the trap of negative thoughts.

Often, having willpower is based on our physical posture. Indeed, if I decide that I’m in great shape, if I stand up straight, my legs firmly planted, my shoulders relaxed, then my energy can circulate and be available to reach my goals and realize my dreams.

Otherwise, when you feel overtired and lazy, close your eyes, breathe and visualize yourself at your best.

If you were in top shape, how would you hold yourself, what would you say to yourself and what would you do?

2 – Repeating “I’ve got time” to yourself

What invites us to laziness is the feeling that we have time for nothing, that we have too many things to do in too little time.

So, inside us, our minds panic and suddenly become exhausted.

Overcoming laziness and having the willpower is about being able to recognize when stress is building up inside us and to say to ourselves “I’ve got time”.

We breathe, calm our stress, our mind and simplify what we had planned to do.

Because the most important thing in achieving our goals and realizing our dreams is not to go as fast as possible, but to move forward a little each day.

3 – Have the willpower: repeat to yourself “I love what I do”.

If we have to fight laziness too often, if we lose motivation too often, we can no longer feel positive emotions about what we’re doing.

In fact, we move forward in pain, everything is difficult, heavy and burdensome for us.

And we fall into a vicious circle: the heavier things seem, the heavier they really become.

That’s why it’s essential when we have goals to achieve and dreams to realize to regularly remind ourselves: “I love what I do”. This way, we have more willpower available to motivate us to move forward and do what we have to do to get there.

4 – Overcoming laziness: remember why you’re lazy

Willpower is knowing why we do things. Laziness is forgetting why we do things.

Indeed, when we no longer know why we have set ourselves a goal, why this dream is important to us, then laziness gradually gains ground.

Yes, why make the effort, when in the end it doesn’t really seem important.

We’ve just forgotten about it.

In other words, when willpower falters, it’s high time to remember why.

Why is my goal important to me? What got me started?

List your reasons and read them over and over again. Your willpower will blaze again!

5 – Have the willpower: imagine how proud you’ll be of yourself afterwards

Overcoming laziness means taking the time to visualize how we’ll feel after we’ve achieved our goal, or more simply, after we’ve done the action we’d like to take to move forward today.

In the end, having the willpower is very much based on anticipated positive consequences.

If I do this, if I achieve this, I’ll be proud of myself. So, I do what I have to do.

It’s as simple as that, but you have to remember it at the right time.

Anticipate your joy, anticipate your pride when it’s time to take action, and especially when laziness makes your willpower waver. Learn to observe yourself and support, encourage and motivate yourself when necessary.

6 – Schedule rewards

Remember that we are big children. And when we were still little children, adults made us do things with the promise of wonderful rewards.

What if we did the same to reach our goals and realize our dreams?

What makes willpower waver and laziness appear is that we take things too seriously.

Yes, our goal, our dream, is important to us. But we don’t have to turn ourselves into a do-it-yourself machine.

We’re human beings, and we’re here to enjoy ourselves, to have fun.

And we can make progress by having fun. Especially by having fun.

Because it’s joy, pleasure and lightness that really drive us forward!

That’s why I wholeheartedly invite you to make a list of all the rewards that might make you happy, and to schedule them regularly so that you have the willpower to do what you have to do, with joy and good humor!

7 – Having the willpower: freeing yourself from the stakes

I mentioned it in the paragraph above: we take things too seriously, and that’s what keeps us from reaching our goals and realizing our dreams.

Because we ask too much of ourselves and because we put too much at stake, a stake that scares us.

As soon as something arouses our curiosity and joy, we turn it into something serious.

Recently, I came across an astrology course. I love astrology, I’m passionate about it. And I immediately transformed this passion, this surge of curiosity into something serious: if I do this training, I’ll become an astrological coach. And then my joy deserted me in the face of the seriousness of what was at stake.

We do it all, all the time.

We turn the things that make us happy into something serious: a job, studies, a line on the resume…

What if we freed ourselves from the stakes? What if we simply did things, because they bring us joy.

Willpower is based on the joy we feel!

“You don’t have to think about the goal, you just have to think about moving forward. That’s how, by dint of moving forward, we reach or surpass our goals without even realizing it.”

8 – Make it smaller

Overcoming laziness means learning to do even less. In fact, laziness often sets in when we feel we have too much to do in too little time.

And instead of motivating us, it invites us to procrastinate, because our mind doesn’t feel capable and will find all kinds of reasons not to get down to work.

Does that speak to you? Me, very much (laughs).

To have willpower at times like these, it’s essential to go smaller.

In other words, to concretely simplify the tasks we’ve set ourselves within a defined timeframe.

Either you increase the time allotted, or you eliminate activities.

Example: If your goal is to write a book, and you’ve set yourself the target of writing 1,000 words a day, and after a week you find you’re procrastinating too much. Maybe you could set yourself the goal of writing 500 words a day, or 1000 words every other day?

See what speaks to you most, what makes your joy and willpower blaze.

Allow yourself to move slowly! It’s perfectly normal! That’s how things get done: SLOWLY!

9 – Take a break

When laziness has set in and willpower is history (laughs), it’s surely time to take a break, a real break.

In these moments, the most important thing is not to panic (I speak from experience, laughter), but to enjoy!

A real break means taking at least two days during which you don’t work on your goal, you don’t even think about it, you don’t take notes, you don’t get inspired on social networks, you really do something else!

The best thing is to leave home, to get away from your routine and your automatisms.

Go away for the weekend, stay with family or friends. Just go! And breathe!

10 – Have an iron will: imagine yourself at the end of your life

This is perhaps the most magical piece of advice, and yet it’s the one we think about least often. Indeed, we don’t like the idea of death very much, so thinking about it when it comes to overcoming laziness isn’t exactly a reflex.

It’s the most magical piece of advice, because it has the power to set things straight in our lives. We realize what’s really important to us.

In concrete terms, imagining yourself at the end of your life means imagining yourself on your deathbed: “What do I want to tell myself about my life, about myself at that moment? What do I want to remember?”

In fact, the question you need to ask yourself, and the one that will make your willpower soar, is: how can I be proud of myself, of my life, at the end of my life?

It’s a magical question that will inspire you to reach your goals and realize your dreams!

Find out more:

I invite you to read these 2 complementary articles:

Discover How to get out of your comfort zone: 10 practical tips
Discover Stop procrastinating: 10 tips for getting started and staying on track

I recommend this inspiring book:

Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds by David Goggins

It’s much more than just a book. It’s a journey of self-discovery, determination and the relentless pursuit of excellence. David Goggins’ life story is both heartbreaking and inspiring. His journey from a life of poverty and abuse to iconic endurance athlete and military hero is a true lesson in mental strength and self-transcendence.
The practical wisdom and uplifting advice contained in every chapter make this book an essential guide for anyone striving for personal or professional growth. The paperback cost is a small investment for the amount of motivation and advice you’ll receive. A must-read for anyone ready to test their limits and discover their inner strength!

Thank you very much for reading this article.

If you liked it, let me know in the comments.

Take care of yourself