Only lazy people can success!

[alexinspire]

People usually think that successful people are very hardworking and smart people. If you have friends who are millionaires or successful, you will know those statement or judgment about them are wrong. In fact, they are lazy people. I get to know my friends that they became millionaires only after watching them driving an expensive car after not meeting for a long time. I am always surprised and have such a question "How is it possible for THESE people to success?"

Here's why:

Successful people don't work to their maximum. They clearly understand that working as much as they can in the wrong direction and without planning is wasting their efforts. They work according to their goals and action. If they want to be a running champion, they don't run as fast as they can everyday. They check what the current champion's speed is and plan how to train themselves to achieve that speed.

Successful people don't try to take up everything. They understand that they can only achieve a little extra even they work harder than others. They also understand "Individual can achieve limited results; Team can achieve unlimited results". They don't do everything by themselves, they are good at leveraging others by getting everyone to do what they are best in. They never forget to empower and praise their team. They always make sure everyone in the team will get more than 1 when they offer 1 to the team.

Successful people don't work for money. They work for their passion. Most people will only choose business or job that will give them the most money. They work very hard in that business or job to earn as much as they can. Successful people know that as long as they are working passionately, they will attract suppliers, employees and customers who share the same passion with them. These suppliers support them fully, these employees are happy to work with them and their customers are good, regular and loyal ones.

Successful people don't work very hard. They always remember that working hard is a limitation or irresponsible way to run away from improving themselves. They learn how to achieve more with less effort seminars, courses, books and mentors. They became more productive and effective.

Successful people are not lazy at the beginning. They know that if they enjoy at the beginning, they need to suffer in the future. Working harder in the future is tougher because they will find themselves hard to form good habits and very used to comfort after enjoying. When they grow older, they know their body will get weaker and they have more financial burden such as house, car, family and children's education. They choose to work for 10 years happily and enjoy 50 years, not enjoy for 10 years and work for 50 years.

These are how lazy people success in life. They are lazy and smart. They calculated what is best and the laziest way to live their life. They are too lazy to work for the rest of their life.

[The David]

I've always defined 'laziness' as an unwillingness to make efforts, not the act of finding efficient, even easy, ways of getting things done.

[agnostic]

I think it's more helpful to say that successful people understand what effectiveness means.

[Stephen]

Definitions Definitions!

Lazy to me means bone idle including inertia to the point of negative growth.

The above post, interesting as it is, means to me about 'working smart' rather than anything else.

Anyway I 'm away back to bed

[Amandaaa]

I second what everyone else said.


I understand the message of your post, but I think it would be better to say that successful people are savvy, not "lazy."

[Julia.Ru]

Recently I read that there was a nonspoken definition among the soldiers of the German Army (correct me if I'm wrong) a couple of centures ago. There were 4 types of soldiers: 1) lazy and stupid - they were 'bad' soldiers; 2) hard-working and stupid - very dangerous ones; 3) hard-working and smart - good officers of the middle class (not sure how to say it in English correctly, but I think today's middle executives would be a good parallel); 4) lazy and smart - they were thought to become generals.

[alexinspire]

Hi David,

I don't disagree to you.

What I'm trying to mention here is not about encouraging people to be lazy, comfortable or procrastinate things. There are many definition to lazy:
1) Unwilling to do something
2) Attach to comfort
3) Procrastinate

And also these definitions as well:
4) Seek ways to be more effective and productive to do less
5) Good planners who know how to plan their future well
6) Unwilling to use hardworking as an excuse

I find the definition 4-6 empowers people and stop resisting laziness. The common problem that makes people fail is not laziness. It's "using hardworking as an excuse to stop learning and improving" and "can't see the cost of continue procrastinating and staying comfortable" that makes the fail.

Successful people are not hardworking people. I have many friends who are millionaire and are lazy bums (Real Life Experience. Not made up stories.) They are success because they know how to set goal, work as a team, work for their passion, always learn and aren't attached to comfort.

They are lazy in another way. Or put it in another way,

Do think human being aren't lazy. Everyone have laziness in us. If you are working in front of your computer, will you stand instead of sitting. Standing takes more effort than sitting. Laziness are hardwired in everyone.

It's not about stop being lazy and start hardworking. It's about using laziness in a smart way that can lead you to success.

David,

I agree to you that you say laziness is the unwillingness to make effort. Successful people are unwilling to make effort in a wasteful way, unwilling to make effort in a ineffective way, unwilling to make effort doing what they are doing if there's a easier and faster way.

Agnostic,

I think it's more helpful to say that successful people understand what effectiveness means.

Hmm... I did mentioned about effectiveness but not all 5 points I mentioned is about effectiveness.

Amandaaa,

Not quite sure about savvy. I'm not familiar with that word but you can share your point here!

Julia.Ru,

Good point! I heard that before from my dad. It's shocking and interesting when I first heard.

Thanks everyone for replying. I enjoy writing to all of you.

[Keith]

Originally Posted by alexinspire

What I'm trying to mention here is not about encouraging people to be lazy, comfortable or procrastinate things. There are many definition to lazy:
1) Unwilling to do something
2) Attach to comfort
3) Procrastinate

And also these definitions as well:
4) Seek ways to be more effective and productive to do less
5) Good planners who know how to plan their future well
6) Unwilling to use hardworking as an excuse

I find the definition 4-6 empowers people and stop resisting laziness.

The trouble is that you will not find definitions 4 through 6 in any dictionary. You are effectively trying to redefine a common use word.

Perhaps the simplest definition of Lazy is "averse to work". This can be either a good thing or a bad thing depending if the work has to be done. If a lazy person can avoid (or eliminate the need for) a particular task that's a good thing and it's called "efficiency". But true laziness means avoiding necessary work too.

P.S. Just so you know for future posts, "success" is a noun, and "succeed" is the related verb. For example: "It was a great success." vs "Only lazy people succeed".

[alexinspire]

Hi Keith,

Thank you for taking time to read the original post and the other long reply.

I don't disagree with you. There's actually no bad or good about lazy. Lazy is just lazy. The definition 4-6 is not originally created from me. In fact, it's not a definition at all. It's more of the way successful people view laziness.

Looking laziness in this way allow me and others to stop feeling wrong about being lazy and start to use lazy as a weapon or tool instead a limitation.

I like to way you put it "averse to work". It's quite close to unwilling or resist to work.

"Success" and "succeed"...

Hmm... I never thought of that. Thanks!