The virtues of laziness | 3 minute read

We live in a go-go-go world where every hobby needs to be monetized, every habit needs to be optimized. I’m here to tell you it’s OK to take time to be lazy — and why it might just be the key to help you live a little happier.

Every year during the holidays, I take time off. Typically two weeks. But this year, due to some previous travel, I could only take one.

And I did… nothing.

I watched movies, walked my dog, cooked some food, and generally wasted away on my couch.

And I felt… guilty. At first.

But, why? I worked hard in 2024, both at my day job and freelancing. I moved into a new house and achieved a lifelong goal of finally visiting Europe.

Despite that, I couldn’t shake the sense that I should be doing more. Mapping out my goals for 2025, making an action plan for growing my freelance business, playing guitar — anything that you might call “productive”.

Finally, a couple days into my week of sloth™, it hit me. It’s OK to take some time to myself and not worry about financial or personal growth. After all, I had spent the previous 350 something days focused on that. And I realized: I was happy doing nothing. Happy refilling my cup that had been emptied over the previous year. Happy to finally take some pressure off myself.

If you need a nudge to adopt a little more lazy into your life, there’s the argument, according to the Lazy Report, that “a rested mind will lead to our greatest creative work.” After all, Isaac Newton discovered gravity while sitting on his butt under an apple tree.

Now that I’m back on the grind, as they say, I’m glad I allowed myself to be lazy. It was the kind of rest I so desperately needed. Maybe it’s time to give yourself permission to do the same.

The pebble

A few tips to help you be a little bit lazier by the author of How to be idle.

The challenge

Be lazy. Take an afternoon or a weekend and do whatever you want without guilt.

Cheers,

Justin, Tyler, Jon