We have the ability to perform and do great things, but sometimes, if not most of the time, we do not exert effort to do so. Laziness drags us down to mediocrity, procrastination, and eventually failure. Emil Ihsan-Alexander Torabi talks about four steps to guide us overcome slothfulness or passivity to become a more effective person the way we should be.

In reality, human beings have limitations. There is an end-point to human willpower and determination. There is only so much force that we can exert on ourselves every day to act and move. But, despite this limitation there are things that we can do to overcome what drags us – laziness.

To get into action, we need motivation. In reality, we as human beings usually try to run from or towards something; avoid pain or gain pleasure; afraid of or desire of something. We must understand these two opposing forces and use them to gain leverage for ourselves.

Step 1 – Think of what you try to avoid and the things that you do not want? Identifying these issues is the key to overcoming laziness.

Step 2 – Know what you really want. Determine what are your potentials and your goals to get the best possible outcome.

Step 3 – Decide what will be your next step? Not following steps on your way, but just the next step that you can take.

Step 4 – Go back to the process again and keep doing it every day. Take one step at a time and it will get you closer to your goal.

You cannot eat a single elephant in a single bite and you do not have to haste. Just keep going, slowly but surely. The key to success is to have a vision, but achieving it takes time.