In today’s advanced economy and society, with enormous levels of material abundance, countless forms of entertainment, and with advanced and innovative technology making our lives easier, it can be very easy to succumb to laziness, immediate gratification and pleasure, to lose the enjoyment and appreciation of physical and mental hard work, and to give in to complacency.
Stagnation
If we aren’t growing, then we are regressing. To think to oneself “I’ve made it, I’ve accomplished what I need to, so I can take it easy from here on out,” is to become lazy, stagnant, and you will quickly lose much of what you have accomplished. You will quickly be overcome by harder-working, more innovative businesses, younger and smarter workers and entrepreneurs, and the mental and physical health you’ve built will also diminish very quickly.
In order to remain sharp physically and mentally, to remain skilled, valuable, and knowledgeable, and to remain tough and hard working requires an endless hustle, an endless pursuit for excellence, or you will lose the ground you’ve achieved.
Fulfillment and Passion
I’d venture to guess that many people, maybe even most, believe that happiness and fulfillment come from physical pleasure and gratification, from laziness and consuming. So when they reach their goals regarding wealth, material possessions, social status, and they begin to pack it in, take it easy, and coast, they will more than likely discover that despite all that they have that they still feel empty and unfulfilled.
Fulfillment and happiness doesn’t come from having stuff or from feeling short bouts of pleasure. It comes from creating value, from serving others, from becoming a better and better version of yourself everyday, and from working your hardest and from committing yourself to a purpose that is much larger than yourself.
Willpower and Habits
If excellence, true fulfillment, passion, and long lasting happiness are your goals, then it all begins with the habits you practice on a daily basis. The decisions you make today will decide the course your life takes, and thus becoming the best version of yourself begins right now, in every moment.
When you are faced with the choices of doing more work, creating more value, and working till you are drained versus giving in to laziness and immediate gratification, the choice you consistently make will decide who the person is that you become. In my opinion, it is staying strict to your principles, walking the narrow road, and enforcing your willpower that will result in the most happiness and fulfillment for you in the long run.
Fight that laziness, fight that complacency that arises within you. It isn’t you, it isn’t what you truly want, and it won’t result in the version of yourself or the life that will truly make you happy.