Ending laziness through awareness

[raushan]

I am not lazy for kind all the works. I can sit through very long hours for things that interest me. But for a few things like as simple as cleaning the room or doing the paperwork I tend to get lazy. And It impacts my other areas of life.
I want to end the laziness inside me. Can it be done through awareness? Why do we feel inner resistance to do some work? It's also a mind fabrication, right? Why do we need an alarm to get up in the morning?

[Dharmic Tui]

I find if I put my soul into whatever I'm doing, no matter how mundane, I'm more likely to do it.

That said my house is often a dump, I'm happy to work hard but cleaning is low priority enough to get done infrequently.

[raushan]

Thanks, DT. But I often find something hard to do which I don't like. I guess I have to pass that barrier of aversion I feel before starting the mundane work. Do you try to be aware the whole time you do the work?

[Dharmic Tui]

I guess like with my meditation practice, there is an element of surrender which can be required. Aversion makes you not want to do the things you do not like, I just tend to accept that I must do what is necessary, time is valuable, so I should throw myself at my chores with vigor so as to get them done quicker. If I practice them regularly and develop a level of skill, less mental effort is required to do them, and I also produce a higher quality outcome.

You have much to gain from surrendering.

[Alex]

Motivation is a complex phenomenon, but an important part of why we do or don't do things has to do with managing our mood, I think. An option which makes us feel better in the short run is favored over the one that might be better in the long run.

And, yes, awareness is enough to overcome this... Becoming aware of that “inner resistance” you mentioned, "the barrier of aversion." And what lies behind it. Is it to do with the task itself? Something unpleasant? Boredom? Maybe there's underlying feelings like doubt or anxiety about being able to do it. Or something else entirely, maybe some feeling of anger or sadness that will be less visible if we distract yourselves.
The inner resistance is then the body-mind's way of helping us avoid this unpleasant inner experience.

So when we've made contact, then as mindfully and compassionately as we can manage, riding that wave of unpleasant thoughts/feelings/sensations. And when the wave’s power has lessened we are more free to make a choice, more free to make the choice that's aligned with our values instead of mood.

Work in progress, I must confess