Beating The Cycle Of Lazy Monotony In Life?

Life is short, they say.
Living is Long, I retort.
Too many of us, including myself, make the excuse that we don’t have time to do what we want to do.

This can be ranging from enjoying a pastime, a second job, working on a creative endeavour… HELL! Just getting to sleep and resting!

Let's be honest, we're all a bunch of lazy sods, and you know what? That's okay!

Most of the time, I'd much rather plonk myself on the sofa, especially after a long day at work. I'll switch on the telly, play some music, get battered on Super Smash Bros, knock back a shot or two of tequila or pretend to be Ainsley Harriet for five minutes before inevitably burning dinner. The idea of doing something that could actually be productive, fulfilling, challenging or empowering is often just too much to bear, and so it all goes out the window by 5pm for most of us.

But that's okay - what I don't enjoy is this never-ending cycle of what I call "actively static," "consciously paused," or "lazy monotony." Whatever you want to call it, I've given it some thought and have settled on a name for these musings.

It's okay to be lazy, but don't get too complacent

Recently, I've noticed an increase in complacency and laziness. Personally, I work too much, and it's something I need to balance out. But it irks me when I see people not taking accountability for their actions or not considering what needs to be done for a task and expecting others to do it for them. This is a common thread, especially in the workplace, and I wonder how anything gets done anymore. Keep that fire of effort burning bright because people notice when you're not doing anything.

Equal time, but not the same time

You've probably heard the current entrepreneurial rhetoric being peddled lately: "Everyone has the same 24 hours." I disagree with it because of the word "same." Equal and same might be synonymous, but as adjectives, equal is a match in numeric value, while same is a match in quality or status. We all have an equal amount of hours within a day, but the way you can utilise those hours will never be the same. This is due to a multitude of factors, from your age, experiences, lifestyle, geographical location, politics, financial situation, ethnicity, skin colour, physical health, and mental health, just to name a few. Every little piece, even the ones you don't get to choose from an individual to an international level, plays a part in how your time functions. You might have more time to utilise than most but haven't found a way to push it to its greatest advantage, and vice versa can be said where you've optimised it in such a way you barely need to consume much of your time to get what needs to be done, done. It varies for every person.

Optimisation within your Craft.

Let's talk about optimising yourself. You should be optimising as much as possible. Everything in life is optimised and balanced, well almost everything. Without this balance, you can become distracted and follow the wrong path. Being a graphic designer with advertising, marketing, social and branding spaces, we spend our time finding a balance between communication and being visually appealing. Being able to say something and attract in unison is a simple skill to understand but hard to put into action if you don't have the correct mindset and toolkit. Most people think saying "make it pop" is a useful phrase when it means nothing. The arts as a whole are adjective-driven, and we have all subconsciously developed a descriptive terminology that makes sense.

So find ways to optimise. An hour a day for the things you love is enough to push you forward with the things that matter to you.

A possible solution? But not a certain one either.

I had a thought: why don't we have something for photographers that focuses on understanding their mindset, mentality, and behaviors to inform their choices? I'm not talking about the "proper" way to do things or what type of photographer to be, but rather an understanding of who you are as a human being and how that can help you optimise what you want to do within the craft. Knowing what you love and hate, what feels right and wrong for you, and what visually pleases you for examples, can give you direction and help you define yourself.

Without this understanding, what are you even aiming to be? Why spend an hour a day on something if you don't know what you want to achieve? While it may not give you all the answers you're looking for, having a clear sense of self can be invaluable.

Finding Optimism in Your Craft

Maintaining happiness in our craft can be challenging, but it's okay to be unhappy with where you are. With the right mindset, you can view it as an opportunity for growth and improvement. Our so-called Masters are considered masters precisely because they view every problem and failure as a chance to evolve and inspire others.

Very few crafters are always in a state of joy about their work; we're supposed to be in a constant state of grey. Otherwise, we risk becoming delusional about our supposed "masterpieces" and fearing failure to the point of not creating anything new.

That Rock Scene in "Everything, Everywhere, All of the Time"

It's easy to stop and be a rock, but doing nothing or giving up only leads to a state of "what ifs," which is worse than failure itself. We must be okay with failure and pressure, as they differentiate those who will craft for a lifetime from those who find no success due to a single failure that shook them.

You have to be optimistic, but not blindly so. You must be willing to acknowledge your faults and learn from them. Move the rock! Every day is a chance to create something new or learn something that can lead to a masterpiece.