Destroy Laziness By Doing This First Thing In The Morning [SOLO ROUND] EP 1365

Today, we’re going to discuss something that holds SO many of us back from achieving our ultimate human potential: laziness and lack of motivation. I’m going to give you the 3-step blueprint to destroy your laziness once and for all. We’ll also cover the mindset shifts you need to make, the critical questions you need to ask yourself, and the proven tools to help you get motivated and stay motivated for the long haul. In this episode you will learn, Why it's okay to fall flat on your face when pursuing goals. How destroying laziness starts with a single strategic change. The best place to start to find your meaningful mission.6 habits for an ideal morning routine. For more, go to lewishowes.com/1365Mel Robbins’ The High 5 Habit & The Secret To Motivation: https://link.chtbl.com/1170-podAndrew Huberman On Eliminating Brain Fog, Increasing Your Focus & Controlling Your Motivation: https://link.chtbl.com/1204-podJordan Peterson On How to Build Confidence & Cultivate Inner Peace: https://link.chtbl.com/1094-pod Get more from Lewis! Get my New York Times Bestselling book, Make Money Easy! Get The Greatness Mindset audiobook on SpotifyText Lewis AIYouTubeInstagramWebsiteTiktokFacebookX

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Lewis Howes?

  Over the course of a 1,300-plus interviews on the School of Greatness, I learned that the biggest difference between those who do and those who don't comes down to a few things.

• 0:11Lewis Howes?

  Welcome to the School of Greatness. My name is Lewis Howes, a former pro athlete turned lifestyle entrepreneur. And each week, we bring you an inspiring person or message to help you discover how to unlock your inner greatness. Thanks for spending some time with me today. Now let the class begin.

• 0:35Lewis Howes?

  Hey, everyone. Today, we are going to discuss something that holds so many of us back from achieving our ultimate human potential, and that is laziness and lack of motivation. Now, we all know we need to rest and we deserve time to recharge. But I've found that so many talented individuals spend so much time over the years never taking action on their dreams. They push them down. They promise themselves that they'll eventually get to it. And all too often, one of life's greatest tragedies happen as a result. The dreams these individuals have, they die inside of them. And we all know people who have been in that situation. And it's truly heartbreaking to witness someone with so much potential.

• 1:17Lewis Howes?

  And that's the last thing I want for you, which is why I wanted to tackle this issue in today's episode. And I'm going to give you the three-step blueprint to destroy your laziness once and for all. We'll also cover the mindset shifts you need to make, the critical question you need to ask yourself, and the proven tools to help you get motivated and stay motivated for the long haul of your life. All right, I want you to get out a pen and a piece of paper, and let's jump in right now. Before we really get into this, we must discuss the process to overcome laziness. And I think it's important that we take time to set the stage for this conversation with a mindset shift and a question. So first, the mindset shift.

• 2:01Lewis Howes?

  I want you to understand that laziness... Procrastination and the lack of motivation is 100% natural. It's something that's embedded in our biology and that even the world's top performers deal with this. Okay, so you don't have to feel bad if you feel lazy sometimes. Most importantly, it's something that you should never feel ashamed of. This is what everyone deals with. And there are ancient journal entries from the Emperor of Rome, Marcus Aurelius, where he's convincing himself why he should get out of bed in the mornings. Now, think about that for a second. The most powerful person in the world at the time was trying to persuade himself to get out of his warm and comfortable bed. And in the text, he talks about his responsibilities

• 2:46Lewis Howes?

  and how they would still be waiting for him even after he slept in. Now, if Marcus Aurelius struggled with it, then us struggling to wake up in the morning doesn't automatically make us lazy. It's just something we all deal with. And now for the simple yet powerful question I want you to ask yourself. Are you experiencing laziness or are you just afraid? Now, here's what I mean. Oftentimes, we confuse our fear of failure with not being motivated. So many of us are scared to put ourselves out there to truly fight for our wildest hopes and dreams. We're afraid that if we try our absolute hardest for our dream and then if we don't achieve it, then our identity will be destroyed. Our image will be destroyed.

• 3:30Lewis Howes?

  So we protect it by not taking action on the things we know we need to do. And I'm here to tell you that this is a very dangerous game you're playing if you tie your identity and your gifts to failure and successes. Now, if you're a filmmaker, a box office flop doesn't mean you aren't a great filmmaker. If you're an author, then rejections from agents and publishers doesn't mean you aren't a great writer. It's okay to fall flat on your face when pursuing your goals. This is natural. It happens. It's actually the pathway to achieving your goals. The only thing that isn't okay is not pursuing them at all because you're afraid of the outcome. So before moving on to the next part of this episode,

• 4:14Lewis Howes?

  be sure to determine if you're being lazy lately. Or if you're simply being afraid of trying your absolute hardest to reach your goals. Okay, now that we've set the stage, it's time to dig a little bit deeper with the three-step framework to keep you motivated in times of overwhelm or feeling of laziness. So step one is to start with a single strategic change. Now, let me break this down. When it comes to overcoming lack of motivation, one of the biggest mistakes I see is that people are trying to change everything all at once. Now, is this you? You try to change your diet, your food plans, when you're waking up, all these habits all at once, and then you're exhausted after three days.

• 4:59Lewis Howes?

  On the other hand, another common mistake I see is people trying to change too little at once. So where do you start then? And how can you meet in the middle? The best of both worlds here is starting a single strategic change to your habits. Let me break it down. Nearly all behavioral patterns can change by shifting one root habit first. And once you do, the rest of the habits will follow as a result. So this is similar to the principle that Jay Papazan and Gary Keller talk about in their hit book, The One Thing. And I think it will make a massive difference in your life and in your habits. So here's a good place to start.

• 5:43Lewis Howes?

  Take a few minutes to identify the bad habit that lies beneath your inability to wake up early and start the day off with a bang. Now, most of the time, the answer isn't what you first expected to be. So the trick is to go just a little bit deeper underneath that. So for instance, maybe you think you're incapable of waking up early. Maybe you've been a night owl your entire life, and that's what's worked for you. But when you think about it a little bit further, you realize that you have a habit of going out with your friends for drinks most nights, or you won't always go out and party, and that makes you a night owl. In this example, it's more than likely the habit of drinking and staying out late that's keeping you from becoming a morning person. Then you being unable to become a morning person yourself.

• 6:28Lewis Howes?

  And if you work late hours or the graveyard shift and physically can't wake up early in the morning, then maybe your simple strategic change would be using your day off to meal prep for the week ahead. Now, what happens to a lot of people who work unusual hours is that they're so tired by the time they get home that they end up eating fast food or unhealthy snacks. And as a result, their energy levels are even lower than they should be. Then they have little to no motivation to chase after their dreams and they end up resenting themselves and their job as a result, and then the cycle just continues to go on and on. For so many people, their simple strategic change should just be getting more sleep.

• 7:12Lewis Howes?

  It's hard not to be lazy and unmotivated when you're physically exhausted and emotionally drained from lack of sleep. So that's one thing you gotta think about. For me personally, it all comes back to my physical health. Now, when I am in control of my body and I take great care of it consistently, my mind is sharper as well. Whether it's, you know, playing sports, handball, boxing classes, or just hitting the gym, my commitment to physical health is one of the things that sets me up for everything else in my life. So no matter what you choose to start with first, the most important thing for step one is doing the due diligence here to dig a little bit deeper.

• 7:52Lewis Howes?

  And again, what is the root cause of the thing holding you back from being more consistently motivated? Is it a poor diet? Is it too much alcohol? Is it too little sleep? And once you pinpoint it and take action to reverse it, everything else will get a little bit easier to be motivated. Now, step number two, this is a huge one. Find your meaningful mission. Again, over the years, I have had the privilege of interviewing some of the world's top performers across a variety of industries. And they're all unique in their own way, but there are a handful of similarities that I've found to be consistent across everyone, from world-class athletes to bestselling authors. And one of those common threads is having a

• 8:34Lewis Howes?

  Clear mission, purpose, and vision for their life, at least for a season of time in their life. And without a clear vision, a meaningful mission, you'll always feel unfulfilled, no matter how many things you achieve in your life. And before I became clear on the purpose for my life and my meaningful mission, I always felt a little bit empty after accomplishing these big goals that I was setting out for. No matter if it was becoming a two-sport All-American athlete, breaking national records in collegiate football, making it to professional football, launching a seven-figure business. For whatever reason, I always felt incomplete mere moments after those achievements. You know, I always suffered with that, that information.

• 9:17Lewis Howes?

  Like, why am I not happier and more fulfilled? And taking it a step further, without a clear and meaningful mission for your own life, you probably won't want to jump out of bed in the first place. So it's no wonder why you aren't motivated. Again, if you're not clear on where you're going, why would you want to get out of bed if you don't know where you're to go? And that's why I want you to take a moment to write this thought down. It's our responsibility to create a mission for our life that makes us so excited that we want to jump out of bed in the morning. Think about that. It's our responsibility. By committing your life to a purpose that is bigger than yourself, you'll be filled with a deeper level of joy, passion, and energy that you might have never thought was possible.

• 10:02Lewis Howes?

  But you got to get clear on what that meaningful mission is for you. In the iconic book, Man's Search for Meaning, the author Viktor Frankl talks about his time spent in concentration camps during World War II. And despite the horrific conditions he found himself in, the two things that kept him going were thoughts of being reunited with his wife after he got out. And how he wanted to finish writing the manuscript for a book he had been working on for years. And these parts of Victor's gave him meaning. They gave him a reason to continue living through all the unimaginable tragedies that he experienced. And I want you to think about for a moment, your life right now and the different tragedies that you might be going through.

• 10:48Lewis Howes?

  What can you hold on to? What can you attach your, your, your life's intention to on a day-to-day basis? When there might be tragedy, there might be heartache, breakups, there might be career loss, there might be, you know, disease and sickness in your life and in your families. There may be a time in the future where this happens. So how do you stay consistent? When there is something like that happening in the world that is unjust as well? Studies by Harvard, Cornell and other institutions have correlated having a purpose with leading to a longer, healthier, more fulfilled life.

• 11:26Lewis Howes?

  And in fact, adults who had a strong sense of meaning were even found to be able to walk longer distances, have a firmer grip strength and a lower risk of heart disease than those who didn't have a strong sense of purpose or meaning. Okay, so now you might be thinking, that's great, Lewis, but how do I find my meaningful mission? Well, every single person is different, so there are literally billions of answers to that question. But I think the best place to start is knowing the difference between passion and purpose. So this is what a lot of people get wrong when it comes to finding their meaningful mission. They confuse passion with purpose.

• 12:09Lewis Howes?

  And as an example, let's say you are a painter. Your entire life, you've always had a gift and a deep love for art. You've even painted and sold portraits all around the world. Now, it's great that you've made money doing something you love. But it's unlikely you'll feel 100% fulfilled over the course of your life if you only paint and sell what you create. So to transform this passion into purpose, maybe you dedicate time to teaching disadvantaged youth in your city how to paint. You use part of your gift in service. Or donating a handful of paintings every year to a charity that's aligned with your core values. These are just types of actions that will fill you up with gratitude

• 12:54Lewis Howes?

  and where a feeling of true fulfillment can begin to take root. Again, it's kind of using your gifts in service of others. Again, it's great to have a craft that you're excited about, that you're passionate about, you're talented in. It makes life so much more exciting and enjoyable when we have that. But be careful when it comes to distinguishing between passion from purpose or confusing having money with having a meaningful mission. It's only by helping others and buying into a vision that's larger than yourself that you'll tap into the greater version of you. And once you get crystal clear on your life's mission, again, for this season of your life at least, I guarantee it'll be a whole lot easier to stay motivated. It's just going to become natural for you

• 13:39Lewis Howes?

  and a whole lot harder to be lazy. So be sure to figure out what yours is and remind yourself of it every single morning. And now that we've laid down the foundation for you to overcome laziness and the lack of motivation, it's time for the next critical step. And that is finding your ideal morning routine. And there's lots of talk about what to do in your mornings, but you gotta figure out what's best for you. It might sound simple and it's something you've probably heard a thousand times, but morning routines are popular because they work for people. Having a consistent ritual sets the tone for the rest of the day. And by overcoming laziness in the morning, you're telling your brain and the world that you're ready to keep up the momentum for the rest of the day as well.

• 14:21Lewis Howes?

  More specifically, your ideal morning ritual should address the single strategic change you need to overcome that we discussed in step one of this video. It should also include reminding yourself of the meaningful mission that we just covered in step two. And the rest is honestly up to you, which is exciting that you can create this yourself, but it can also be a little bit overwhelming, okay? And that's why I put together this list of six morning rituals that I found to be absolutely game changing, as well as the routines that work for some of the amazing guests I've had on over the years. Now, again, I'm gonna give you this list, but it doesn't mean you have to do all of these things. It doesn't mean you have to spend four hours in the morning. That's not what this is.

• 15:05Lewis Howes?

  But having something you can do every day to get you going is a powerful thing to do. Number one, I want you to listen to the Daily Motivation Show. Now, I'd be doing myself a disservice if I didn't tell you about this. This show is designed for individuals who want a kickstart, who want inspiration and insights to really take their day to the next level. Again, it's called The Daily Motivation Show, and it's exactly for individuals who want to kickstart their day. All of the episodes are under 10 minutes, and there's a new one that drops every single morning. And the genesis for the show came to me because of over the course of a 1,300-plus interviews on the School of Greatness. I learned that the biggest difference between those who do and those who don't comes down

• 15:49Lewis Howes?

  to a few things, and that's dedication, direction, and consistent motivation. And it takes constant reminding, guiding, and course correcting for us to pursue the life of our dreams, year after year, month after month, day after day, with all the different adversities that come into our life. It takes a daily dose of motivation like you get from this show. The feedback's been incredible, and I'm happy that it's helping so many listeners take action on their dreams. So make sure to check it out in the description below this video or audio. Subscribe, leave a review if you enjoy it, and just make it a part of your morning routine 10 minutes a day. Number two. Narrow your focus with sticky notes.

• 16:30Lewis Howes?

  Now, this one comes from billionaire entrepreneur and Shark Tank personality Kevin O'Leary. Instead of over complicating his mornings with a million different tasks and busy work, he focuses on a simple yet effective technique. Every night before bed, Kevin takes out a sticky note and he writes down the one thing he needs to get done the next day. Just one thing. If nothing else was accomplished, getting this task done would make that day a success. Then he places that sticky note on his bathroom mirror, right? Right there when you wake up. That way, when he gets up in the morning, it's front and center for him to read and remind himself what to focus on.

• 17:11Lewis Howes?

  This helps him stay clear on his top priority for the day and serves as a daily reminder that he won't fall victim to laziness or distraction. Number three, keep yourself accountable through social media. Every morning at the crack of dawn, former Navy SEAL and bestselling author Jaco Willink takes a picture of his watch and he posts it on his Instagram. He usually gets up around 4:30 a.m. Now, I'm not saying that you have to get up that early. I don't get up that early. But the habit of posting something like this on your social media will help you on the days that you're feeling not so motivated. Okay? The reason is if people who follow you are used to seeing you get up at a certain time

• 17:55Lewis Howes?

  to start your day, then you'll start to feel more obligated naturally to keep up with that habit. That is the power of group accountability or some type of accountability partner. That's why I'm a big fan of having a coach or being a part of a program with this. Even on the days that you're exhausted and you don't feel like doing anything, having people in your corner who you don't want to let down can help push you across the finish line. And as the saying goes, iron sharpens iron. Number four. Try out the five-second rule. My good friend and bestselling author Mel Robbins said this to me when she was on the show. "We, as humans, make decisions based on our feelings,

• 18:37Lewis Howes?

  and that's exactly what's robbing us of joy and opportunity. And the only way we can truly change our lives is with one five-second decision at a time." And that's exactly why she developed the five-second rule, which has now become used by so many people across the world. And I think it can be a game changer for you when it comes to waking up early and starting off your day right. So here's what the five-second rule is. Whenever you have to make an important decision, whether that's making a cold call, going to the gym, working on your book, or getting up the second your alarm goes off, Mel says you should all count down from five to one, and then take action.

• 19:19Lewis Howes?

  So, five, four, three, two, one, and go. And science says this practice works because there's a five-second window between an instinct or motivation, and the hesitation is to not act on it. The reason is because our brains are designed to help protect us from harm. So they'll magnify any feeling of doubt and trick us into not taking any action at all. This is why it's so critical to leverage the power and momentum of the moment during the initial five-second window, to take action during that window. So next time you're lying on your pillow when you first wake up, and your brain is telling you to stay in your warm, comfortable bed,

• 20:02Lewis Howes?

  and that you're missing one day at the gym isn't really that big of a deal, use the five-second rule. Countdown, five, four, three, two, one, and then just get up and start taking action. And if you can master this powerful principle, you'll be able to start to destroy laziness in no time.

• 20:21Lewis Howes?

  Do you sit at a desk all day? Well, studies have shown that prolonged sitting is associated with an increased risk for obesity, diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and other chronic illnesses. In this holiday season, get yourself or a loved one the gift of good health and start the new year off right. Now protecting your health can be as simple as pushing a button on an E7 Pro Plus Standing Desk from FlexiSpot. It's made to meet your individual needs, adjusting to your height, whether seated or standing. And alternating between sitting and standing works to relieve stiffness and pain and ultimately makes you feel better. Plus, the E7 Pro Plus Standing Desk is crafted from carbon steel, able to support up to 355 pounds without wobble when adjusting heights.

• 21:04Lewis Howes?

  FlexiSpot even offers 15 years warranty on the E7. And I'm a huge fan of the minimalist design of these desks. I have the bamboo top with white legs and my desk sits in the center of my office and the various attachments from FlexiSpot provide the perfect cable management and storage solution. It just looks super clean. And right now, FlexiSpot is offering huge holiday savings on the E7 Pro Plus Standing Desk with up to $80 off. So go to flexispot.com today and use code GREATNESS to get $80 off the E7 Pro Plus Standing Desk. That's F-L-E-X-I-S-P-O-T.com. Go to flexispot.com today. Number five, this is one of my favorites, is to make your bed.

• 21:46Lewis Howes?

  As simple as this one sounds, it's absolutely essential to me in developing the discipline I've needed to reach my goals. And every morning, I make my bed, not just because it makes it look nice, but because it affirms that I am in control of my day. And I like to clean my space before I leave my space. Making my bed sets the tone for me and it reminds me that no matter what happened the day before, or what will happen to me today, there are still things I have total control over in my life. I can take action on in my life and I can choose how I wish to respond to what happens to me. I can choose which thoughts I listen to or don't listen to. And I can choose the type of person that I am becoming.

• 22:29Lewis Howes?

  Jordan Peterson talks about the importance of making your bed in the morning as well. And he says that before we solve the problems of the world, we need to take control of ourselves and our own lives. And having a clean bedroom is a great place to start. Number six, get outside into the sunlight. This final morning ritual we'll be covering comes from Stanford neuroscientist and good friend of the show, Andrew Huberman. And it turns out that getting sunlight doesn't just feel good because it warms us up in the morning. It also has a lot of scientific benefits as well. Andrew has been on the record saying that getting anywhere from two to 10 minutes of sunlight exposure

• 23:11Lewis Howes?

  first thing in the morning is perhaps the most important thing that we can do for our mental and physical health. So let me say this again. Andrew has been on the record saying that getting anywhere from two to 10 minutes of sunlight exposure first thing in the morning is perhaps the most important thing we can do for our mental and physical health. That's big, and this is an easy thing that we can all do. By doing so, our body's metabolism, hormone system, and mental state will be moving in the right direction at the very start of the day. This is huge. And this doesn't take some crazy thing you gotta do. This is two to 10 minutes a day. With this in mind, maybe your ideal morning ritual could be going for a short jog,

• 23:55Lewis Howes?

  taking your dog for a walk outside, jumping rope on the porch, or something else entirely. But as long as you're getting sunlight first thing in the morning, your body and mind will be getting what they need to set things in motion. This is a big one, okay? And there you have it. That's the three-step formula to successfully overcoming laziness, no matter what your situation or where you're at on your journey. And I really wanted this episode to be actionable and cut through all the fluff, while still acknowledging that you might not actually be lazy. You might just be afraid or walking through life without a meaningful mission, okay? And I hope you found value in this blueprint and the strategies that we went over,

• 24:39Lewis Howes?

  and that you'll put at least a few of these ideas to the test. And now I want to leave you with this final thought. I want you to remember that your dreams are inside of you for a reason, that they're calling you for a reason. And many of you listening to this right now have probably trapped your dreams inside of you for so long that they are begging and screaming for you to let them out. Many of you neglected your calling, your gifts, your talents, and many of you have turned a cold shoulder to what is possible inside of you. And I am so tired of seeing it happen to the people in my life. So I want you to ask yourself this. How long are you going to continue to keep them inside of you? What is it going to take for you to finally set them free?

• 25:23Lewis Howes?

  You know, the world doesn't just deserve to see your gifts, your talents, and your dreams. The world might very well need to see them right now. So I hope this episode will help motivate you to take massive messy action in your life right now because we need it from you. And wherever you are, thank you for listening. Thank you for watching. Thank you for being here. Make sure to subscribe, leave a review, leave a comment. Let me know what you enjoyed most from this, and I can't wait to see you in the next episode. I hope you enjoyed today's episode and it inspired you on your journey towards greatness. Make sure to check out the show notes in the description for a full rundown of today's episode with all the important links.

• 26:05Lewis Howes?

  And if you want weekly exclusive bonus episodes with me personally, as well as ad-free listening, then make sure to subscribe to our Greatness Plus channel exclusively on Apple Podcasts. Share this with a friend on social media and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts as well. Let me know what you enjoyed about this episode in that review. I really love hearing feedback from you, and it helps us figure out how we can support and serve you moving forward. And I want to remind you, if no one has told you lately that you are loved, you are worthy, and you matter. And now it's time to go out there and do something great.