Do you know this feeling – you are neither tired, nor stressed out, nor overwhelmed. Just a little bit bored, a little bit apathetic, a little bit unmotivated, and a little bit of everything that makes you not want to work… or think hard…or feel obligated to do what you know you should be doing.

There is just some kind of mental resistance that does not allow you to be productive or creative. As if someone has turned off the inner switch of your excitement and desire to make things happen.
I wonder where this feeling comes from and what it is all about?

I know that when I felt like that as a girl, my parents usually called this delicate emotional state of mine – being lazy. Well, if I had to come up with a definition of commonplace laziness – the symptoms would match, but it is still hard to accept that years later– conscious and hard-working individuals can fall prey to something as banal as laziness.

But the fact remains – there are days when we leave some of the tasks on our to-do list unchecked, and there are days when we resist doing anything.

So how do we overcome this laziness state? How do we turn our excitement and productivity back on? How do we re-motivate ourselves to get going?

Some of the tricks I use to get myself back on track

1. Have a plan. Often laziness strikes us when we are not sure what to do next. We lack clarity of what has to be done and why. If this is the case a detailed daily plan or a to-do list can quickly eliminate confusion and funnel your efforts in the right direction.

2. Act on impulse. Do not over-think work. Even the slightest spark of desire to get something done is enough to start your inner productivity engine going.

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Great minds think differently. And it is one of the reasons for their greatness.

When I try to think of a successful person whose thinking and vision was so innovative it shaped the way we interact with the world – Steve Jobs immediately comes to mind. His powerful creative drive, endless search for perfection, and unconventional thinking made him a legend of this generation.

And while Steve Jobs is no longer with us, his ideas, his vision and his personal success story continues to affect and inspire millions of people in every part of the world.

Here are 9 Guidelines of Life that Steve Jobs himself preached and followed, be it when creating his latest iPhone, building multi-million dollar companies or when facing personal and professional setbacks.

1. Do what you love

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.”

“Follow your passion and money will follow” – is advice that has been repeated by so many successful people it almost sounds like a cliché. Yet when it comes to making a career and professional decisions, many of us believe that achieving success is about being practical, not about doing what makes us happy day in and day out.

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M0st people read self-help books for pleasure, relaxation, or for a boost of inspiration. I do it as part of my work (not that I am complaining about it). I am always on the look out for a new great self-help book, interesting psychological discovery or an uplifting video that I can later share with you. My book shelves are stuffed with motivational literature. My iPad and laptop is filled with audio books, podcasts and videos that I need or would like to watch some day.

No wonder I have learned to consume and process large quantities of information quickly and efficiently! Yet sometimes I feel the need to stop and give myself time to savor a great book: to come back to important chapters and re-read them two of three times, to write down quotes that I loved, to reflect on how it applies to my own life.

Today I would like to share some of my favorite books with you. Each and every one of these self-help books has had a great impact of my core beliefs, work priorities, habits and my relationships with other people.

My advice to you is to pick one of the books from the list that resonates with you the most and read it slowly, enjoying every single chapter.

1. How to Win Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie.

Dale Carnegie’s book “How to Win Friends and Influence People” is considered one of the first self-help books. It was published in 1936 and has since sold over 15 million copies.

I am sure you have heard of it, but if you still have not read it I suggest that you do. “How to Win Friends and Influence People” is by far the best and one of the most effective books that talks about the fine art of getting along with people, resolving conflicts effectively, and frankly expressing your thoughts and feelings without ever offending those around you.

It does not matter if you would like to improve your business communication, widen your social cycle or create an atmosphere of peace and understanding at home, this book can teach you how to do it.

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