L.A.Z.Y. Mindset: Leisure

In my FREE e-book, the L.A.Z.Y. Mindset, I break down a four step module towards success, as a procrastin8r. The book was designed to give a sort of roadmap towards creating an easy, laid-back life.


Each letter in L.A.Z.Y. is a main principle of becoming a PRO, and not just a “crastinator”.

The book is short and only about a dozen pages. Let’s be honest, it’s more of a little pamphlet, a pamphlet packed with awesome wisdom. 

It’s an easy, short read. I wanted it to be. I didn’t want this long-winded, heavily-worded anthology. I wanted it to be short, sweet, simple, and to the point. I mean the ultimate lazy man’s guide should be that way.





Anyway, I want to provide further insight on what the book does not cover. While in the book, I go as far as to tell you each module and why it’s important, I don’t really define the modules in the way they deserve to be. The definitions are clear, but not as fleshed out as they could or should be. I want to take a closer look at these modules to help you attain the L.A.Z.Y. Mindset yourself.

So starting today, and in the next coming weeks, I’ll be taking a deep dive on each of the four modules of the L.A.Z.Y. mindset, so that you can have a better understanding of what it's all about.


And who knows? Maybe one day it’ll all be published in one epic compendium...eventually.


I recommend starting out by grabbing your copy (or reviewing it if you already have it) before starting to read this article. It would certainly give you more clear insight but of course, that’s not necessary and completely up to you.








The first step of the L.A.Z.Y Mindset is Leisure.


Leisure is spending time doing whatever relaxes you and makes you feel at ease.  While sleeping in or just lounging around on the couch can be considered leisure, naturally,  leisure itself is not necessarily the practice of idleness. Rather, it is the practice of attaining rejuvenation. How you attain that is quite a personal experience. You do something that refreshes your mind, body, and spirit. You take a break from “the grind” and unwind a bit, doing whatever it is that allows you to do just that.

Even though certain activities like lying on a hammock are what one would often associate with the word “leisure”, at its core, leisure is not so set in stone on what activities are or aren’t part of it. Leisure has a bit more of a flexible definition.

In fact, a  physical intense activity, though may seem quite the opposite of leisure, given that you are actively moving about and breaking a sweat, can actually be considered Leisure. One may find going on a jog to be quite therapeutic and calming, for example, or perhaps  they enjoy pumping iron at the gym to blow off steam.

Whatever the case may be, Leisure is NOT determined by the amount of actual activeness involved (or lack thereof) involved. You and I might consider a jog to be some form of cruel punishment, and that’s okay. That’s not our leisure. But to someone else, it might be.











See, Leisure is a personal preference. One man’s Leisure is another man’s Work. You can do something that relaxes you, but someone else thinks is actually quite a hassle -- and vice versa.

Playing video games is one of my Leisures. But someone might complain that it requires “too much concentration” or it “makes my thumbs hurt”. If you find no complaints about what you’re doing, or otherwise consider those complaints to be negligible, chances are, you’re enjoying yourself in leisure.

Just because someone thoroughly enjoys something like golfing, and you don’t seem to “get it” at all, doesn’t make that thing not leisure. You choose your own Leisure based on your own tastes, in the same way, you decide what you consider to be a “delicious” food. As a matter of fact, it’s not really something you logically or rationally “choose”, just something you so happen to prefer.

You may hate mint chocolate flavored anything, and no matter how much someone tries to convince you how “good” it tastes, you just think it tastes nasty.

Similarly, there’s nothing anyone can say or do that can convince you  that a certain activity is Leisure if you just don’t feel that way. You can’t convince them that a certain activity is Leisure (to them) either.

Leisure is just something you find to “tastes good”, like your own appetite for specific foods and flavors and there’s really no clear cut definition on what that may or may not include. There are people that like french fries and mayonnaise, which I think is absolutely gross, but hey, if it’s something they think tastes good, then by all means, have at it. In the same vein, I think fishing is boring as hell, but if someone loves it, good on them. They can enjoy their Leisure in that activity.. They have their own tastes. I have mine. You have yours.

As long as the activity doesn’t harm anything or anyone, there’s pretty much no limit to what your Leisure can be.











Leisure is the lack of negative thoughts

You don’t feel bogged down by it, burdened, or otherwise obligated to do it. It’s just something you do...naturally. You don’t become stressed by thoughts of it. It’s your “go-to place” to calm down and relieve stress, not spark more of it.

That said, you can enjoy an activity without it being a Leisure. 

Sometimes what you really enjoy about a particular activity are the benefits of said activity and not the activity itself. For example, the person who likes running may not actually like running itself, for what it is. Instead what they like are the benefits of living healthy that comes from running on a consistent basis. They actually secretly detest running. It’s tiresome, time-consuming, and overall just a burden to do. BUT it does bring a bunch of health benefits like a stronger cardio.

One question you need to ask yourself, when trying to find what exactly your Leisure is, is this: Would I be doing this if I didn’t get anything out of it?

If the answer is NO, then you’re not in Leisure. You’re doing something you enjoy, but you’re not doing something in Leisure. See the difference?

Leisure has NO benefits, other than being the activity it is.










Leisure is focused on the present, being in the moment, not the benefits that participating in a certain activity can bring in the future.

Professional athletes will often describe as they play their sport of choice that they are “in the zone”. They are completely focused entirely on what’s happening in the moment, not about the argument last night with their girlfriend, not about the stock market, not about their breakfast they ate this morning. 

They’re not even thinking of what winning the game would bring for them, at least the good ones and the ones that are truly in Leisure.

They are present, completely. They are focused on playing the game itself, not attaining the victory. Victory is a result of playing the game. Playing the game is not a result of victory.

In Leisure, you are fully “in the zone”, just like an athlete. You’re not thinking of anything outside of it or even what doing it could possibly bring later. You’re just...doing it.

Oftentimes the phrase “just do it” is associated with this shut up, try hard, no holds barred attitude, like don’t ask any questions, just push for your goal and...do it!

But here on Lazy island, “just do it” means to just do the thing and engulf yourself in the present moment of doing said thing.  It’s not a matter of striving hard towards something. It’s a matter of easing back, and truly doing the thing you enjoy, without regards to getting anything out of it (other than pure enjoyment in its fundamental form)











Leisure is not competitive, nor goal-oriented.

In order to truly “live in the present”, in Leisure, you can’t be worried or concerned about things that may come about.

While I mentioned playing video games is a Leisure for me (or at least it can be) There are certain games I can’t play for Leisure. Not to say I don’t enjoy them.I do.  But certain games I play are no longer “for fun”. It becomes rather competitive, instead of just appreciating the game for what it is and well, having fun.

Like I’ll be playing a game, Dead by Deadlight, for example to win and rank up. I’ll play a game like RuneScape to grind out levels. I’ll play Dark Souls to try and win achievements.

The list goes on and on. 

While there may be something you enjoy, just because you enjoy it does not mean you are in Leisure while doing it. If there is an ulterior motive behind doing something, you’re working hard, not embracing Leisure.

Someone who enjoys fishing may be trying to catch the biggest fish. That’s not true Leisure.
You must fish just to fish, not to gain anything else from it. Apply the same principle to whatever activity it is you want.










 It is essential to have some form of Leisure in your life.

Leisure rejuvenates you. It gives you energy.

Without Leisure, life becomes a series of one obligation after the other. It leads to burning out and feeling quite unfulfilled. You’re constantly trying to do the “next big thing” in every aspect of your life -- your career, your family, your friends, and even your hobbies -- and this leads you to feeling rather dull and that you just aren’t good enough.

You must take a step back once in a while and be able to think to yourself:

“I am enough. This is enough”

Whether it's playing pool, painting, or just vibing to some music, you must take the time to just enjoy yourself, enjoy what you’re doing, without any sort of goal in mind other than the simple enjoyment.

We live in a society that pushes for excellence -- that you must be the best in everything you do, no matter what. It’s a highly competitive world, and we’re led to believe that if you aren’t excelling at what you’re doing, then you need to get better. You need to try harder, work harder, do it harder.

We’re never told to just appreciate the activity for what it is. We’re told that it isn’t “worth the time” if you’re not completely dominating in something, no matter how trivial it may seem.  You must always be better, faster, stronger.

As a society, we have this fascination with achievement. We’re led to believe that if you aren’t achieving very much, then you are not worthy as a person.

It’s like you need to have some sort of big impact or noteworthy skill or talent to be worthy and loveable.

Look, your level of worthiness as a human being has nothing to do with your level of achievement at all. We are all equally worthy.









Stop trying to achieve. Stop trying to make it big. Stop trying to be the best of the best. All of that is the real “waste of time”.

We’re given some sort of standard to live up to and try to attain.

Look, the standard is this: enjoy life.

Enjoyment doesn’t stem from success. Quite the opposite in fact. Success stems from enjoyment.

Look at successful people, celebrities, athletes, etc. They all have one thing in common: they enjoy what they’re doing.

They are living a life of Leisure. That’s not to say you need to strive for that level of fame or success. That’s to say if you find happiness, if you find your Leisure, then everything else that may come (money, fame, etc)  is simply a byproduct, rather than the initial goal. It’s great if you reach a high level of success and it’s great if you don’t.

Life is about taking a journey, not arriving at a specific destination.

Have fun. Actually have fun. Don’t worry about performing the best or always coming out on top. Don’t worry about meeting some sort of standard or protocol. “Just do it.” and enjoy it, without regards to anything else. If you like what you're doing, you'll naturally get better at it anyway.

In general, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Life is not a competition and there’s no need to make it one.

Like a good meal, savor the flavor and just enjoy yourself in Leisure as you take the cake one bite at a time.

Make your life deliciously satisfying by liking the taste of what you’re eating (metaphorically speaking of course), in the present moment, not a search for the best recipe. After all, once you find the best, you’ll still be searching for even better.

Leisure is ultimately a feeling of “just enough”. Just enough to feel satisfied. Just enough to feel good. Just enough to feel...worthy.

You are worthy. Embrace yourself in Leisure and you’ll find it to be true.


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