Why I Don’t Believe in the Word “Lazy”
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My boring Sunday pool routine
I’ve gone to the pool every Sunday morning for the past ten weeks.
I turn up and walk twenty laps — five sets of one lap forwards, one lap backwards, one lap sidestepping one way, and one lap the other way. Then I do three sets of squats, leg raises, single-leg squats, and hip circles.
It’s so boring, right? Honestly, I’m bored just writing about it. And yet — I love it. I haven’t missed a single week since I started.
This isn’t about discipline
You might think this makes me very disciplined. But believe me, there are a million other things I should do that I don’t do.
This pool routine isn’t about willpower or being “good.” It just happens to be deeply aligned with who I am right now.
Why this works for me
It’s slow.
It’s solo.
It’s mindful.
It’s helping to rehab my knee, which really matters to me.
And I love the feeling of the water on my body.
It even reminds me of Bali — and that alone is reason enough.
That’s why I do it.
Why we call ourselves lazy
At this time of year, it’s easy to think you’re lazy if you haven’t stuck to a new habit or routine you dreamed up — or saw promoted online.
But I don’t believe in the word lazy.
If you’re not sticking to something, maybe it’s not a personal failing. Maybe it’s our hustle-and-productivity-at-all-costs culture whispering in your ear.
What “lazy” is usually pointing to
If you feel too tired to do something, maybe it’s just that — you’re tired, and you need rest.
If you’ve been too tired for months, or even years, maybe you’re not lazy at all — maybe you’re burnt out and need a lot of recovery.
Sometimes it’s not laziness at all, but grief — for a body that feels different now, and the life that used to come with it.
If you don’t feel motivated to start a particular exercise program, maybe it’s simply not the right one for you.
And if you haven’t had the confidence to try something new, maybe what’s missing isn’t discipline — it’s emotional support.
What I hope for 2026
I would love it if 2026 became the year we stopped calling ourselves lazy and started calling things what they really are:
Tiredness.
Burnout.
Finding the right fit.
A lack of support.
Calling ourselves lazy doesn’t help us change. It just makes us feel worse. And I think we’ve had enough of that.