Roll Out Those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Efficiency

"Efficiency is intelligent laziness."

-- David Dunham

When I was nine years old I decided that I wanted to sleep in as late as possible every morning, and then arise just in time to grab a quick breakfast and dash off to school. Towards that end, I rigged up an old Easter basket with a robe around the handle and hung it over the curtain rod next to my bed. Each night when I went to bed, I'd fill the basket with my clean clothes for the next day, pull the rope until the basket reached the top of the curtain, and then tie the rope to window handle. In the morning all I had to do was untie the rope and the basket would fall right down on my bed. I could get dressed without even leaving my bed! Efficiency inspired by laziness. I felt like a genius!

Later, in my teens and early twenties, efficiency became an enemy rather than an ally. Most efficient people seemed uptight, anal, and more worried about doing things right than doing the right thing. Furthermore, I was more laid back, and preferred life's scenic route over the efficiency of the interstate.

Now, I've reached the stage of life where in order to have time to enjoy the scenic route, I must employ efficiency in the rest of my dealings. I aspire to be intelligently lazy, and put as little energy and time as possible into maintenance tasks, obligations, and other have-to's. By organizing the mechanisms of my "life situation" so that they run as smoothly as possible (even without my physical presence), I free myself to enjoy my life!

So, it's inventory time again. Time to take stock of all the inefficiencies that you've created in your life and then begin to eliminate them one by one. Is there a more efficient way to do your laundry, keep your receipts for tax purposes, or answer and organize your emails? Could you bring some added efficiency to your bill paying, meal planning, or lovemaking? (Just kidding about the lovemaking -- probably best not too apply ISO 9003 standards in the bedroom).

Getting everything organized may seem like a bit of a pain in the ass, but sometimes you have to do a little hard work now to be free to enjoy an efficient, and lazy, future.