A question today on one of the prompts was, “Do lazy days make you feel rested or unproductive?” That’s an interesting question. I don’t often take lazy days, and being a stay at home mom and working from home with my small business, there really is no way to escape the work that I could be doing. So in order to take a lazy day, I usually have to be quite sick. Having said that, I do have days that are more productive than others.

I think the better question would be, “How do I define lazy?” I used to define it thinking that if I wasn’t busy all day doing something I was being lazy. I have learned that I can be being lazy by wasting time doing things that aren’t really all that productive though. Just sitting doing nothing only happens when I am sick. But doing things that take up time that aren’t really aligned with my goals for the day would be what I have come to consider lazy for me.

I don’t know if it’s because I’m getting older, or getting a little wiser with age (hopefully), but I have come to realize I only have a certain amount of time to live, so my time has become more valuable to me the older I get. I don’t want to be wasting my time doing nothing or doing things that don’t really matter, because my time is precious to me. I know that when I leave this life I will only really be able to take with me the memories (good and bad) and the knowledge I have gained. So I want to use the time I have to make good memories with family and friends, and learn and grow as much as possible.

The other thing we can do is leave a legacy behind. I have thought a lot about that in the last year or so as well. What will my kids remember of me when I’m gone? What will others remember (although this one is less important to me)? Will I be remembered? I think more than anything I want my kids to remember that I loved them. But beyond that, I want them to remember that even if I was scared, I did try new things, so they can too, and that I knew I could succeed at anything I put my mind to, so they can work to accomplish whatever they put their minds to as well.

We all need time to rejuvenate though, but I also don’t consider that lazy either. My husband is one of the hardest workers I have ever met, but after work he comes in and sits in front of the TV for an hour, usually sleeping. When we were first married this annoyed me. But over the years I have come to realize he just needs that down time to rest, and then he’s good to go for the evening, usually working on projects in his shop. Late in the evening he watches a little more TV to unwind before bed. I enjoy going for a quick walk with the dog. This rejuvenates me and helps me to refocus, especially when I start feeling scattered and unproductive. Every few evenings I sit down with my husband later in the evening and watch TV or a movie with him. This is great down time together.

I guess to me lazy seems like a bad word, and being lazy is even worse. But I have also realized I can’t just be go, go, go all the time. Watching TV to unwind, or sitting and reading a good book, or playing games with my kids, or going for a walk with the dog, etc. These are all great ways to unwind. So what is my definition of lazy? To be an noncontributing member of your family, community, and/or society in general.