Efficiency as intelligent laziness

When I heard the quote, “Efficiency is intelligent laziness”, from David Dunham, I first thought ‘what is he talking about?’, then it started clicking.

When you think about it, all human being tend to get stuff done with the least amount of energy required to do that stuff. Why? It can be explained by the combination of different perspectives as there are almost always several explanations for complex matters, right? Let’s talk about them.

Energy Conservation

From an evolutionary standpoint, humans (and most animals) are wired to conserve energy. In ancient times, resources like food and water were not always readily available, so conserving energy when not immediately necessary for survival was advantageous. Using less energy meant more was available for critical activities like hunting, gathering, and reproducing. This "efficiency" was essential for survival.

Cognitive Economy

The brain also seeks to conserve cognitive energy. It often relies on mental shortcuts or heuristics to make decisions faster and with less effort. This is why people tend to prefer familiar routines, habits, and patterns—they reduce the amount of mental energy needed to process and make decisions.

Law of Least Effort

According to the "principle of least effort" (I like laws!), humans will naturally gravitate towards the easiest or most efficient way to achieve a goal. Whether it's physical tasks or intellectual ones, people tend to prefer paths that require the least work to get the same result. This is a key factor in why convenience, automation, and technological advancements are so popular—these make achieving goals easier with less effort.

Dopamine and Reward Systems

The brain is wired to reward efficiency. When a task is completed with minimal effort, the brain releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward. This reinforces the behavior of doing things efficiently, making people more likely to seek the easiest route to accomplish tasks in the future.

🤷‍♂️ Effort Paradox: The idea that people often value outcomes more when they've put in significant effort, even when easier options exist. For example, people value self-built furniture more than pre-assembled versions. This contradicts the tendency to minimize effort, as it shows that in some cases, effort enhances satisfaction and makes the outcome feel more rewarding. Life is strange, right?

Optimisation in Modern Society

In modern times, energy conservation manifests in the desire for convenience and speed. People often seek tools, technologies, and systems (e.g., smartphones, apps, automation) that make life easier, which aligns with the fundamental drive to save effort for other activities or interests.

Now, as you can see, “being lazy” is kind of in our nature. But let's dive into the other important part: "being intelligent." Sure, it’s easy to be lazy, but being smart about it—that’s where the real challenge lies. It’s not just about cutting corners for the sake of it; it’s about doing it with purpose. If you have a clear goal or outcome in mind and you’re serious about achieving it, that’s when intelligent laziness kicks in. You start analysing: How can I get this done faster, with less effort, and at a lower cost? You’re essentially hacking the process, figuring out the most efficient way to reach the goal without wasting energy. It’s not just about avoiding work; it’s about working smarter, not harder, with the ultimate aim of getting the result you want while putting in the least amount of effort. True efficiency is a form of strategic laziness—channeling your energy into refining the process, so you get maximum output with minimal input.

Becoming intelligently lazy

Becoming intelligently lazy isn’t about slacking off—it’s about optimising your approach to everything you do. Start by looking at the tasks you handle daily and ask yourself: What’s the simplest way to achieve this without sacrificing quality? The key is in streamlining. Automate repetitive processes, delegate where possible, and focus on prioritising what really matters. Think of efficiency as a game of shortcuts, not in a negative sense, but in terms of refining your path to the result. Instead of brute-forcing your way through a problem, take a step back and find the smarter route. Whether it’s using technology, better planning, or just saying no to unnecessary tasks, the goal is to invest less time and energy while still hitting the mark.

Using Automation Tools

Many people automate mundane tasks to save time and energy. For instance, setting up automatic bill payments or using tools like Zapier allows users to create workflows that perform repetitive tasks automatically. This means you don’t have to remember to pay bills every month or manually sort emails; the system does it for you, freeing up mental space for more important activities.

Meal Prepping

Instead of cooking daily, some individuals opt for meal prepping on weekends (what can be more fun doing on weekends😅). By preparing several meals at once and storing them for the week, they not only save time but also reduce the stress of daily cooking. This method allows for healthier eating choices while minimising the effort spent each day deciding what to cook which sometimes gets really boring.

Using Checklists and Templates

In professional settings, many people create templates or checklists for recurring tasks—whether it’s drafting emails, writing reports, or conducting meetings. By having a standardised format ready to go, they can quickly fill in the details rather than starting from scratch each time. This saves time and ensures consistency, allowing them to focus their energy on more creative or critical aspects of their work. This is what I do when I deal with my repetitive admin work.

To sum up, embracing intelligent laziness is not about avoiding work; it's about leveraging our natural inclination to conserve energy to achieve greater results. By focusing on efficiency, automating tasks, and simplifying our processes, we can work smarter and not harder.

This approach empowers us to direct our efforts toward what truly matters, fostering both efficiency and satisfaction. So, the next time you find yourself facing a daunting task, embrace your inner "lazy" and let it guide you toward achieving your goals with minimum effort.