CHICAGO–Is hard work the key to success?
To the contrary, the real key could be laziness, according to Michael Lewis, author of the bestsellers Moneyball, The Big Short, and many other books.
Speaking to the 2017 Insight Summit put on by Qualtrics, Lewis explained why laziness never seemed like a bad thing in his mind, and how it's helped him succeed, according to Inc Magazine.
"I grew up in New Orleans, where no one did anything," Lewis was quoted by Inc. as saying. "It's an endlessly charming and delightful place, but the idea that your worth was connected to things you did in the world was an alien idea."
In fact, Lewis remarked, his father had him convinced that there was a Lewis family crest with this motto: "Do as little as possible, and that unwillingly, because it is better to receive a slight reprimand than perform an arduous task."
Embracing laziness, Lewis told the meeting, helped him be successful because he focuses his efforts only where it really matters, he explains. Here's how that can create a real advantage, according to the Inc. report:
1. You're OK with doing nothing.
When was the last time you felt comfortable doing nothing? Not for an hour or a day, but in general, with no immediate projects at hand? Lewis said he has no problem with inactivity if nothing worthwhile has captured his attention. If he believed that being industrious was important, he said, "I'd be panicked at the question, 'What are you working on?' if I wasn't working on anything."
2. You won't waste time trying not to waste time.
That's something most of us do, Lewis said, according to Inc. "People waste years of their lives not being willing to waste hours of their lives. If you mistake busy-ness for importance--which we do a lot--you're not able to see what really is important."
Lewis is willing to waste time--a lot of it--if something seems like it could be really worthwhile. He'll spend a year or more hanging around someone who interests him even before he knows for sure whether he'll wind up with a book.
3. You'll zero in on what's truly game-changing.
"My laziness serves as a filter," Lewis said. "Something has to be really good before I'll decide to work on it." Lewis has published six heavily researched books in the last 10 years while also working as a contributing editor at Vanity Fair, so his laziness certainly hasn't stopped him from producing quite a lot of work.
But it has helped ensure that what he does is his very best work--only the things that really call to him. Here's the test: "If a story I've gotten to know didn't get told, would I be sad?" he asked. Unless the answer is an absolute yes, Lewis doesn't take on the project.
For the full Inc. report, go here.