Very early on, Dad taught me to work and to try to do a good job in a short amount of time. This led to a tendency to try too hard. Sometimes we would be told to clean up a room or move toys and clothes from one room to another. Often we would get all we could carry in our arms to make as few loads as possible. You’ve probably done the same thing, arms full, something tucked under your arm, holding a stack of things with your chin and trying to walk up or down the stairs at the same time. (Sound familiar?) At one of these times, Dad told me that I shouldn’t try to use a “Lazy Man’s Load.” Of course, I didn’t know what he meant and asked for an explanation.
Dad explained that trying to carry more than you should, even though it looked like you were doing a lot of work, was really the lazy way out because we are trying to avoid extra trips. By carrying more than we should, we take the chance of dropping it all and possibly breaking something in the process. So what looks like a real effort to pitch in, turns out to be an irresponsible act of laziness. I was probably very stubborn about it and I’m sure tried over and over to “shorten” my work with more of these loads. I’m sure I still do it today from time to time. But I have also proven the “Lazy Man’s Load” by dropping some very fragile items that we now miss very much.
There are other areas where we attempt to carry the lazy man’s load. Think about the “jobs” on which you are working. Are you carrying too large a load or too many items? Are you approaching (or passing) the limit of your capabilities, risking dropping the whole load?
Do you find it hard to say “no” when asked to do something else? Are these responsibilities adding up more quickly than your personal computer can count them? You had better watch out, you may be about to drop the ball. When you have too much to do, each thing you are trying to accomplish will begin to suffer. Little by little, you will become so inefficient that you will soon be doing a poor job on all your efforts. You have heard I’m sure, that too many cooks spoil the broth, well, too many broths will spoil a cook, too! You’d be better off to do one thing at a time and do it well than to do many things poorly.
I’d be the first to tell you that there are times when I am lazy. I often just don’t feel like doing one thing or another. However, I try really hard not to take my sincere willingness to do a job and turn it into a lazy man’s load. Dad has taught me that my load is more valuable than that. It includes my wife, my children, and my whole extended family. It also includes my church work, my job, and all my friends. It is a delicate balance, so I’ll try to carry a few of them at a time, then go back for the rest, so I can have them all with me at the end of my journey.
