Can laziness be productive?

I made a business out of it.

Jacques-Louis David’s “Portrait of a Young Woman in White,” that appeared on the cover of Ottessa Moshfegh’s book, “My Year of Rest and Relaxation.”

Lazy is an ugly word in our culture.

In the same way that we value thinness, success, and likability, we are terrified of being branded with the scarlet lazy letter.

This is the age of Mel Robbins via The Secret via 300 years of deep rooted American capitalism. If you can just change yourself, you’ll change your life.

But what if you don’t?

What would happen if you leaned into laziness? And embraced the qualities that scare you most.

I’ve lived my whole life existing between two dimensions—the desire to do everything, and the desire to do nothing.

For the first 10+ years of my career, I worked in a state of hyper productivity. Building and creating in service of someone else’s vision. The happiest time in my day was when I got home and ate in front of the TV with my cat.

And then, I hit a wall. The sheen of success on another person’s terms had worn off.

So, I did something strange. I started my own business. But it was a business centered around celebrating laziness. A home decor brand with pieces that make you want to stay in and do nothing.

I called it lazy jamie.

I realize that this is an oxymoron. That I am not only optimizing laziness but also profiting off of it. The desire to do everything—meet the desire to do nothing.

Through this process, I have come to appreciate how productive laziness can be.

Not in a “I’m not texting him so he texts me” way, but a “I’m actually focusing on myself and not him” way. Meaning, embracing laziness not for optimal output later on, but for the act itself.

For months I tried to hold myself to typical office hours out of force of habit. Then I eased into listening to when my body wanted to work, and when it wanted to rest.

I now take slow mornings and breaks when needed, often working into the evenings, nights, and weekend when I feel most clearheaded. (I’m writing this post after 8 p.m.)

I answer emails when I first wake up, then do a later morning workout, and then come back to my computer clear headed for high priority tasks. I used to only workout on the weekends.

I say this with a residual hint of shame, but I have my lunch while watching old RHONY, not at my desk or in a meeting like I used to.

Apples to apples, my actual work output is much higher than what it was when I went into an office every day. And I realize now that the measure of productivity is not based on your surroundings or your income, but how you personally value your work and its impact.

I know that I am speaking from a place of privilege. That it’s a luxury to set my own hours, and not a reality for most people for many different reasons.

But I do believe the system is rigged to make us feel like taking the moments we do have available for rest is wrong. And if we need it, or worse, enjoy it, there’s something flawed in us.

By some tiny rebellion, will you try something that isn’t “productive” with me?

You may just be surprised.