The goal of the computer programmer is to make life as easy as possible.

If they can write a line of code (or a few lines of code) that will automate a task, no matter how innocuous it may be, it will be done. The idea is to let the tool (the computer) do all the work while they focus on other matters.

Given the breadth of knowledge needed to make it happen, it takes a lot of work to be lazy in that field. If you were lazy from the get-go (didn’t do anything to add value), you wouldn’t be employed… or rather… wouldn’t be employed for very long.

This is the distinctive line that we can fail to see in our technologically driven world.

The tools at our disposal can make life easier, depending on your needs, but we can inundate ourselves with it to be lazy. We get suckered into thinking the tool is the output rather than the catalyst.

I write in a word processor on a computer, allowing me to easily edit my work when it’s complete (or as I go). However, if I want to be a good writer (and I hope to be someday), I still need to sit down and practice. Importing templates into Scrivener (or Word/Google Docs/vi text editor, etc.) isn’t going to finish my writing for me.

It’s even worth making some tasks harder just so they don’t take away your focus or work ethic.

Case in point, making email easy to access turned me into a lazy user. I’ve purposefully moved away from a web based client (and mobile) for my email to a desktop version just to prevent spending needless time in my Inbox.

If you’re feeling lazy, maybe it’s time to make life harder again. Remind yourself of why the tool exists in the first place.