Bandwagoning: The Lazy Man's Guide to Success

You know how we're always being told to do things better, to try harder, to reinvent, to reengineer, to break the rules, to innovate, to make a difference?

You know how "good" is never good enough? How we're made to feel guilty for doing what's been done before, for taking the well-trodden path? Just look at some wow-selling book titles: Good to Great; First, Break All the Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently; The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement.

Well, maybe there's just a chance that it's okay to follow in others' footsteps.

Not to reinvent the wheel, but instead to roll with it. Maybe we can live better, saner, even more successful lives by jumping on the bandwagon, not sitting at the reins trying to blaze the trail ourselves. I call it bandwagoning. It's succeeding in your goals in a way that feels more natural... some might even say a "lazy" way.

Here is my definition of bandwagoning: it's the lazy person's way to success. But don't let the "lazy" part put you off. I don't mean lazy in a bad way, or, rather, I don't necessarily think that being lazy is bad. In fact, I think that being lazy can be positively good for you. There is pseudoscientific evidence that being lazy not only is beneficial to the spirit and to our general well-being, but can actually make us more successful. Successful according to all the usual criteria such as wealth and happiness!

So please justify all things that are the path of least resistance in life, whether at home or at work, that feel right for good reason. Demonstrate to everyone that taking naps, bucko, is good, nay, a brilliant part of everyday life and leads to greater productivity. Watching TV opens your eyes to the world and provides undreamed-of moneymaking opportunities -- those Ginzu knives must be making someone real cash! We'll give you tips on how to avoid unwelcome social contact and how to survive when you're traveling away from home.

Recognize that, as a bandwagoner, you'll be ahead of the curve, and not everyone will be accepting of your new stress-free way of life; you can now proudly cover up so as to appear suitably frenetic and driven.

The above is a reference found inside 2011: Trendspotting, from McGraw-Hill. Come visit me at Laermer.com.