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Lately I feel I’m getting lazier. For instance, unless I really have something pressing to do, I’m quite willing to allow myself a long lie in bed and get up at an ungodly hour, or just potter around the house with nothing to do other than while away my time. It has gotten to the point when I don’t even feel guilty about it, but actually relish these moments of unproductivity as a time for just being rather than doing. But idleness, as we all know, is a pernicious thing, especially when it is not a well-deserved respite from hard work. It rots the brain and corrupts the soul.

That’s why in all religions and guides to good ethical and moral behavior, hard work, persistence and effort are extolled as virtues we must all aspire to. The devil, they say, makes good use of idle hands. Sooner or later, laziness, once we succumb to its irresistible lure, will prove to be our greatest enemy and our deadliest destroyer.

OK, so I’m being dramatic, but getting something without having to work hard for it is something we in this country are pretty good at. That’s why we excel at taking shortcuts, at choosing the path of least resistance and maximizing gains even at someone else’s loss; in other words, making a profession out of laziness and being an expert at corruption. Thus, although we’re in the list of countries with the most potential, we’re also tops in the list of countries that are most corrupt. Our report card would read: “Indonesia shows promise but should work harder and stop wasting time on useless things.”

The question is, where does the laziness come from? In my case, I suppose it’s a certain amount of complacency brought on by a lack of overriding ambition that would make me want to be something big and do something great. Instead, I find myself in a state of equanimity that is in want of very little and easily satisfied with what I have. This might be fine for my overall happiness index, but it’s not conducive to productivity and creativity. When I’m lazy, I am effectively robbing myself of a better future and depriving others of my contribution.

Laziness, therefore, comes when I seek for myself an easy life over a meaningful or more productive one that stretches my potential. It comes with a belief that the universe will provide and everything will be alright. Why work hard when you can sit around praying and hoping that God will give you everything you want?

My friend told me about a really popular bakso seller who, each time he returns to his home village, spends weeks there hanging around with family and friends, while neglecting his many customers in Jakarta and potential earnings. He sees no reason to return to work while he still hasn’t run out of money. It makes perfect sense in a way. After all, why work when you don’t really have to? Lounging is so much better. I suppose he is the typical Indonesian who, if offered the same wage for half the working time, would choose to work half the time, rather than make double the amount by working the entire day.

Blame it on the fair weather with the eternal sunshine, the plentiful land and the generosity of Mother Nature that allow us to survive and live even with the most minimal of necessities. It makes us into a gentle bunch of people who are happy-go-lucky without worrying too much about tomorrow and grateful for what life has dished out in the shape of pastoral simplicity. Left to myself, I’m more than content to just sit around gazing at the clouds, especially when my stomach is full. For there is nothing more blissful than living in the now.

The problem comes when you want to have a lot and consume a lot but are too lazy to work for it. And there are a lot of things to want in this world that unfortunately require money to obtain. Hence the prevailing corruption in this country.

So how to shake off my laziness? It requires nothing less than to be shamed out of it, which I recently was by spending time with someone who makes a profession out of whipping himself into shape. He wakes up early and does 10 kilometers around the Senayan sports complex, every morning, religiously. After which he goes to the office to run his dozens of companies and hundreds of employees. Somewhere in between he still has time to raise billions of rupiah for charitable causes. And he still has time to play with his young children and, by the looks of things, keep his wife happy.

“How do you do it?” I asked, full of admiration.

“I feel guilty if I don’t,” was his answer. “I feel I’m wasting my potential.”

Needless to say, I was inspired to follow his example. The problem is, until now I still haven’t managed to get hold of that guilty feeling…

Desi Anwar is a senior anchor at Metro TV. She can be contacted at desianwar.com and dailyavocado.net.