Daily vocabulary study is essential for quickly improving your English vocabulary and your ability to remember and correctly use all of the words you need to help you succeed at work, to get the best grades at university, to score high on the SAT or GRE, and to feel confident in conversation with everyone you come in contact with. However, like anything that you put on your list of “self-improvement tasks” (exercising, eating enough fiber, flossing your teeth), it sometimes takes energy to keep this task going, especially before it’s become a habit. It’s particularly difficult to do things that require effort when you’re feeling tired and a bit lazy.

The adjective indolent might describe you at those times. This word comes from two Latin roots, the prefix in- (“not”) and the verb dolere (“to suffer pain”). It’s certainly the easier route to not work hard. Someone who is indolent makes a habit of avoiding work and procrastinating. Synonyms other than lazy include slothful and lethargic. The noun that describes this state of being is indolence.

Example: I had six projects that I wanted to get done this weekend, but the sunshine and good weather made me so indolent that all I had to show by Monday was a suntan.

If you’re feeling disinclined to study, try introducing new elements into your routine. Rather than sitting down and memorizing a list of words, create a story with them. If you’re only using reference books to look up and learn new words, pick up a novel by an accomplished author, or a non-fiction book on a topic that interests you, and make notes on the words you don’t know (look them up later unless you need the definition to continue reading and understanding the text). If you’re used to studying alone, find a conversation group or a study partner – you’ll get inspiration from other people, and it will be easier to stay with your study schedule if you’re working with someone else.

Whatever you do, keep going! You’ll quickly find that the benefits of an improved English vocabulary are worth any amount of work.