The “lazy pothead” is a ridiculous stereotype that can be easily smashed by the hundreds of famous, successful stoners out in the world.
Snoop Dogg is the perfect example. He not only released 6 solo albums that sold over 2 million copies before he turned 30, but he’s also currently a partner in several successful businesses. This, coming from the man who reportedly smokes 81 blunts a day and once had the fire department call on him for smoking so much.
Plenty of people out there know how to be productive while high and how to be a successful stoner. Yet, plenty of potheads be like “I’d be a millionaire if I didn’t love weed so much.” There are millionaires out there who love weed; they just know how to channel their love of smoking marijuana into positive, productive activities.
To help you turn yourself into a stoner-preneur — someone who accomplishes a lot yet still stays committed to his home-girl Mary Jane — consider the following tips. They can teach you the Do’s and Don’ts of being productive while high and achieving your dreams with marijuana at your back.
Step 1 for How to Be a Successful Stoner: Start Making To-Do Lists and Daily Attack Plans
The trap that most weed lovers fall into is that they don’t consider their plans before they smoke. They smoke out of habit, then forget about the things that matter to their personal growth. And while it’s cute for Afroman to forget about cleaning his room and paying court-ordered child support in a song, in real life it’s not so fun.
So the key is to make lists of things you need to do in general. Try to write down everything, and then arrange them by priority and time sensitivity. Something like paying your power bill obviously comes first, while chores like mowing the lawn should get done within the next week. Then there’s your ambitions, like find a new job or learn how to mix music. Don’t forget them!
You should end up with a huge list of wants, needs and dreams. Use this to create a daily to-do list. Then, try and get as many things done as possible each day.
The result? You can approach your day more motivated and sure about what needs to get done. Even if you end up smoking before or during some of the activities, you keep a track record of what you did and what you still need to do.
That sure beats sitting on the couch at 1 AM and suddenly thinking “Man! When was I supposed to pay that power bill?”
Be Cautious About the Strains You Select and Your Smoking Method
Certain marijuana strains and smoking methods are great for getting obliterated. You hit the gravity bong and just become one with the sofa while your favorite movie or game plays.
But what about times you’re not trying to relax? The secret for how to be productive while high is to have alternatives in mind that avoid the dreaded couch lock.
Look into marijuana strains that help energize you, and avoid weed strains that can make you sleepy or overly relaxed.
Also, invest in a smoking method that gives you precise control over dosage. The last thing you want is to have big plans for the day and have to put them off while you come down from an intense high.
Liquid-based vape pens, for instance, allow you to get exact doses of weed without having to waste anything. You can also buy a small glass bowl and a fine grinder to help you smoke smaller amounts throughout the day.
Find something that works for you, and avoid smoking methods that tend to make you feel lazy or too zonked out to focus.
Take Up a Few Different Hobbies
South Park nailed one great reason pot can make you unproductive: you are content when you’re bored.
Successful stoners avoid falling in a rut by having multiple outlets. If they get high, they aren’t automatically firing up the XBox. They may instead do some drawing, read a book, play an instrument or practice with a piece of software they’ve been dying to learn.
With so many options, they have many different experiences and practice many different things. These skills and experiences help them grow into a more well-rounded person. It could also lead to them discovering a new option for their career or side hustle.
Most importantly, it trains you to keep thinking and learning when you’re high. If you can sustain your curiosity and excitement, you can follow your passions to be more productive.
Try Smoking Before Doing Something Routine
A great way to train yourself for how to be productive while high is to smoke before doing something repetitive. If you toke up before dishes or yard work, you may find yourself more engaged during the task. You could also expand the creativity of your thoughts.
The more often you train yourself to stay focused and productive while stoned, the easier it gets. Practicing with things that seem boring is a great place to start!
Stoners Be Like: “But What About a Quick Call of Duty Match?” Yield Not to Temptation!
Learning how to be a successful stoner requires you to realize that it’s the things you do that make you unproductive, not how much you smoke. Things like social media and video games and streaming TV are designed to make you want do them for hours at a time and return often.
Avoid things you do plenty of already, especially if you aren’t creating or accomplishing anything in the process. Save them for the end of the day or weekends as a much-deserved treat.
Unfortunately, this maxim may also apply to people you enjoy hanging out with. If they are a distraction or tempt you into being unproductive, they’ll have to get used to you telling them you can’t hang until you have more free time.
Seek Opportunities That Cater to Your Innate Interests
Don’t fight against the hobbies and art that inspires you; work with them! Try to identify career paths and industries you think will ignite the passions you feel when you get high.
You can recognize these things more easily after branching out and trying new hobbies or activities while stoned. You may discover your inner chef while cooking banana pancakes, or decide you want to create your own app after tinkering with coding software.
Push yourself to try new things and reflect on what makes you happiest. Then, research business opportunities or career paths in that sector. If Hugh Hefner or Martha Stewart can build an empire despite having smoked their fair share of weed, you can too!
The Real Secret for How to Be Productive While High: Find Successful Stoners That Inspire You and Work as Hard as They Do
Famous, successful stoners like Snoop Dogg and 23-time Olympic gold medal winner Michael Phelps got where they were by focusing on their long-term dream while keeping up with the day-to-day activities that brought them closer to it.
Let their hard work inspire you! The next time you get high, try to take steps that bring you closer to your desired career or accomplishments. Write music, come up with a business plan, learn to code — all these things can be much more fun and rewarding than sitting on the couch.
Most importantly, try to do productive things every day, even if it gives you anxiety or feels like the last thing you want to do. Snoop Dogg spends much of his time in business meetings, catching flights, doing media events, and collaborating in the studio. It’s what he does every day that makes him a multi-millionaire; Ms. Mary Jane is always just along for the ride.