The Lazy Genius Podcast - #139 - How to Plan Your Time This Winter

Starting point is 00:00:00 Amazon presents Laura versus Fruitflies. Swarming your fruit and terrorizing your kitchen, these little freaks multiply at a rate that would make a rabbit say, yo. Chill. But Laura shopped on Amazon and saved on cleaning spray, countertop wipes, and fly traps. Hey, fruit flies, your baby boom ends here. Save the Everyday with Amazon. Hi there. You're listening to the Lazy Genius Podcast. I'm Kendra Adachi and I'm here to help you be a genius about the things that matter and lazy about the things that don't. Welcome to our first episode of 2020, which is like such a space age year. This is episode 139, How to Plan Your Time this winter. I've done this for a few seasons now where we dive into the topics of time, food, and reading specifically for the season we're in. And I hope it's helped you as much as it's helped me.

Starting point is 00:01:02 I tend to view things in seasons anyway, but taking the time to really spell out what we're after and be intentional about how we see these very daily parts of our lives, it has been such a huge help for me, and I really do hope for you too. So today I'm going to give you two simple questions to ask yourself as you move into this new year so that you can see your time in a way that makes a difference in your everyday life. And I'm going to workshop those questions on my own life so you can see how it comes together. before we jump in and as we start this new year, I want to make sure you're on my VIP mailing list. Now I know everyone has a mailing list and that we're all really trying to keep our own emails at a minimum, and I'm all for that. So if you've been getting my newsletter and it does not bring you enough value to keep it,

Starting point is 00:01:48 by all means, unsubscribe or just delete them as they hit your inbox inbox. I don't take that personally at all. But if you have never subscribed, then I want to talk to you for a sec. I would ask that you, you give my mailing list to try and subscribe. I send out one email every month, usually the first Wednesday of the month. This month is the second Wednesday because I wanted to enjoy New Year's day last week and not write an email or put something in your inbox that you didn't have the margin to see. So this month's newsletter called the latest lazy letter will go out this Wednesday the 8th. I would not send the email if I didn't think it would bring value to your life. Everything I do, everything is to make you a lazy genius and be a genius about the things that matter and lazy about

Starting point is 00:02:34 the things that don't. Now wasteful email, it does not matter. So I make sure that those newsletters are stuffed with helpful info for you. So give it a try this month. And if you're not into it, no sweat. Unsubscribe. And I will absolutely still love you the same. Your inclusion in that email list isn't for my benefit, but for yours. And I would hate for you to start the year missing out on something that you might actually find super, super helpful. So there will be a link in the show notes if you swipe across the cover art on your app, or you can go directly to the lazy genius collective dot com slash join and get that monthly latest lazy letter. Cool deal. Okay, let's talk about planning our time this winter. We just need two questions to get started. The first one will surprise no one

Starting point is 00:03:20 if you are a regular listener, but it's also the most important question to ask yourself in literally everything you do. If you want to really be a lazy genius, this is where it starts. What matters. You have to name what matters. How we spend our time is a reflection on what matters to us, right? We spend time on things we care about. But there's another piece to that that we forget. How we spend our time can also be a reflection on what doesn't matter, but we still end up doing. for example, when I say we spend time on the things we care about, you might think that there are plenty of times that you waste your time on your phone or you wander around your house, like trying to figure out what to do or do any number of things that don't actually matter that feel kind of wasteful.

Starting point is 00:04:07 It's easy to think that saying we spend time on what matters is actually misleading because you spend plenty of time on things that don't matter. So do I. But I'd like to ask you why. Because here's the thing. I think a lot of the time spent on things that don't matter is because we're avoiding things that don't matter even more than that. You think it matters to have four different dishes at every meal and that they have to be like different most nights and be healthy and all these things. But you spend your Sunday night watching the crown instead of meal planning and making a long grocery list. And then you spend four to five o'clock hate scrolling through Instagram on Monday because you can't get the momentum going to chop all the food you have to cook. Guess what? Maybe four different dishes and

Starting point is 00:04:56 variety and a million vegetables at every meal doesn't matter to you really. Maybe you think it should, but it really doesn't. And so you waste your time avoiding that thing because it doesn't actually matter deep down. Now what would happen if you change that perspective on what matters. What if what matters to you is that you eat at the table most nights and that you don't hate everyone by the time you get there? because dinner was simple and whatever way is simple to you. That would change how you spend your time. Meal planning wouldn't feel like a chore because you have an easier time choosing those simple meals that work for you. Shopping and prepping are the same because you don't have expectations

Starting point is 00:05:35 of so many ingredients and so many recipes. And then making dinner from four to five o'clock isn't as daunting as it used to be to the point that now you actually do it because now you're accomplishing what really matters, not avoiding what doesn't. How you spend your time is not just a reflection on what matters to you, but maybe on what shouldn't matter as much. So as we enter this post-Christmas winter season, first ask yourself what matters. What matters over the next three months until you get to spring break or whatever your next calendar marker is? Seasons are seasons because they change and they bring different circumstances and different lessons to learn along the way. what matters in January might not matter in June.

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Starting point is 00:07:14 a special series on how our public spaces can spark awe, wonder, and enhance the quality of public life. You can find us wherever you listen to your podcasts. I told you I'd workshop these questions using my own life, so we'll do that now. If the first question is naming what matters this season, my answer is easy, because here's the thing about this winter. So I wrote a book last year, and it's coming out this August. It's so exciting, and even just saying that it's coming out this August and realizing it's January makes me feel a little insane because that's literally eight months away. Less than eight actually. It's seven. It's seven months. It's fine, you guys. It's all fine. But because of that, I know that my spring and summer are going to be

Starting point is 00:07:58 bonkers. I'm going to be doing a lot of things to get the word out and hopefully doing, you know, podcast interviews and all the things for this book. And all of that is on top of the regular work I do here on the podcast, on the blog, on the socials. It's not like I'm getting more hours added to my day, mostly just more work. Yes, I am trying to find a nanny for a couple of afternoons a week to get me through that. Yes, I have hired a house cleaner so I can focus on my family when I'm home instead of gross toilets. I'm doing things to help ease the load because there's just no way. I can add more without taking other massive things away. But most of that more won't come until March or April. That means this winter, you guys, what matters is time home with my family and join the

Starting point is 00:08:43 the fact that we have empty weekends and I'm not traveling and all the things. I want to enjoy this season on purpose because it's going to be some months before we get it again. So that's the biggest thing that matters. Two others are different but related, I guess. First, I want to use like a tick less technology over these next couple of months or at least be aware of when I can set the phone aside a little, not because technology is bad or whatever, but because I know that in those spring and summer months, I'm going to be looking at screens and typing in words and all the things a lot more than usual. So I like to give a little intention to giving myself more of a break from that now before the technological energy kind of kicks up later. And then the second thing that matters,

Starting point is 00:09:27 well, the third, if you include that first major one about time with my family, is that cooking is less frenzied and that I stock the freezer for those future spring and summer months that are busier. I'd like to take some time in the kitchen. I like to just take my time. I don't really get to do that as much right now. But in this winter, I can. I want to be wise about it as well and make some extra things for the freezer, you know, to store away for later. So those are the three things that matter to me this winter. Time at home with my family, a tick less technology, and less frenzied cooking with a little saving on the side. Now, let's talk about the second question. Knowing what matters, how can you organize your time or set loose parameters on your schedule to make those things

Starting point is 00:10:14 the priority over the next couple of months? It's a simple question, but one we don't usually ask, if those three things matter to me, what can I do to make sure they keep mattering, that they don't get clouded out by other things that matter way less, but seem to get more energy if I'm not paying attention? I'm going to create what I call house rules. I use these often, but don't talk about them much here on the podcast. I do however talk about them in the book that's coming out in seven months, though. So that's super fun. I'm basically giving myself some kind of boundaries to stay on track with what matters. So first, time at home with my family. That matters a lot. And I do live there with them. It's probably not a ridiculous thing to assume that I'll get to

Starting point is 00:10:56 spend time with them. But I also am part of like several groups. I like be involved in things. And I love hanging out with friends and all of that stuff. If I don't, pay attention, we can fill up weeknights and weekends quickly and not realize it. So I'm going to have a house rule for these next couple of months, only two week nights of stuff a week, max. On the crazy off chance that there are things that are just like immovable, you know, and it has to be three nights, then that weekend stays empty. Another house rule is to not plan anything major two weekends in a row as much as we can help it. house rules are are more forgiving than like other rules because it's your house so you can decide what

Starting point is 00:11:43 fits in the spirit of the rule and what doesn't but having that rule in place gives me a starting point making the decision two nights a week max stay at home at least every other weekend just be together before things get crazy and do it on purpose okay so if the second thing that matters is a tick less technology a house rule i can make for this is to put a screen time uh down time thing on my phone. I did that for a season last year on my iPhone. You just set the time that you wanted to turn off and it was a delight. So I just have my phone shut down at like 9 p.m. or something and I have to enter a password and promise my firstborn and all that to get back on Instagram. But since I'm naming that Instagram doesn't really matter so much at 9 o'clock, especially when I'm probably going to

Starting point is 00:12:29 be on it a lot more in a few months, right? That downtime restriction is a gift. I also might have a couple of phone Sabbaths for like a whole day or just a chunk of a day, but I'm going to be intentional about having a little less in my life before I have to have a lot more. And finally, the third thing that matters is that my cooking is less frenzied. Cliffhanger on this one, but I'll do an entire episode about this next week because it'll take a lot longer than we have right now, but it is coming. The point is naming what matters and then doing something small to make sure I stay on the path to making it happen. So what about you? What matters to you this winter in this upcoming season? And then what one thing maybe can you do to help that thing that matters stay important? It might mean saying no to something else.

Starting point is 00:13:18 It might mean putting a reminder on your phone to alert you to do the thing. It might mean sharing about what matters with a friend or a spouse. It's, and that's not so much about like keeping you accountable, but really to just remind you of what matters. Sometimes we need someone else in our lives to say what we already know, but are too tired or busy to remember. So name what matters and then ask yourself what one thing you can do to keep it mattering, at least in this season. Because remember, seasons change. So don't try and force another season into this one. Just be where you are, learn what it has to teach you, and focus on what matters now. I can't wait to hear about these two questions. how they affect even a little bit of how you're seeing your time in the upcoming months.

Starting point is 00:14:04 I'd love to answer your questions and hear your thoughts this Thursday on Instagram. We're back to doing our regular Instagram lives. So follow me at the lazy genius and I'll be there around noon, eastern, this Thursday to talk about our time this winter. And if you haven't given the newsletter a shot, try it this month. A new one goes out on Wednesday. So you can see if it's actually something you'll be glad to have around. Thanks for listening, everybody. Until next time, be a genius about the things that matter and lazy about the things that don't.

Starting point is 00:14:29 I'm Kendra, and I'll see you next week. You ever felt like you were living just a B or B plus life? It's so dangerous to live that. More dangerous than a B minus or a C plus life because when you're living a B or B plus life, you don't change it. You think it's good enough. Is it?

Starting point is 00:15:01 I'm Susie Welch. I host a podcast called Becoming You. People think, okay, an A plus life is not available to me, but there is a way. We are all in the process of becoming ourselves. Listen to Becoming You wherever you get your podcasts.

The Lazy Genius Podcast - #139 - How to Plan Your Time This Winter

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