The Lazy Genius Podcast - #259 - 5 Steps to Lazy Genius Anything

Episode Date: April 25, 2022

Today, we are just about one week out from the release of my second book, The Lazy Genius Kitchen, and in that book, I share five steps to Lazy Genius anything in your kitchen, but those five steps can work for anything in your life.   Helpful Companion Links You can still preorder The Lazy Genius Kitchen and get a free recipe ebook when you let us know! Order it here then let us know about it here. Catch the latest episode of The Lazy Genius Kitchen video series here. New episodes air every Tuesday at 2 pm ET. Download a transcript of this episode.   This podcast is hosted by Kendra Adachi and executive produced by Kendra Adachi, Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello everyone, you are 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. Today is episode 259, five steps to lazy genius anything. Today we are just about one week out from the release of my second book, The Lazy Genius Kitchen. And in that book, I share five steps to lazy genius anything in your kitchen. But those five steps can work for anything in your life. This book has been hard to explain, if I'm honest, mostly because there's nothing like it I've ever found on cookbook shelves at the bookstore. We need a more comprehensive way to solve our kitchen problems.

And we can't always depend on other people's ideas. Just like with the lazy genius way, we all have different lives with different priorities. And it does not make sense for me to tell you what to do because we're all going to do different things, because we need different things. But what I do want to do is teach you how you can use a specific set of tools or principles to create solutions for your personal challenges. The lazy genius kitchen takes that idea and amplifies it by a hundred and puts it square in the middle of our most used and often most frustrating room, the kitchen. Our kitchens need very specific mindsets and tools and strategies to work for us, simply because there are so Many rolls our kitchens fill. Food is constantly needed. Dishes are constantly piling up. Plans are

constantly being made and then not followed through on. Expectations are constantly getting bigger and more cumbersome. Time and margin feel like they're constantly shrieking. We're dealing with different budgets and kitchen layouts and dietary restrictions and schedules and family size and season of life and cooking skills and a million other variables. For me to tell you how to create a specific kitchen, how to organize your cabinets, what to shop for, how to plan, what your table should look like. Doing that would just be unkind. We live different lives. There is no one way to live in and use a kitchen. There simply isn't. But we all do, in some way, need strategies to make it feel less stressful. And that's why I wrote The Lazy Genius Kitchen. So in today's episode, I'm going to tell you

what's in part of the book. Okay? Part one of the book has the five steps that can help you lazy genius, any part of your kitchen, and even any part of your life. I make this joke in the book, but please use these steps in all necessary areas of your life so that I do not have to write the lazy genius bathroom. Okay, so let's just jump into the five steps. And again, these are explained in detail with extra levels of consideration and charts and all kinds of things in part one of the Lazy Genius Kitchen book. So this is just a broad overview. Still, it's a very helpful broad overview. Okay, the five steps are prioritize, essentialize, organize, personalize, and systemize. Yes, I made them all eyes as on purpose. You are welcome. First step. Prioritize. First, you have to name what

matters most. This is the foundation for everything. You have to name what matters to you about a particular thing. Make the problem as small as possible and name what's most important about that thing. The reason we often feel overwhelmed by our lives and especially by our kitchens is that we're trying to make everything matter. We are seeking solutions for meals that are quick, family-friendly, healthy, tasty, not expensive, and a few other qualifications. And we think we're the problem because we can't find those meals. Those meals. Those wheels aren't real, guys. It is almost impossible to find a variety of recipes, like a broad list of those, that cover every base that could matter without you feeling like you're losing your mind,

which is why you have to pick one, one thing that steers your ship. It's not that all the other priorities don't matter, but only one can matter most. If you're listening to this on the day it releases Monday, April 25th. Tomorrow is the third episode of the Lazy Jeannie's Kitchen video series, and it is with our beloved Erin Moon. I adore this episode and highly encourage you to watch it because we figured out Aaron's priorities in real time about the meals she makes for her family. There was an incredible light bulb moment that really transformed her challenge into something doable instead of something impossible, all because she named what mattered. That has to come first. So the first step is to prioritize. And I explain it in detail in the book, along with some of my personal kitchen priorities

and how those impact the decisions that I make. The second step is to essentialize. That means you're getting rid of what's in the way. You're only keeping what supports what matters. This can be for tangible things like in episode one of the video series, where we got rid of all the meat. There thermometers and the broken tools and the single chopstick in Sharon McMahon's utensil drawer. This can also be for intangible things, right? Like the expectation that cooking more means you have to make a brand new recipe every single time you cook, like we discovered with Maddie James in the second episode of the video series. There are plenty of things you could get rid of that are getting in the way of what matters.

And in the book, there are helpful words and a super cool chart to help you figure out if something is essential or not. But so often, we try and organize things we don't need because we went in the wrong order. We did not get rid of what was in the way first. And we really need to do that. We'll be right back. Need a vehicle that isn't afraid to make a splash? That's the Volkswagen Touse. Capable and confident, the Volkswagen Touse is fit for everyday life, nimble in traffic, agile and tight spots, and still spacious enough for weekend getaways. While available 4-motion all-wheel drive gives confidence in rain and snow.

The capable taos, you deserve more confidence. Visit v.w.ca to learn more. SUV-W, German engineered for all. Amazon presents Jeff versus Taco Truck Salsa. Whether it's Verde, Roja, or the orange one. For Jeff, trying any salsa is like playing Russian root. with a flame thrower. Luckily, Jeff saved with Amazon and stocked up on antacids, ginger tea, and milk.

Habaniero? More like habanier, yes. Save the everyday with Amazon. Aw, isn't something we need to travel for. It's something waiting for us in everyday life, whether in a city street or a moment with a work of art. I'm Dr. Keltner, host of the Science of Happiness podcast. Join me for Cities of Aw, 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. So prioritize, then essentialize, and then on to step three, which is organize. Again, if you organize what you don't need, you will be very frustrated. Or as Annie Down says in next week's episode of the Lacey Judy's Kitchen video series, what a whole whole

horrible waste of time. That episode is so fun, by the way. We lazy genius, Annie's freezer, and it is a blast. Anyway, we all do this. We all organize what we don't need. In Sharon's kitchen, with her utensils, she was having trouble knowing where her stuff should go, but she was trying to find a place for stuff that didn't matter. What mattered most was that she could have access to everything she needed, or in her words, that she can quickly and easily put her hands on whatever she needs. But the problem was she had too many things she didn't need in the way of what she did. And that leads to a frustrating kitchen. So organizing is simply putting everything in its place, but you really shouldn't do that until you essentialize and get rid of what's in the way first.

And you know I'm serious about this because I just use the word should. And I very rarely do that. But you should essentialize before you organize. I will stand firm on that. The fourth step is to personalize. You've named what matters. You got rid of what's in the way. You put the rest in its place. And now you need to feel like yourself as you do those things. And especially as you continue to keep it up, whatever system you built. This is one of my favorite parts of the book because we need a ton of permission to personalize our lives. We really do, especially as women, I think. So in the book, I share seven different lenses of how to personalize anything, how to consider what makes you feel like yourself and how knowing that can impact the decisions you make. And then the fifth and final step is

to systemize or keep things in a flow. This is where the 13 lazy genius principles from the lazy genius way really come into play. You can use any combination of those principles to create a flow for whatever your challenge is. And in part two of the book of the lazy genius kitchen, where I apply those five steps to multiple areas of your kitchen, actually share specific principles that I think will work great for specific situations and areas. So those are the five steps. That's 50 pages of the book. The following 80 or 90 pages is part two where I, like I just said, apply those five steps to so many areas of your kitchen to give you ideas, practice, and a loose structure from which you can begin to solve your own kitchen problems. And then part three is another 60 pages of tips and

hacks and techniques and lists and charts and all kinds of things to make your kitchen work better for you based on what matters to you. I cannot wait for you to get this book in your hands. I cannot wait. But until you do, use those five steps, at least as five. as I've described them here in this episode to start lazy geniusing parts of your kitchen. Remember, keep the problems as small as you can because lazy geniuses start small. And that way, you can actually have a solution that works and is doable right now. Instead of waiting for a new kitchen or a new house or a new stage of life or a new set of pans or a new collection of cookbooks, you likely already have what you need.

you just need somebody to help you see it. And I think The Lazy Genius Kitchen will help you do that. So just so you know, the book is available Tuesday, May 3rd, which is in just a couple of weeks. And if you order early as a thank you, you'll receive a digital cookbook of 25 Lazy Genius recipes for free. All you have to do is register your pre-order at the lazy geniuskitchen.com. And you'll get that digital cookbook delivered right away to your inbox. I want to just thank you for trusting me enough to order a book before you've seen it. That's a big deal.

But I'm going to tell you this. If I had like the machinery and the funds to make this promise, I would promise to refund anyone's book purchase where the book just felt like a waste and not helpful at all. That's how confident I am that this book will help you is that I would offer a money back guarantee. But because I'm personally not the one selling the books, that is not a feasible situation for any of us. That would get super clunky.

But just know that in my heart, I am guaranteeing this book to be helpful. to you. I shared this last week on Instagram, but even Artie Sequera, who is a food personality and a professional cook and is in her kitchen for her life and actual job, she learned things from this book and was encouraged by this book. I really do believe it's for everyone. Okay, before we go, let's celebrate the lazy genius of the week. This week, it's Kirsten Anderson, and it is a nail polish-related tip, but it uses the five steps we just talked about. So here's what Kirsten says. I finally took the plunge and ordered Olive and June. Side note, if you are new here, and you don't know, I adore the nail polish brand, Olive and

June. I even have three lazy genius colors. It's wild. Okay. Back to Kirsten. The first time I did it, I messed my nails up within 30 minutes doing stuff around the house. So I asked myself, how can I be a genius about doing my mani? I decided that every Thursday I would leave to pick my eight-year-old from school early and do my nails in the car in the pickup line. My three-year-old and one-and-a-half-year-old both typically fall asleep while we drive to school so then I can sit with the windows down, listening to a fun podcast, or watch a show on my phone, and do my Olive and June, Manny. Then I'm in the car driving for 30-ish minutes after I'm done so they can fully dry. This will be week four of doing it that way, and it has been fantastic. Kirsten. Oh my goodness. This is such a

brilliant idea. I mean, I already think that using Olive and June, using their mani system is the best way to lazy genius your nails, but this takes it to such a smart level. You want to have plenty of time to let your mani dry so you can enjoy it for longer, right? But with many tiny humans, it's tough to find that time. And you did. Kirsten did, based on what matters to you. So, Let's walk through these five steps, what Kirsten did, okay? Kirsten used the five steps that we just talked about in this episode. She prioritized and named what mattered, having plenty of time to have a manicure that lasts. Okay?

Two, she essentialized. What's in the way of that? Doing it at home when there's always something to tend to or touch after, right? Okay. Number three, she organized. She put her mani in the right place. She put it at the right time in place. when she could let it dry during a time when she was already sitting.

Okay? Step four, she personalized by doing that manny when it works for her, even if the carpool line would not work for everyone, right? Plus, she feels like herself in that moment by putting the windows down. Did you notice that detail? Putting the windows down and listening to something or watching something that she enjoys. And then five, she systemized it. By applying the lazy genius principle of Decide Once,

She does her manny on Thursdays and leaves early. That's it. Amazing. Kirsten, thank you for sharing this. And congratulations on being the lazy genius of the week. And to those of you listening, I hope you see how simple but effective those five steps can be for literally anything in your life, but particularly in the kitchen. The lazy genius kitchen releases in just a week from now, and I cannot wait for you to have it in your hands and start lazy genius in your kitchen to work for you. I'm so excited.

I'm so excited. That is it for today. Thank you for listening. And until next time, when you have the lazy genius kitchen in your hand, maybe, be a genius about the things that matter and lazy about the things that don't. I'm Kendra. 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? 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.