The Lazy Genius Podcast - #315 - Lazy Genius Office Hours!

Episode Date: May 22, 2023

Today is a very exciting episode, the first of its kind and hopefully not the last! One of my favorite things about this job is helping you all Lazy Genius your problems. It is always the most fun, the most gratifying, the most connective thing. So we’re going to bring that to the podcast in an Office Hours episode!   Helpful Companion Links Find me on Instagram @thelazygenius and here’s the original Office Hours post Sign up for the Latest Lazy Listens email. Grab a copy of my book The Lazy Genius Kitchen or The Lazy Genius Way! 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

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 are listening to the Lazy Genius Podcast. I am 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 a very exciting episode, the first of its kind and hopefully not the last. One of my favorite things about this job is helping you all lazy genius your problems. I do it sometimes on Instagram in various membership communities over the years, in real life at events. And it is always the most fun.

the most gratifying, the most connective thing. So we're going to bring that to the podcast in our first lazy genius office hours episode. Okay, so a week or so ago, I asked y'all on Instagram what your problem was and what mattered most about that problem so that we could lazy genius that thing. There were so many great questions, a lot of good solutions offered in the comments themselves. But in this episode, I'm going to lazy genius a few of those specific problems from the comments, partially so the problem can get a solution, but more so to show multiple examples of the process of how to lazy genius something. There are some fantastic specific problems that I can't wait to

answer, but before we get to those, I want to address two categories of problems I saw in the comments. One is problems that are too big, which is understandable. We easily feel the weight of big things, right? Big systemic challenges in our homes or our schedules. Questions about how to keep your house clean or how to limit clutter or how to find time to exercise. Those are all really relevant questions, but they're too big to solve. They're too big to solve. In fact, I think about 70% of the problems in the comments were too big. And if I responded to all of them, the first step would be to make the problem much smaller. So I want you to pay attention to that in your own life.

It's not as fun or flashy to make a problem super small and then do the smallest step to help solve it. But I will say it until the day I die. Big problems require big solutions. And big solutions do not work. The smallest of steps for the smallest of problems is the way to go. You might even think that your question, was the smallest you can make it.

You're like, my question was small. But seasonal problems, system problems, routine problems, relational problems, relational problems, like new jobs and new schools and stuff like that, all of those are going to be too big. Always, always. That's why they're overwhelming. In fact, I think that can be a guide for you. If the problem is overwhelming when you think about it, it's too big. Small problems are more annoying.

than overwhelming. So take that overwhelming problem and try to find the most granular, annoying aspect to it. That might be the first problem you can solve as you work your way into a place where the larger problem feels more addressed over time. Another type of problem that I noticed were problems that are just naturally challenging, but there's some kind of expectation that it shouldn't be. that somehow there's a way to eliminate the stress of a problem that in reality will be stressful no matter what you do. Some things are just hard. So remember that we lazy genius are problems

not to eliminate what is hard from them or to make them so seamless. We don't even think about them or that we become a problem-solving robot unaffected by naturally challenging things. Some problems are just going to be hard. Instead, you can focus on what matters and try and make the problem a little bit easier based on how you approach it. I mentioned both of these as a reminder to you when you're trying to figure something out in your own life. Are you starting too big? Do you have an unrealistic goal of removing every barrier from the situation? Those are two helpful questions, two helpful categories, helpful markers to know if you're going to waste your time trying to solve something that can't be solved in the way that you're trying to. Okay. So that said, now let's get into

some specific questions. Now the main process of lazy genuicing, most any situation, is with these five steps. Prioritize or name what matters. Essentialize or get rid of what's in the way. organize or put everything in its place, personalize or feel like yourself, and then systemize or stay in the flow. These five steps are explained and applied in my book, The Lazy Genius Kitchen, and they are an excellent way to approach a lot of challenges. And they are the right order. And then also, sometimes you don't need those five steps. You just need one or two of those steps to find a solution. You'll do one and then the next one you're like, oh, this one is important. Let's move on to the next one.

Or you need to apply just one lazy principle to actually make more headway than you thought and whatever problem you have. So we'll use kind of a combination of those things as we go through these questions. Okay. All right. Our first question is from Anna Hammond. Anna wrote, how to lazy genius objects waiting to leave. Looking at the cabinet by the door, I spy.

Number one, a mug. my husband wants to take to his office. Two, part of a toy that lives at grandmas. Three, a book I need to get back to a friend. Four, a shirt to return to Target. Five, a pie plate that belongs to my mother-in-law. Six, a letter I need to give to my sister. What matters most? Visual clutter. The sweet spot between out of sight, out of mind. And if I look at that heap much, I will lose my mind. Okay. I don't know many people who do not have objects waiting to leave. Like it doesn't matter who lives in your house, what your job is, what your personality is. You have objects waiting to leave your place of residence.

So let's lazy genius this. I think there are two aspects to this particular issue. One is where the objects go before they leave. And the other is the rhythm of getting them out of your house. You see how we just made that smaller? Even though the problem was already pretty small, we needed to break it down a little bit more. And what matters to you, your routines, your storage options, all kinds of things will impact how you approach those two aspects of objects waiting to leave your house.

Now, if we look at the five steps of lazy geniecing anything, the first is prioritize. Name what matters. Now for me, I'm going to talk about my own house because I also have things that need to leave it. For me, what matters is that I don't look out and see all of those things that Anna just mentioned. I don't want to see them, which neither does she. I don't want the clutter of things that don't have a place in my home. Okay?

That's the priority. I don't want to see it. The next step is essentialize or get rid of what's in the way. Now, you will have different answers to this. But honestly, the thing that was in the way for me for a long time was the expectation of how quickly I moved things out of my house. If something stayed for longer than a couple of days or a week, I would lose my mind. Like, why is it taking so long? Why do I have to keep staring at this coffee mic that doesn't belong to?

me and also like why can't you get it together kindra and get this thing out of your house right so i got rid of the expectation of quick removal some things just take a while and that's okay because remember my priority isn't that the things get out fast it's that i don't want to look at them okay now enter step three organize put everything in its place i bought a big basket at some home store i don't even remember where now. And anything that is outgoing goes in that basket. Amazon returns, the borrowed mug, the book I finished that I want to hand off to my sister, they all go in the basket. The one category of outgoing things that doesn't go in the basket really are things that still need to leave, but can leave the house of my kids' backpacks. So things like snacks for the first grade class party

or permission slips or whatever. Those are all outgoing things, but they already have a place. they go in the kids backpacks so they'll get to where they need to go right but everything else that needs to leave goes in the basket all right so step four is to personalize or feel like yourself that one is less relevant for this situation this is a great example of how it's like is it important other than i bought a basket i think is pretty you know that's all like i spent a few dollars more to get a nice basket i like i don't want to look at the pile of outgoing things but i also don't those things to be hidden by another ugly thing either, you know? And then finally, step five is systemize or keep things in a flow. All right. The basket is in an area. I walk past multiple times a day.

It's actually where we keep the kids backpacks as well. So it's a little bit of a hub of things that are leaving. But if my sister, if my sister drops by, I have passed that book that I wanted to give her several times that day. And I can say, oh, hold on. I have a book for you. or if my mom comes by and she lives down the street for my sister and I can say oh would you drop this off at Hannah's house for me if I'm running errands I check the basket first see what I can get out of the house the rhythm is more of an awareness of the items that need to leave and frankly there are a couple of things that have sat in that basket for two months now and it doesn't really matter they're not urgent there's just not been an easy time to take that thing that no one is really waiting for so it just stays and it's hidden which is what matters most me. Okay? So that's my personal solution to the problem, but you can see how the five steps, they really help. And you can also see how I made that challenge that was already really small and more annoying than overwhelming, right? Right? You can see how I even made that a little smaller by noticing that there are two pieces of this, where the stuff waits and then how it ends up

leaving. So Anna, I hope that helps and anyone else who has things that need to leave the house. We'll be right back. 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. All right. Our next question comes from Mary McG-1. Mary says this, problem. I stay up too late because I don't feel like I have enough time to enjoy my evening and or get all my chores done. Priority, getting seven to eight hours of sleep and feeling energized for an a.m. workout and full work day. Okay. So there were a lot of amens to this one in the comments, myself included honestly. This is a real problem for a lot of people. Like we want to enjoy our nights, but it affects the morning, right? But what's interesting is then Mary posted a follow up to her own comment and said, as I type this, I realize one of my problems might be that my evenings don't actually have enough truly enjoyable moments built in. Okay, first I want you to notice this.

This is important. Saying your problem out loud, but with a grown-up voice, not a whiny voice, where you really are curious about how to make this thing that matters to you better, that practice. that practice alone, it often unlocks a little bit more in your brain. You say it, you sit within a minute, in particular if you say it to a friend and sit with it in conversation of some sort, again, using your grown-up voices, you'll see a way to make the problem smaller, or you'll see a brighter spotlight on what matters. Or you'll realize, oh, wait, now that I've said this out loud, I don't know that this matters

as much as I thought it did. Speak the problem out. And then like Mary, you might have a clarifying follow-up. Okay, so now to the problem itself. While this is small and while what matters is pretty specific, this is a really good place to apply the lazy genius, not principal, but time management mindset that we talk about of match your expectations to the energy you're willing to give. Match your expectations to the energy you're willing to give. I don't know your situation, Mary or anyone else who resonates with Mary big time. But to me, that, priority of getting seven to eight hours of sleep and having energy when you wake up and then also having enough of it, enough energy to do a morning workout. For me, that's too many priorities.

And they're not realistic for the energy that I'm personally willing to give. So that's the first thing here. Is your expectation incongruent with the energy you are giving or are willing to regularly give. Now the next part of this is I think this is too many priorities. This is making three things matter. Seven, eight hours of sleep, waking up energetic and having time to do a morning workout. And honestly, that doesn't even include the priorities on the evening end where you get to relax and do something enjoyable and also get your chores done, right? So this is an excellent example of how you have to do the work of figuring out what matters most. Mary, you are know what does matter and you listed them but it's too many things because now you don't have a

clear direction on how to solve your problem because three to five things matter you know do you focus more on quality of sleep instead of like the length of it do you focus on a set bedtime do you adjust your morning workout so that it's quicker to get into in case you sleep late is it that you adjust your evening routine and you move chores to another day or whatever you can't do all those things You can't make all those changes because they won't stick. It's too many things. And even a lot of tiny things creates a big thing. And big things just don't stick. So rather than give specifics on how to address this, my advice here is to focus on one priority. And it sounds like you already did in your follow-up comment. Your evenings aren't as enjoyable as you'd like.

So adjust that. Name something or a small handful of things to choose from that you find deeply enjoyable at the end of the day. It makes going to bed more fulfilling because you've filled that bucket, right? And one final piece of advice with this question, remember that what you choose from one night, it's not what you have to choose for every night. You can do chores every other night where there's like a small amount of time to do that enjoyable thing after the chores. So you still, you still get to relax and do something enjoyable, just maybe for not as long, you know, on certain days. The same goes for bedtime. I try really hard to not stay up past 11 o'clock two nights in a row because then my sleep debt accumulates. So if I stay up late one night, which happens a lot like right now during the NBA playoffs,

I try and prioritize going to bed earlier the next. Now, does it always work? Does it always happen? No. But that's something that I try to think about. That's a small step that I intentionally try to make. But ultimately here, match your expectations to the energy you're willing to give and make one thing. matter. Then you'll have a better idea of how to keep moving toward a solution that works for you.

This special segment is presented by KFC and ACAST creative. KFC chicken nuggets have made their debut and they truly are the perfect chicken nugget. Each one is hand-bredded with KFC's original recipe and absolutely packed with flavor. So basically what I'm saying is KFC took all the magic that is a bucket of chicken and packed it into one small but equally amazing chicken nugget. So to celebrate, I thought it would cool to introduce you to one of the nuggets in my life, Sam, to share our highlights of the week as we catch up over KFC. Sam, welcome to the show. Hello. It's lovely to have you here. So I want to talk about what you do after school. What do you normally do after school, Sam? Homework. That is why. Yeah, it is. Well, I will do homework. Then I'll usually make,

and then I'll usually go on my computer and make music. This is what I want to talk about. Also, I'm really a slow chewer, and I'm also really hungry, and so I put that whole nugget in my mouth. It was so good. Tell everyone, when you say composed music, this is so gross, I'm so sorry.

No, that's fine. Let me chew real quick. When you say compose music, what do you mean? Don't take a bite yet. But when you, I'm just grabbing. I know, it's so good. When you compose music, what does that mean?

Like, there's this, like, site that I use that allows you to like make like sheet music. So what kinds of songs do you compose? I'm like a... Like for what kinds of instruments? I'm getting to that. In my middle school's band, I play alto saxophone, but I become so much of a band nerd that I've decided to make band music last summer.

was when I started. And now I'm like publishing pieces on the site. Got like 13 out right now. I remember when you said you wanted to start composing music. And like, I mean, you know, that's great. You had read, but your first inspiration was you had read a book. Spice School by Stuart Gibbs. Spice School.

You read Spice School by Stuart Gibbs. And you were so inspired by that book that you then composed like a, like if that book was made into a movie, what the theme song would be. Yes. Swallow. Hold on. Swallow your chicken. I know it's good,

but swallow your chicken. That was me on garage band. Randomly, I just put in band instruments on the thing and percussion. I made random beats. I made, I just pressed. I know you keep saying it's random,

but it was so good. Do you know what? I just realized I have a recording of it. on my phone because you just told me you just told me that you deleted it which made me so sad but i just remembered that i you sent me a recording on my phone so that's really fun but we're not going to play it right now i do want everybody to hear one of your pieces is that okay is that weird yes yes yes this can i can i intro yes of course of course you just don't do it with chicken in your mouth all right i know if if we were not on a microphone we would just keep eating chicken and

talking but we are on a microphone and so we don't want people here it's chewing all right This song is called We Are Stars, and it is for my elementary school music teacher that requested me to write a theme song for my elementary school. I know. Crazy. I'm famous now. No, I'm not. This is We Are Stars. Oh, you're going to play it?

Yep. It's like a March. I think I finished it like two days ago, I think. I don't know. like I will put lyrics to it it feels very like stars though you know it's like you can see

proud little second graders marching to this oh yes imagine imagine the peer gardeners they would be so cute what instruments are in this um it's just a full concert band

so we've got a flute a flute We've got woodwinds. We've got the flute, oboe, a first clarinet, a second clarinet, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, bassoon, bass clarinet. We've got our percussion, and then we've got our brass. Trumpet one, trumpet two, French horn, trombone, euphonium, and tuba. And then we've got the mallets. My friends will get mad at me and annoyed at me for making music.

during class. Do you do it during class? I didn't know that. Maybe. Okay, here. Don't tell anybody. It's fine. I'm going to push these towards you

because they're really delicious. But I have to talk now on the microphone. So, okay, thank you for sharing your music with us, Sam. Thank you for sharing KFC Nuggets with me. And everyone, thank you for listening to this weekly nugget brought to you in partnership with KFC and ACAS creative. If you are looking to bring a little flavor to bonding time with the kiddos in your life,

Run, don't walk, get away from the microphone. You're chewing so loud. Run, don't walk to the nearest KFC and try the new Kentucky Fried Chicken Nuggets with 100% white meat, perfectly hand-bredded with KFC's original recipe. I promise you've never had nuggets like these. Prices and participation may vary. Our next question is from Tiny Clay jars. I'm going to call you Tiny, okay? Tiny says, food containers.

My Tupperware cupboard is in an enough. annoying disaster and I don't have drawers in my kitchen. So that's not an option. How do I keep lids from disappearing into the abyss but not have to put them on every container because then I can't nest them to make sure they all fit. First, I love how small this is. I love, love. I also love that Tiny said this was annoying. Did you hear that? Annoying problems are the easiest to solve because they're usually pretty small. Annoying is different than overwhelming. Sol the annoying problems.

Okay, Tiny's priority is lid storage. She wants to keep the lids she has without putting them on the containers because otherwise she can't nest them and they don't fit. This is a great example of a really small, really annoying problem that does not have to be taken through a whole process. you can have just an idea and try it. Okay? I have three. I have three ideas. The first idea is to use the principle, put everything in its place and have a large container that's just for lids. Now, you might already have this tiny, but it's just where the lids go. Like so when it's time to get a lid

or put away a lid, there is one geographical choice. Super simple. You might even already be doing that and for some reason it's not working. The second idea is to see if you need all the containers you have. This is essentialism. Get rid of what's in the way. Do you care enough about keeping lids to the point where you don't have to nest? Or can you get rid of some that you don't need as much? So then they can stack. So you can put the lids on each one. You can stack them up. We don't like getting rid of things that still work. But if they impact how things are working, you can get rid of those things. So do you need all the containers you have? Can you essentialize those containers a little bit? And then the third idea is to perhaps keep the most used Tupperware pieces in the cabinet where they

already are, perhaps with each lid on each container. And then you put the less frequently used containers that you still want to keep in a closet or something. Like not every piece of Tupperware needs to stay in the kitchen. I have some in my whole closet that are just like really big and take a lot of space. So those are three of my ideas. And there are probably a lot more in the brain. of all of y'all that are listening. But this is an excellent example of how the smallest, most

annoying problem is actually kind of easy to solve when you take the time to think about it. Okay, let's do another example of something that I think is pretty relevant to probably all of you at some point. This comment comes from Mrs. Lopez 05. Now, Mrs. Lopez's actual problem is not relevant to all of you because not all of you work from home full time with kids. But Mrs. Lopez's a perception of this problem is something we all do. And it's a wonderful thing to remember as we're solving our own problems on our own time. Okay. She writes, problem. Wall to wall summer camps will bankrupt me and my husband and I both work from home. So it's about to get real over here. How can I solve my dilemma of the only way to be a good employee during the day is to basically

let my children run feral and destroy my house while I work, which means after I've used my brain all day, I then have to turn my attention to cooking and riding the house, which equals no time to relax and a lot of resentment. Am I allowed to have two priorities? A chaotic space gives me literal hives, so the opposite of that is a priority. But I want my children to feel cozy and comfortable in their own home. My girls are four and seven. Okay. First thing. There were several suggestions in the comments, things like hiring a young teen helper. What are they called? Like mothers, mothers helpers. Also, boys and girls club camps that are generally a lot cheaper. the most summer camps, a routine for the kids, and all of those are really great ideas. But here's what I want us to focus on with this incredibly relevant question from Mrs.

Lopez. Mrs. Lopez, I love that that is your name and I get to call you that now. Mrs. Lopez, you shared your problem in a very relatable, humorous way. Nobody wants feral children. But I want to point out to all of us, all of the extremes that are in this comment. And this is not a judgment. Hear me with my whole heart. This is what we do when we are overwhelmed.

We tend to make things extreme for the sake of comedy maybe, but then they're extreme in our own head. So examples from this comment, wall-to-wall summer camps. That assumes that summer camps are going to happen every day over the whole summer, which is not necessary. All or nothing, it's not your only options. Next, wall-to-wall summer camps,

will bankrupt me. I know you're being funny, but that's also an extreme, right? The only way to be a good employee, the only way to be a good employee during the day is to let my children run feral and destroy my house while I work. So the only way is extreme.

Ferrell, run feral is extreme. Feral. Farrell? Now I'm questioning it. Every time I say it, I think it's feral. It's fine. But that's like the comedian. Should I check?

What is it, guys? I just stopped the recording and checked. It is feral, like the comedian. Okay, great. Okay. But nobody, nobody wants feral children, but run feral is extreme, right? Destroy my house is extreme. Another phrase is, I then have to turn my attention to cooking and writing the house, which equals no time to relax. No time is extreme. Again, Mrs. Lopez, I could have written this comment myself. Like, I get this. And sometimes leaning into the comedy of it and exaggerating, it helps us be okay with it. But usually when we are overwhelmed, we make things very extreme and you cannot solve extreme problems. Okay. So my advice with this comment and any that might be like it, and that's for any of you listening, is to pay attention to where extremes are in your language and how they are

stopping you from moving forward. Now, if we take all of those phrases, all those extreme phrases, and we bring them down a little bit, here's what the comment could say. I want to be able to focus on my job, but it's hard to do that when the girls are around, and I'm afraid that too many summer camps is going to be too expensive. I want to have a couple of strategies in place so my girls can enjoy their summer, and I can too. Do you feel the difference in those two energies? It's a shorter path to a solution when you're not speaking in extremes because you do have to do the work of removing them. You won't find a solution when you're bankrupt with feral children, you know? So as you remove extremes from your own narrative, from your own language, I want you to notice which one is the hardest to let go.

There's a chance that you just uncovered what the real priority is or what the real fear is. extremes help protect us from what's really going on. I'm not saying that Mrs. Lopez or anyone else is like hiding a lot of emotional turmoil underneath a funny comment. But I have observed over years and years of talking to y'all that extremes are rooted in fear. It could be a fear of something specific. But a lot of times it's just the fear of being overwhelmed and then anticipating that overwhelm.

I think it often takes more effort and emotional energy to, to anticipate extremes than to solve your realities. So notice any language in your own problem that's extreme. And soften those edges a little. Notice the reality. And also see if the removal of any of those extremes is really hard. Maybe there's something there that's worth paying attention to. And likely a really good place to direct your problem solving energy.

We'll be right back. I'm so sad because I literally have five more questions I selected from the 200 plus in that post. And like we're kind of out of time. But I think that shows that we will never run out of ideas for future office hours episodes, which is really fun. Now, if you liked this episode, we would really love to know so we can know whether we should do more. And two of the easiest ways for us to know are if you leave a review on Apple Podcasts, and you can even say in that review specifically about this episode, I love the lazy genius podcast and especially the new office hours episode. Like that's it. You could say that. But that's something that's really easy for

us to measure to just go look at those and be like, oh, look at that. We had a jump in those comments of people commenting about office hours. That's helpful. Another way is for you to share this episode on social and tag the lazy genius. That's a way that we always know which episodes in particular are resonating enough with y'all that you're sharing them. Not every episode gets shared at the same rate. So if you really love this kind of episode and you want us to do more, do one of those two things. Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or share the episode and tag me. So we'll be able to see. And I'm going to save these other five questions for hopefully a next time because they're really great questions. We just don't have time today. All right, before we go, let's celebrate the lazy

genius of the week. It's actually from one of the comments on the post for this episode. So it's like a bonus. So Rachel asked about reading with her kids. She said, my kids are three years apart. I've realized my younger child has not read a lot of the books I read to my oldest. This summer, I'd like to read through all of our picture books with both of them. I am going to stop here and note the extreme use of the word all. Okay. That's not bad to use all. Just notice when you use those kinds of extreme words. Okay, back to the comment. But I can't wrap my mind around the best way to do it. Best can also be extreme. What matters, I read to my kids every day. Every day could be kind of extreme, but not really. Every day's fine. I'm just

noting, noting it, right? It's good to note the all or nothings. Okay, what matters is I read to my kids every day and that a lot of the favorites are read and that we don't have piles of books laying around the den. Okay. There were several responses to Rachel, because this is a community that loves books, which makes me very happy. And we love books and solutions and people were great. There were a lot of really good ones. But my favorite response was from Cassidy A27, who was our lazy genius of the week. And she said, when we were having trouble making time for picture books, we had an early reading night once a week. We would get ready for bed an hour early, grab some snacks, and raid. So sweet. Cassidy, I love this idea so much. It's so very lazy

genius in multiple ways. Number one, you named one specific not extreme problem in, we were having trouble making time for picture books. Right? It's about the time. It was challenging. but it wasn't destroying everything. Then your solution is small and that it's one night a week of getting ready for bed early to read. You made it fun with snacks, but here's what's great too, is you worked it into something that already existed, being the bedtime routine. You just bumped it a little earlier. So I love the simplicity of this and the kindness towards yourself in it. And I think it's something that a lot of people will really enjoy hearing from a practical standpoint, but also just from a philosophical standpoint. So Rachel, thank you for your very relevant and relatable question.

And Cassidy, thank you for your lovely response to Rachel and being the lazy genius of the week. And as I close this out, I want to say again, in noting things about comments that are big or seasonal or extreme, I just want you to hear me again. I am not calling anyone out. Ask anyone who knows me. I speak with so much hyperbole. I am very intense, very extreme. I can paint a detailed picture of the whole world falling apart. So I get it. I really get it. And I want us to notice that in our speech, in the words that we choose, in our assessment of our situations. Because the more we notice it, the more we can see it as a helpful processing mechanism where we get our extreme energy out in a colorful description

and our really big problems. But then we can see that we're doing that and we can make it smaller, make it less extreme and come up with something that might actually help make it a little easier right now. So no one is being called out here. We all do this and we'll all likely keep doing it. And in some ways, it's super helpful because it shines a light. But what I have noticed in my own life, and often in yours, as you share these kinds of things with me, is that the extreme energy, it just doesn't stick around very long. we get to um we get closer to doable practical kind solutions a lot faster and we do that by moving out of the extreme big language and not letting it linger for very long so thank you to everybody who shared comments and your willingness to share your personal challenges with this community I hope this episode was really helpful I hope we get to do more um

So again, if you liked it, you know, share it or leave a review so that we can have that extra boost in knowing that you liked it. I don't like making things that y'all don't need or like. I think you will like this. But since it's a new format for this show, I don't want to assume. So I do hope that you enjoy it. But also remember, like, we're all in this together. And there is no, there is no judgment or condemnation on any of the ways that you present your problems. We're all learning, right?

We're all learning how to become more of a lazy genius in these ways. All right, so that is it for today. Thank you so much for listening. And until next time, be a genius about the things that matter and lazy about the things that don't. I'm Kendra, and I'll see you next week. Have 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.