The Lazy Genius Podcast - # 385 - How to Manage an Odd Stretch of Time

Episode Date: September 30, 2024

An odd stretch of time is when something significant changes the vibe of your daily life over a handful of days. Whether it’s a sickness, an injury, a guest, a project, it impacts your routines. It upends previously settled calendar logistics. It’s not always bad or even unwanted. It’s just odd. Let’s talk about navigating it well. Helpful Companion Links Pre-order my new book The PLAN or ask your library to consider carrying a copy once it releases in October. Sign up for the Latest Lazy Listens email. Grab a copy of my book The Lazy Genius Kitchen or The Lazy Genius Way! (Affiliate links) Download a transcript of this episode. 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

Hey 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. Today is episode 385. How to manage an odd stretch of time. What do I mean by an odd stretch of time? Well, we all have them. It's the four days where your kid is home with the flu and you still have to work. Take care of them, adjust your existing routine and not get sick yourself. It's the three day business. trip where you don't have much control over your schedule, your food or sleep, and you have to make sure everything you normally do at home gets done while you're gone. It's the week where you twist your ankle and can't really drive and have to figure out how everyone is going to get to all their stuff. It's the week of having new leadership at work where there are lots of trainings and team building exercises that leave you drain of energy, but you still have your regular work to do. Plus, that whole thing of like being an adult who lives and eats and pays bills. It's the long weekend where your best friend visits from out of town, but you still have to work and fulfill commitments

while she's there. To me, an odd stretch of time is when something significant changes the vibe of your daily life over a handful of days. Whether it's a sickness, an injury, a guest, a project, it impacts your routines. It upends previously settled calendar logistics that we just talked about a couple weeks ago. It makes even the approximation of a regular life feel a little irregular, right? A bit odd. It's not always bad or even unwanted. It's just odd. It's an odd stretch of time and you want to navigate it well. Now quickly is just a little foundation here. One of the reasons we feel thrown off by odd stretches of time is because the existing productivity industry tends to teach us that life is set it and forget it. Nothing is supposed to shake our carefully crafted

ideal day. So when something does, we don't see it as a normal thing, right? It's odd. But honestly, an odd stretch of time is so incredibly normal. Our lives are full of them and will continue to be. So as we go through this episode, remember that your potential reaction to even the existence of these odd stretches of time, it might have a little resentment. and frustration in it. And that's because you see odd stretches as upsetting the norm. Start to see odd stretches as part of the norm. And you'll find them a lot easier to navigate. Okay. As an example of an odd stretch of time, a friend of mine recently discovered rotting wood in her laundry room slash mudroom where the floor literally fell in. And they had an odd stretch of time

where they had to rip up the floor and then paint the walls and retile the floor. all while the washer and dryer were in the backyard and the pantry shelves that they had in that room were moved to the kitchen. And all of this, while both parents had jobs and their kids, they have three kids and two schools, like they still had to go to school and have like a regular life. That was about a week of a very odd stretch of time. Now for them, it's mostly over now, but it was like a big fat layer of extra on top of the regular, right? A recent odd stretch of time for my family was when we were playing like furniture Tetris in our house because one of my kids who has had the same bed for a decade since he stopped sleeping in a crib and he's in middle school now, he asked for a new larger bed

to accommodate his teenage boy growing self. That seemed like a reasonable request. So Kaz and I had also been talking about getting a new bed for us because we've had the same broken IKEA bed for longer than most of our kids have been alive. So we were in this odd stretch of time where we had to clear out our rooms, wait for beds to be delivered, learn that the beds were delayed, sleeping on mattresses on the floor, which kind of means everything around you when you go to bed has to be adjusted, right? And all of this, while we had school and practices and work and commitments and just regular life, we all have beds now, but that week or so of like taking apart the old beds and scheduling them to be donated and moving other furniture to make room for the new stuff,

which displaced other stuff in other rooms and, oh, wait, where are we going to have space to actually put these beds together. Living with all of that for over a week, it was a big fat layer of extra on top of the regular. And this is why I don't necessarily see an odd stretch of time the same way I do a season. Okay? Seasons are regular. Even if they are unusual compared to previous seasons, the season itself impacts every single day. It's likely, you know, not going anywhere for a bit. and for all intents and purposes, it is your current normal. The season is the foundation for all of it. An odd stretch of time is more like throwing a blanket on top of what is already your current normal. The normal is still there, but there's an extra layer over the top for a short time. Does that make

sense? So today, let's talk about how to manage that odd stretch of time, whether it's expected or surprise. How do you navigate that odd stretch of time blanket that gets thrown over your normal season of life, which is very likely already kind of chaotic anyway. Now, as I go through this list of things to remember and do in an odd stretch of time, I want to acknowledge folks with anxiety or anything else that impacts or impedes your ability to see unknowns this way. If I remind the general you that it's okay to be uncomfortable and you can handle it, I want to recognize here that that's actually not exactly how it works for everyone. You might not put yourself in situations where big changes or big unknowns could happen

because you know how much those odd stretches of time negatively impact your anxiety. So as I continue talking, just remember that these statements are not blanket statements for everyone, nor should they be. We're all different. We all process differently and we all need different tools. I'm going to try and offer ones that are the most universally helpful, but if something doesn't work for you for whatever reason, please know that I see you and that it's okay. 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 I have five things to help you manage an odd stretch of time. Here we go. Number one, remember that flexibility can be learned. Flexibility can be learned. Usually odd stretches of time require us to pivot and shift and change how things are

normally done. And if you're like me, that can be crippling. pivoting is a skill I've had to learn and I am still learning. Flexibility in your spirit and in your actions, it can be learned. Now, if you are naturally flexible, I want you to lean on that skill. Lean on that ability you already have and enjoy not being quite as stressed about this odd stretch of time as you could be. Now, if you aren't as naturally inclined to be flexible, use this particular odd stretch

as a chance to forgive the pun, but stretch. Let life be your teacher. In the same way that it's better to learn to pivot than to learn to plan, it's better to focus some energy on developing your skill of flexibility rather than doubling down on trying to control your circumstances. So number one, remember that flexibility can be learned and you're learning it. What a gift that is. Number two, now is.

not forever. So feel free to just survive now. Odd stretches of time are short by nature. So remember that now isn't forever. It definitely won't always be like this. And chances are pretty good that you already know that because it's short and has an end. You know that you're going to get through this and it's going to be okay. But the thing to remember here is that because now isn't forever, feel free to just survive now however you need to. For my friend with the collapsed floor in the kitchen full of utility shelves, survival meant kids fending for themselves for meals a little bit so they could buckle down and get through the project. And then also keep in the living room as sane as possible.

So there was at least one room in the house that didn't feel completely displaced. For our family and like the furniture Tetris thing, it was the same with our living room. Michael and Smith, aka the Nestor, calls this concept one sane space. if your home is in some odd stretch of time, like you're moving in or painting a room or you have a leak somewhere and you had to move everything out or you have a house guest, but you don't have a guest room. So they're literally sleeping on your couch. Try and have one sane space so that every part of your home is not impacted by this odd stretch of time. And I would say the same for you as a person. In your odd stretch of time, where do you as a human need to still feel sense?

sane. Is there something in your schedule or behaviors that's fairly regular and normal and helps you feel like yourself? Focus on that being part of your survival plan for this odd stretch of time. Name what matters right now. Remember that now is not forever and then just do whatever you need to do to make it out the other side. Okay, number three, look for the good that's here right now. In odd stretches of time, especially ones that are unexpected and may be a little bit annoying. It's easy to lose sight of the good on the other side. You know, the hope of like a new comfy bed.

The snuggles and the slowness that you get with your sick kid. A room that functions well and will beautifully contribute to your life's rhythm when it's done. A business that cares enough about transitions of leadership to take some time to build the team. A chance to read more in a week when you're carrying double the carpal duties because one of the other parents is out of town. This is not toxic positivity. It's not ignoring what's annoying or frustrating or unexpected and glossing over it with some kind of fake happiness. There is good wherever we are, even if it's just the kindness we're extending to ourselves in a stressful situation. Looking for that goodness is a helpful tool in odd stretches of time.

Number four, look ahead. On the other side of your odd stretch of time, on the other side of your odd stretch of time, on the other side of the work trip or the sickness or the emergency rena or the house guest, what might sneak up on you? This is where we apply the lazy genius time management principle, tend to the necessary before it becomes urgent. If you can take a little bit of time and energy now to notice what will be on the other side of your odd stretch and tend to it before it becomes an emergency, you'll feel way more okay living in your current state of mild chaos.

So take a minute to look ahead. Ask anyone you live with or do life with. What is coming that you might be forgetting? Make sure boxes that need checking fairly soon are at least on your radar, even if they're not done yet. That kind of foresight, even on the tiniest scale, it will help you feel more at ease where you are. And then finally, number five, pursue lightness. Odd stretches of time can feel like a drag fairly quickly. We're juggling extra stuff. or having to be flexible and pivot, almost certainly forgetting things because of how different each day feels, and then potentially getting a bit cranky over it. So pursue lightness. Start small in your odd stretch by finding a way to play to make this time fun. You know, now that you've looked ahead a bit, try not to worry about what's on the other side too much. Have confidence in your future self. You have gotten through odd stretches before and you're going to do it again. so instead of just powering through and surviving only also pursue lightness. My laundry room sunken floor friend texted me a photo of her standing on the floor tiles to hold

them down while her husband nailed them in and she was drinking a beer. And her text said, easiest job ever with like a laughing emoji. That's lightness in a stressful situation of trying to give your room a floor at 9 o'clock on a Sunday night. It doesn't make the stress go away. but pursuing lightness where you can, it will help you breathe a little easier where you are. So when you are in an odd stretch of time,

if you keep these five things in mind, you will have a much more pleasant stretch than if you did not keep these five things in mind. So remember that flexibility can be learned and let this stretch be a teacher. Now isn't forever. And so you can just try and survive now. Look for the good that's here.

Look ahead. so you can tend to the necessary before it becomes urgent and pursue lightness. Y'all, I know this isn't like a super comprehensive step-by-step guide of like these very, very practical ideas. There are no hacks here. I like hacks and sometimes I share them, but I believe it is so important to first cultivate skills on how to be a person in your crazy life. pursue lightness and kindness. Remember your ability to pivot and be flexible. Most time management

and life management concepts, they are about you controlling your circumstances and your time. And I do not think that's a realistic approach. Instead, if you keep these types of ideas in mind so that whether you're in a crazy season of life, an odd stretch of time on vacation, in a crisis, or anywhere on the spectrum of life, you can continue becoming a more confident, secure, grounded version of yourself, no matter your circumstances. And that is a beautiful segue

into reminding you why I wrote my next book, The Plan, Manage Your Time like a Lazy Genius. We need mindsets, principles, tools, and strategies to help us experience compassionate times, management that is content where we are that cares about today that prioritizes our personal integration over our individual greatness. We have to unlearn the paradigm that we have been taught our entire lives and we need to relearn a new way to see so that we can put these new tools into practice. If that sounds intriguing to you, you are merely one week away, one week away

from the plan being in your hands. The book releases on Tuesday, October 8th, and I am freaking out that it is finally almost here. Now, if you do order the book, sometime this week or next, be sure to send us your order information via the form on the lazy geniuscollective.com

slash the plan. Because as a thank you for ordering, you will automatically start receiving pep talks from me every single Monday from now until the end of the year. You can read them or listen to them in a private podcast feed. And they have been such a hit with folks who have already registered their pre-order of the plan and have gotten these pep talks.

It's been really fun to see the impact that these like little three to five minute pep talks are having on you guys. And I'm humbled and happy about it. Remember that a pre-order can be in any format of the book, so the physical book, a digital book or the audiobook from any retailer you want. and if you have or plan to buy a ticket to one of my tour events and that ticket comes with a book, then that counts too. So information for all of it is at the lazy genius collective.com slash the plan. Or you can email specific questions you have to hello at the lazy genius

collective.com. Now I want to take a quick minute to answer two questions that I'm getting a lot about the book. The first is what format you should get the book in. I've heard this from people who have already read it digitally, and they all tend to agree that you're going to want a physical copy. It is a very highlightable book with plenty. You're going to want to flip back and forth between. Now, you should get whatever format means that you're going to read it the soonest, but I would be surprised if the majority of folks who got either the audiobook, which I do read, or the digital version, won't go back and get the physical copy too. So, you know, that's just your information to do with what you wish.

second question is if you have never read any of my books at all and can only buy one, should it be the lazy genius way or it should be the plan. And I thought a lot about this. And I think the answer is the plan. Now, I love the lazy genius way. And I think it's an incredibly accessible resource as it lays out the 13 lazy genius principles that are like seriously the foundation of how we live around here. But if you're going to choose one, I think the plan will change your life in some pretty immediate ways. The paradigm shift is huge. huge. But the plan pyramid, which is the framework of the entire book, is just massively practical and life-changing. Both books are great. And if you've read both, you can probably make a case for

either or both together. But if you only have the time or budget for one, I would choose the plan, which comes out next week. Compassionate Time Management is almost here, y'all. All right, before we go, let's celebrate the lazy genius of the week. This week, it is Alicia McClintick. Alicia writes this. I did some Googling and found a great laundromat called Delaney's Lost Sock with good reviews, free Wi-Fi, and a taco truck out front. So I'm hoping to start a weekly rhythm on Fridays where I can arrive at the laundromat around noon, get the wash cycle started, treat myself to a great taco plate for lunch, and tackle some to-do list items while I wait, like meal planning and grocery lists, emails, et cetera. Thanks so much for this epiphany. Just because I have a communal laundry room at my

apartment complex doesn't mean I have to use it. And if I'm going to be doing one load at home, then I love the idea of using that 30-minute wash cycle to take a walk in the neighborhood since I'm already dressed to be outside. What a game changer. Cheers to living in the season, deciding once, putting things in their place, and batching it. I'm sorry, we just need to pause about this whole laundromat with a taco truck out front. That is amazing. And all of this started with remembering that you don't have to use something the way you always have,

even something like a communal apartment laundry room. I always think about that one lazy genius of the week who stored her kids ADHD meds in the car because they would always forget to take the meds before they left. They always would be in the car. So like people don't tend to store medication in the car, but that worked for them. You know, you can use things. You can use items and storage the way that you need to. You don't have to do it just the way that everyone else does.

So thank you for sharing this idea, Alicia. And I hope you have a great time doing laundry and eating tacos. And congratulations on being the lazy genius of the week. If you would like to be considered for the lazy genius of the week, email us your idea at hello at the lazy genius collective.com. This episode is hosted by me, Kendra Adachi, and executive produced by Kendra Adachi, Jenna Fisher, and Angela Kinsey. The lazy genius podcast is enthusiastically part of the Office Ladies Network. Special thanks to Leah Jarvis for weekly production. Thanks y'all 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.

If 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. to becoming you wherever you get your podcasts.