The Lazy Genius Way cover art

The Lazy Genius Way

Embrace What Matters, Ditch What Doesn't, and Get Stuff Done

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The Lazy Genius Way

By: Kendra Adachi, Emily P. Freeman - introduction
Narrated by: Kendra Adachi, Emily P. Freeman
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About this listen

 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Being a Lazy Genius isn't about doing more or doing less. It’s about doing what matters to you.

“I could not be more excited about this book.”—Jenna Fischer, actor and cohost of the Office Ladies podcast

The chorus of “shoulds” is loud. You should enjoy the moment, dream big, have it all, get up before the sun, track your water consumption, go on date nights, and be the best. Or maybe you should ignore what people think, live on dry shampoo, be a negligent PTA mom, have a dirty house, and claim your hot mess like a badge of honor.

It’s so easy to feel overwhelmed by the mixed messages of what it means to live well.

Kendra Adachi, the creator of the Lazy Genius movement, invites you to live well by your own definition and equips you to be a genius about what matters and lazy about what doesn’t. Everything from your morning routine to napping without guilt falls into place with Kendra’s thirteen Lazy Genius principles, including:

• Decide once
• Start small
• Ask the Magic Question
• Go in the right order
• Schedule rest

Discover a better way to approach your relationships, work, and piles of mail. Be who you are without the complication of everyone else’s “shoulds.” Do what matters, skip the rest, and be a person again. Christian Living Christianity Personal Development Personal Success Time Management

Critic Reviews

“As a longtime fan of The Lazy Genius Podcast, I could not be more excited about this book. Kendra has a gift for asking questions that helps you prioritize the parts of your life that really matter and let go of the parts that don’t. She doesn’t preach or pressure; she inquires and encourages. As she admits, it’s not easy to manage the seemingly constant demands of running a house, planning meals, hosting relatives, and creating and maintaining holiday traditions, all while finding time for your own work and self-care. But Kendra makes it all a lot easier!”—Jenna Fischer, actor, author of The Actor’s Life, and cohost of the Office Ladies podcast

“Kendra has a heart for infusing the mundane and practical with a profound sacredness. Frankly, it’s infuriating how she manages to be effortlessly instructional, inspirational, and hilarious all at the same time, but the world is such a better place for it. I’ve never been more thankful for someone’s voice.”—Knox McCoy, author of All Things Reconsidered

“If you’ve been taught that nothing good comes from being lazy, get ready to let Kendra change your mind and life forever. Spoiler: laziness is the powerful tool that frees you to be a genius where it really matters. I wish I had this eye-opening book twenty years ago.”—Myquillyn Smith, Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Cozy Minimalist Home

“The Lazy Genius Way is a recipe for creating a generous, less stressed domestic life. Kendra’s suggestions for thoughtful routines in place of rigid rules will leave the reader feeling settled and prepared for the changing rhythms of both family life and personal growth. Also, she is what experts refer to as a hoot.”—Gina Smith and S. D. Smith, author of The Green Ember series

“I always followed the lazy path when it came to my home. The results of that approach were not surprising—trash bins stuffed with take-out boxes, moldy laundry in the washer, and so much chaos. But Kendra Adachi offers a better way. The Lazy Genius Way doesn’t mean you have to become a gourmet chef or start cleaning the baseboards with a toothbrush. Kendra will meet you in the middle. She offers easy steps that will have you marking off your list in record time without sacrificing every free moment you have. Kendra helps us make space for tasks and television. She finds time for us to solve problems and scroll Instagram. The Lazy Genius Way is the perfect way.”—Jamie Golden, cohost of The Popcast with Knox and Jamie
All stars
Most relevant
I really enjoyed this book, it took me a while to get into it but once she started to talk about the different areas of the house and how to put things into practice it really sparked an interest for me and the more it went on it felt like she knew who I was. Loved the narration it was clear and easy to listen to.

A new way of living

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I have been itching to get into a good book for the longest time, but have just not felt the mental space to pick one up and actually get stuck into it. I came across this audio book via Emily P Freeman and ended up using it as my trial book for the audible membership... Wow! I am so glad I did. Even though I am not in the same life stages yet as Kendra, you really don't need to be... I feel anyone, whether struggling or not, would benefit highly from this book. This book has been a total eye opener and I love how each chapter builds on the previous one and reiterates key points. Whilst I have thoroughly enjoyed learning about all the principles, #12 & #13 really hit home when it comes to being kind to yourself and engaging in true self-care.
This audio book narrated by Kendra genuinely feels like sitting down and having a cup of tea with a good friend.

Best 'Read' I've had in a long time!

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Very helpful and practical tips. I enjoyed Kendra's narrative style too. Ive found myself implementing a lot of these principles already

Helpful listen!

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A self help books that guides us through how to (kindly) help ourselves.
Kendra serves up principles that act as lenses through which to look at all the things that make up our life. They guide you through framing the options available and choosing what to do (or not do)and how to do them based on what matters to YOU, NOW.
-This book is full of kindness, grace and delightful laugh out loud moments.
-This book is devoid of shoulds, oughts, shame and judgement.
If you are a person who makes decisions this book you want in your ears!

A guide for living a life for you

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I tried hard to find any “genius” to this book. Several times I found myself yelling out loud and face-palming, wondering how the author’s friends and family thought her habits were in any way helpful. The author makes silly suggestions that she believes are “genius” whereas the average person would do these acts ordinarily without any thought (example, vacuuming the floor before mopping it so that you don’t have “wet dust”). Our book club read this book and half the group couldn’t even finish it. One member tried to read it for a THIRD time to see just how anyone could give this more than 2 stars.

Disappointing.

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