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 … 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.
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Anyone familiar with Kendra Adachi, the lazy genius, knows that she believes that you should be a genius about things that matter and lazy about the things that don’t. What matters is going to vary person to person. This is not a self-help book that is going to give you a step by step guide of how to improve your life. It is not going to tell you this is what you need to do to better your life or be successful. Instead, she offers 13 principles she uses in her own life to help her be able to focus her energy on those things that matter to her. She is very down to earth and encouraging to her readers. Her stories are quite relatable. This is a book I see myself reading again from time to time for a refresher.
I was given a copy of this book by Waterbrook and Multnomah through Netgalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.
Y’all, Kendra is the extra sister you didn’t know you needed. I’ve loved her for years and was thrilled when I heard she was releasing a book. And I was NOT disappointed. This quick read is full of principles you can use to make your life a little bit easier and to help you prioritize what matters to YOU. That’s the essential difference between Kendra and almost every other “life guidance” guru I’ve ever encountered. Kendra is not here to tell you what to do. She’s here to help you figure out what matters most in YOUR life and then walk you through how you can put that front and center.
This book is actual gold. I originally borrowed it from the library but have since purchased my own copy. What is most revolutionary about this book is that Kendra Adachi doesn’t tell you, “this is what works.” Instead she says, “this is how I discovered what works for me and how you can discover what works for you.” (Ok that’s not an actual quote, but if I imagine Kendra speaking to me – which I do and it’s not weird – that’s what I think she’d say.) Listen, we’re all different humans with different motivations and things that matter to us. There is no one answer. There is no Traveling Pants. Kendra invites you in and equips you to do the discovering for yourself, and isn’t that far more empowering than just taking orders from someone, anyway?
This book contains good, straightforward advice on how to uncomplicate your life and focus on what matters to you. I found the forward and introduction to be tedious and unhelpful, however, so I recommend skipping them. I could also have done without the references to the author’s religious faith and personal values throughout. If you can overlook those things, you’ll likely find the book helpful.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
Doing things more effectively is an attractive idea. What I didn’t expect that this book would also be encouraging, honest and wonderfully funny! In reading it you feel as if you’re sitting down with Kendra to have a chat about those things you think you “should” be doing but aren’t. I finished each chapter with a clear understanding of the concept presented and how I could put it into practice. No shame in not knowing the “how” of things; Kendra makes that clear. She also walks the reader through the “why” of what they do – taking it deep. This is a book to hang on to and read until it’s dog-eared!
I love this book because it is a practical way to help YOU design YOUR life the way YOU want it – to make the areas in your life that aren’t working work for you. It’s not following what someone else says you should do and trying to fit that into the way you live, but taking general direction to design your best life. It’s all about YOU.
Can you call a book “genius” if genius is in the title? How about “brilliant” then? It has taken me a long time to read that book, but that is only because there was SO much great and practical information. While I did read the book on NetGalley (thanks Waterbrook Press), this is a book that I will buy because I want to be able to write myself notes and go back to it again.
I am a creative person who often piles everywhere because I hate doing paperwork. Also I tend to be overwhelmed with too many things to do. Already this book has helped me to take small steps such as buying BOTH my shower and wedding present for our nephew at the same time rather than returning back to the store. Plus I realized that for a party that I am throwing by having half it homemade and half from the store, I will be much less stressed that day since the party is about my upcoming book, not what I am serving for snacks. Oh, sweet relief! And I am looking forward to getting past a few deadlines to be able to try more of her suggestions. This book is one that I will reread!
I think that it is why the book is brilliant. Kendra does not claim to present rocket scientist tips. She does not even claim that these ideas are original to her. But she does organize it in such a way that success IS possible. I think I understand more why I make certain choices. This book is not about one way of productivity. Instead the topics help you to rethink how you can make better decisions to simplify life. Because there is SO much good advice, the summaries at the end of the chapter help me to remember what I have learned. And I really liked the fact that there is chapter on rest – that is definitely needed for all of us to be able to accomplish our goals!
So who should read this book?
While the audience is primarily women, I think teens could learn from her thoughts as well as men who try to be productive.
Anyone who does not have it all together (that might be everyone)
Anyone who has tried it all and failed (everyone again?)
Anyone with a receptive heart toward experiencing more freedom.
One of her ending thoughts might be one of the most beautiful lines.
“Imagine this. We become a generation of women who are at peace with who we are, who encourage one another to move closer to our deepest identities and shed what’s in the way. I’m all for that.”