Taking Too Long to Complete Tasks

Summary

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Podcast Summary: The Dr. Laura Podcast

Episode: Taking Too Long to Complete Tasks
Host: Dr. Laura Schlessinger
Date: June 16, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode focuses on the growing frustration experienced by professionals when dealing with inefficient, bureaucratic processes—especially as technology replaces face-to-face interactions and follow-through on tasks becomes harder to achieve. Dr. Laura takes a call from Jackie, a seasoned designer in the construction industry, who is struggling to complete tasks due to slow, convoluted communication with companies and a perceived decline in professionalism. Dr. Laura offers practical advice and moral support, addressing both the specific situation and broader societal changes.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Frustrations with Modern Communication and Task Completion

• Jackie shares her struggles with getting tasks done efficiently due to reliance on email and text, noting that responses are slow, instructions are unclear, and processes lead to endless back-and-forth.
  • “I write... very conscious emails with processes... everything’s clear and concise... and then, you know, it just goes on and on... and it's just not happening anymore and... I’m clearly frustrated with it.” (Jackie, 01:53)
• She points out that these issues aren't unique to her; her colleagues in construction and design echo the same complaints.

2. Lack of Professionalism & Bureaucracy in the Modern Workplace

• Dr. Laura empathizes, identifying a broader societal shift:
  • “Yes, everything's disintegrated. You're surrounded by stupidity, laziness, bureaucracy, and computers instead of people. You don't have people with the expertise and the professionalism that you and your colleagues have. You're surrounded by idiots. That's the bigger situation. Don't think that's going to get better. Really don't.” (Dr. Laura, 03:20)
• She encourages Jackie not to expect improvement and to instead think proactively about how to navigate this new reality.

3. Considering Alternative Career Paths

• Dr. Laura suggests going solo or transitioning to consultation work where Jackie could use her skills without being dependent on inefficient processes.
  • “If you really love your work, you might go solo and just do consultations and other ways to use your talents where you don’t have to deal with the idiots... You're going to have to find some way to redesign this so you don't go insane.” (Dr. Laura, 03:59)
• Jackie acknowledges that she is already considering this move after resolving a few remaining projects.

4. Example of Systematic Frustration

• Jackie provides a specific example involving a kitchen warranty claim leading to a “runaround” between companies and dealers, only to be told it’s not under warranty—after a week of waiting.
  • “He said... contact these dealers, here’s the work order... So I contacted the dealer. He came back to me, says, no... it’s not under warranty... It took me a week to get that answer.” (Jackie, 05:04)

5. Self-Blame and the Female Tendency to Internalize Problems

• Jackie begins to wonder if the delays are due to her own communication style.
• Dr. Laura directly addresses this tendency:
  • “No, Jackie, don’t do the female thing of blaming it on yourself. That is genetically a female response... It’s not you, it’s the world. I’m off terrestrial radio because I didn’t want to deal with idiots anymore. Okay. So I'm on Sirius XM, no idiots. So this is working very well.” (Dr. Laura, 09:16)
• Jackie relates it to her husband’s experience and recent retirement, noting he retired for similar reasons.

6. Societal Shift Away from Pride and Responsibility

• Dr. Laura reminisces about a time when people took pride in their work and responsibility was a given:
  • “The concept of professionalism and hands on responsibility and pride... Do you remember... the grocery stores were sort of bragging that the name of the person who put together the grocery bags was there so that person could have pride... That doesn't exist anymore. Everything comes from China.” (Dr. Laura, 10:05)
• Both agree that times have changed and discuss how to adapt or “find a way in the insanity where to put yourself.” (Dr. Laura, 10:37)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You don’t have people with the expertise and the professionalism that you and your colleagues have. You're surrounded by idiots. That's the bigger situation.”
  — Dr. Laura (03:20)
• “No, Jackie, don’t do the female thing of blaming it on yourself. That is genetically a female response... It’s not you, it’s the world.”
  — Dr. Laura (09:16)
• “He retired because of this. And now I’m going through this and he’s like, he said 95% of the people are stupid... and I’m fully believing this now.”
  — Jackie (09:46)
• “You've got to find a way in the insanity where to put yourself.”
  — Dr. Laura (10:37)
• “Like the last time I called, I... kind of knew the answer. But you’ve confirmed it. And thank you for that.”
  — Jackie (10:45)

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Important Timestamps

• 01:48 – Jackie describes her professional frustrations and asks for advice.
• 03:15–03:53 – Dr. Laura describes the “bigger situation” in modern work culture.
• 04:31–06:20 – Jackie shares specific, convoluted warranty example.
• 09:02–09:16 – Jackie wonders if the problem is hers; Dr. Laura addresses self-blame.
• 10:05–10:37 – Discussion of societal shifts plus Dr. Laura’s advice on adaptation.

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Episode Tone & Takeaways

Dr. Laura maintains her trademark direct, supportive, and sometimes blunt tone. She offers validation and practical wisdom—emphasizing the importance of not taking systemic incompetence personally, recognizing generational changes in the workplace, and proactively seeking out environments (or new roles) where one’s talents are best used and sanity is preserved.

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This summary covers the substantive caller segment, omitting advertisement and outro sections for clarity and relevance.

Transcript

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

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[Jackie (Caller)]

Well, thank you Dr. Laura for taking my call.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

You're welcome.

[Jackie (Caller)]

At the end of my career, thinking of retirement and due to the fact that all through my career, you know, I've done problem solving. I'm a designer. I work in the construction industry. I know how the process of that works and to get things done. But what I'm finding now is, you know, all these companies that you deal with are on email or text messaging. I write consent, very conscious emails with processes. I maybe give them too much information, I don't know. But everything's clear and concise when I write these emails or texts and then, you know, it just goes on and on and you know, I'll leave a phone call to say could you please give me a call so that we can, you know, discuss this and get to the point and solve the issues. But it's just not happening anymore and you know, I'm clearly frustrated with it and I'M sure I'm not the only person going through this. In fact, I know this because all my colleagues go through it, too. But I'm just thinking how to solve this to get. I've got four different issues that I need to get. Get solved, and it's just going in circles. And if you have any advice on that.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

Well, there's the mega question,

[Jackie (Caller)]

and then

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

there's the specific to your current project. I can't help you with that, but I can help you with the bigger picture. And that is. Yes, everything's disintegrated. You're surrounded by stupidity, laziness, bureaucracy, and computers instead of people. You don't have people with the expertise and the professionalism that you and your colleagues have. You're surrounded by idiots. That's the bigger situation. Don't think that's going to get better. Really don't.

[Jackie (Caller)]

I know.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

So the question then becomes, how much of it do?

How much more do you invest in it? Now, if you really love your work, you might go solo and just do consultations and other ways to use your talents where you don't have to deal with the idiots that you just submit something and go home with your check. You're going to have to find some way to redesign this so you don't go insane. Yeah, seriously. I'm serious now.

[Jackie (Caller)]

Oh, I know. I am, too. And I know, and that's the path that I think I'm going to go. However, like I said, I've got like four.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

Okay, kind of lost you. There you go. I think you're back. Yeah.

But you're back now.

Well, I don't know exactly. I'm trying to imagine what we're physically talking about. You sent an email to what?

How is it in a different state

to which you sent the email?

[Jackie (Caller)]

Yes, but. Okay, so what I. You probably miss is that I have four specific projects I've got to get finished, and then I think I'm going to start on my own. But, for example, I have a warranty issue and the company came back and on the head, like, subject line, it says, yes, this is the warranty department. I suggest that you order a replacement part for this kitchen that I'm working on. So, Right. If it's a warranty department, you assume that it's under warranty. I do. And then I gave. Yes. And then I. I gave him. He said, walter, he goes, you have to go through a. Another dealer. He gave me three dealers. Contact these dealers. Here's the work order number. Just follow up that way So I contacted the dealer. He came back to me, says, no, no, it's not under warranty. You have to, you have to pay for it. I'm like, that's not what this says. So in essence, it is not under warranty. But those kind of things, like, that's what I'm saying. It's so frustrating. And I, it took me a week to get that answer from him.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

Wow. Yeah.

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[Jackie (Caller)]

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[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

Here's some common sense advice. Your body needs support to function properly, including your vaginal health. And that includes maintaining a healthy ph balance. New Azo Vaginal Probiotic Mini Chews helps keep that healthy bacterial balance, and that helps keep yeast and odor in check. It's great tasting, easy to take, and no pill means no water. That makes it simple to add to your daily routine. And simplicity is how good habits stick. Visit azoproducts.com for product details, usage instructions and safety information.

Get these projects done.

[Jackie (Caller)]

That's it.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

Focus in on. I have four of these projects and then I'm free.

[Jackie (Caller)]

That's what I'm doing. Okay. I just thought. I sometimes think it's me, that I am not communicating properly.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

No, Jackie, don't do the female thing of blaming it on yourself. That is genetically a female response to things. I have to deal with that every day on the program. It must be me. And that's sort of a depressive response because you feel helpless, so you blame it on yourself. I get that. It's not you, it's the world. I'm off terrestrial radio because I didn't want to deal with idiots anymore. Okay. So I'm on Sirius xm, no idiots. So this is working very well.

[Jackie (Caller)]

You sound exactly like my husband. He retired because of this. He retired because of this. And now I'm going through this and he's like, he said 95% of the people are stupid is what he tells me all the time. And I'm fully believing this now.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

Well, you stop taking so much time because the reality is that the concept of professionalism and hands on responsibility and pride, and we've done. Do you remember it was like 20, 30 years ago, the grocery stores were sort of bragging that the name of the person who put together the grocery bag, the paper grocery bags, was there so that person could have pride, that they made those bags.

That doesn't exist anymore. Everything comes from China.

[Jackie (Caller)]

Yes, exactly.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

It's all different, sweetheart. So you've got to find a way in the insanity where to put yourself.

[Jackie (Caller)]

Mm. Okay. You. Like the last time I called, I, you know, I kind of knew the answer. But you've confirmed it. And thank you for that. I appreciate it.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

Well, you're very welcome. And I'm sorry the world has made that turn, but it has 1-800-375-2872. If you like this podcast, be sure to rate it on Apple Podcasts or

your favorite place to listen to my podcast.

Podcast, of course. I'd love if you gave me five stars. And be sure to share this podcast

with a friend on Facebook or your

preferred social media platform,

[Sirius XM Announcer]

Sirius xm. Triumph is life presenting you with challenges. Get real answers with Dr. Laura. Call 1-800- Dr. Laura.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

No nonsense advice about relationships, marriage, kids, tough love. It happened is not a phrase anybody uses when they take responsibility, inspiration. Every time you go to bed with a negative thought, you have to match it up with a positive one.

[Sirius XM Announcer]

That's your new rule, Dr. Laura. Weekdays at 2pm east on Sirius XM Triumph 123 and on the SiriusXM app.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

As people age, it's normal to ask what more they could be doing to take care of their health. It's important to be proactive, especially when it comes to your brain health. Don't wait for something to feel off before taking action. Make your next checkup count. Ask your doctor about your risk factors for dementia and a cognitive assessment. Visit brainhealthmatters.com for more information and resources provided by Lily this summer at Disneyland, Kids Rule.

[Jackie (Caller)]

Let's go.

[Disneyland Announcer]

And they're leading the way to the Disneyland Resort for Bluey's Best Day Ever, Tiana's Bayou Adventure, and so much more. Because when Kids Rule summer, you know it's going to be the best day ever.