The Lazy Genius Podcast

Episode 453: 12 Ways to Be a Better Problem Solver, Part 2
Host: Kendra Adachi ("The Lazy Genius")
Date: January 19, 2026

Episode Overview

In the second part of her two-episode series, Kendra Adachi dives deeper into practical, compassionate strategies for becoming a better problem solver. Emphasizing kindness, small steps, and realistic expectations, she shares the final seven of twelve essential tools for approaching life’s challenges “like a lazy genius.” The episode is rich with personal anecdotes, real-life examples, and actionable mindsets, all couched in Kendra’s signature gentle, humorous, and self-compassionate style.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Reflecting on Productivity Culture (03:30–08:30)

• Comparison with Productivity-Obsessed Media:
  Kendra candidly discusses a lower-performing episode (“Permission to Not Be Great”) and what it revealed about broader cultural narratives around improvement, ambition, and contentment.
  • She points out the dominance of “life-changing” and “body reset” content in January and explains why her content, focusing on self-acceptance and realistic expectations, doesn’t always top the charts—and why that’s okay.
  • Quote: “Greatness has a louder voice than contentment does.” (05:05)
• Measuring Life Differently:
  She encourages listeners to “measure differently,” favoring fulfillment over comparison and approval.
  • Quote: “The top is a lot of work with rules that don’t apply to people who are looking to steward their small, kind, contented lives right where we are.” (07:25)

Quick Recap of Part 1 (11:15)

Kendra recaps the first five ways to be a better problem solver:

1. Make the problem smaller
2. Remember your season of life
3. Name what matters early and often
4. Listen for invisible problems
5. Notice catastrophic language

[For more detail, listen to Part 1.]

The Final 7 Ways to Be a Better Problem Solver

6. Start Smaller Than You Want To (12:10)

• Explanation:
  Kendra differentiates between “making the problem smaller” and “starting smaller”—the latter means beginning with even tinier actions, often much less than you feel inspired by.
• Personal Example:
  Her journey from an overly ambitious seven-minute morning stretching routine to a 15-second hip circle as a sustainable daily habit.
  • Quote: “Start smaller than you want to… trust the power of small steps.” (14:44)

7. Take Your Time, Even When You Think You Don’t Have Any (16:38)

• Explanation:
  Don’t rush into fixing things—pause, breathe, and allow yourself space to respond instead of react, even in minor crises.
• Memorable Moment:
  The “Bake Off bin” reference—how a contestant impulsively threw away his cake, missing a chance to at least present something.
  • Quote: “For the most part, you have more time to solve a problem than you think, and going slower allows you the space to choose a potentially better solution.” (18:13)
• Real-Life Story:
  Choosing to prioritize her child’s emotional needs over sticking to a dinner timeline.

8. Let People In (21:50)

• Explanation:
  Accept help and share challenges—problem solving needn’t be a solo activity.
• Examples:
  • Saying yes when a friend offers food help on a chaotic day
  • Sharing struggles for solidarity and idea-swapping in community (like the Lazy Genius Facebook group)
  • Delegating domestic problem-solving, especially in partnerships where women often bear invisible loads
  • Quote: “Let people in, and you might be surprised at how just the sharing of the thing makes it easier…sometimes solidarity is the solution.” (22:45)

9. Go for Good, Not Great (27:41)

• Explanation:
  Solutions don’t have to be perfect. Accepting “good enough” lightens the emotional load and opens you up to easier, more sustainable fixes.
• Examples:
  • Swapping a homemade cookie for a store-bought treat when time is short
  • Using her foot to push a messy pile of shoes under a bench rather than fussing over neatness
  • Quote: “You can’t be great at everything. You can’t have a great solution to every problem and sustain it for eternity. Good is fine.” (30:17)

10. Expect to Tinker (32:00)

• Explanation:
  Solutions will need adjusting over time. Continuous tweaking is normal—so don’t give up or start over if things aren’t perfect right away.
• Metaphor:
  Problem solving as cooking—recipes are just the beginning, but you season and tweak to taste.
  • Quote: “Tinkering is just part of it…It’s honestly what makes solutions work and stick.” (33:12)

11. Be Patient with Inconsistency—Yours and Theirs (35:39)

• Explanation:
  Consistency is often overvalued. Accept that humans (kids, partners, yourself) are inconsistent, especially when learning or adapting.
• Soapbox Moment:
  Kendra pushes back against productivity gurus who equate inconsistency with “letting yourself down.”
  • Quote: “Inconsistency gets a bad rap, especially when you’re starting something new. Be patient with your own inconsistency because it’s going to happen.” (37:02)
  • “You’re putting people ahead of productivity. And that’s always going to put you in a favorable place…” (38:13)

12. Stop Trying to Solve Everything at Once (40:19)

• Explanation:
  You can’t tackle every problem simultaneously. Focus on what matters most, let other things be for now.
  • Quote: “Stop trying to solve everything at once. It is exhausting you. And it’s not making you a better problem solver. It’s just making you, like, stressed out and tired.” (40:45)
• Integration Example:
  Walks through how several of the tools apply together when helping a kid learn laundry—make it smaller, embrace inconsistency, let the child propose a solution, tinker, and don’t try to fix every aspect at once.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Frankly, greatness has a louder voice than contentment does.” (05:05)
• “The minute I or any of us expect our contented, compassionate lives to measure up the same way as the optimized, productive ones, we’ve lost the plot.” (06:39)
• “Start smaller than you want to. You will become a better problem solver when you trust the power of small steps.” (14:44)
• “For the most part, you have more time to solve a problem than you think, and going slower allows you the space to choose a potentially better solution.” (18:13)
• “Let people in, and you might be surprised at how just the sharing of the thing makes it easier… sometimes solidarity is the solution.” (22:45)
• “You can’t be great at everything. You can’t have a great solution to every problem and sustain it for eternity. Good is fine.” (30:17)
• “Tinkering is just part of it…It’s honestly what makes solutions work and stick.” (33:12)
• “Inconsistency gets a bad rap, especially when you’re starting something new.” (37:02)
• “Stop trying to solve everything at once. It is exhausting you. And it’s not making you a better problem solver. It’s just making you, like, stressed out and tired.” (40:45)
• “Be a genius about the things that matter and lazy about the things that don’t.” (41:35)

Segment Timestamps

• Reflecting on Productivity Culture & Measuring Differently: 03:30–08:30
• Recap of Part 1: 11:15–12:00
• 6. Start Smaller Than You Want To: 12:10–16:35
• 7. Take Your Time, Even When You Think You Don’t Have Any: 16:38–21:45
• 8. Let People In: 21:50–27:34
• 9. Go for Good, Not Great: 27:41–32:00
• 10. Expect to Tinker: 32:00–35:35
• 11. Be Patient with Inconsistency: 35:39–40:00
• 12. Stop Trying to Solve Everything at Once: 40:19–44:00

Listener Example: Lazy Genius of the Week (55:05)

J.C. Wurman is celebrated for her “decide once” solution:

• She designates the kitchen table as the place for kids’ backpacks and homework during the school year, instead of insisting they always use the mudroom.
  • Quote from J.C.: “Each kid gets a chair for their backpack and a chair to do their homework at…I needed permission to use an unconventional space to hold what we needed for this season.”
• Kendra applauds the brilliance: “JC didn’t renovate her mudroom. She just decided to put the backpacks in chairs. This is so good.” (56:08)

“A Little Extra Something”: The 2026 Music Album Challenge (44:30–54:40)

• Kendra’s Project: Listen to 150 new-to-her albums and 150 already-loved albums across 2026 to encourage her own flourishing.
• Personal Reflections:
  • Music brings her joy but is often neglected or relegated to background noise or kids’ choices.
  • Finds deep rejuvenation in intentional listening, discovering new favorites (like Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys and Sound & Color by Alabama Shakes).
  • Invites listeners to join or follow her journey in the newsletter.

Mini Pep Talk: For When Your Season Feels Too Long (57:05–1:00:45)

• Main message:
  If you’re stuck in a hard, seemingly endless season (like raising little kids, caring for chronic illness), you’re not alone.
• Encouragement:
  “Long seasons, hard seasons, are beautiful teachers—even when we are super reluctant to listen.” (58:11)
• Recognizes the pain and frustration but also points to the depth and perspective such times can bring to one’s life.

Final Takeaways

• Measure Differently: Don’t let societal standards or rankings dictate your sense of worth or success.
• Be a Genius About What Matters: Focus your energy and effort where it counts; let go elsewhere.
• Kindness Over Perfection: Practice small, patient, realistic problem-solving that keeps people—and yourself—at the center.

To Recap, Here Are the 12 Ways to Be a Better Problem Solver

1. Make the problem smaller
2. Remember your season of life
3. Name what matters early and often
4. Listen for invisible problems
5. Notice catastrophic language
6. Start smaller than you want to
7. Take your time even when you think you don’t have any
8. Let people in
9. Go for good, not great
10. Expect to tinker
11. Be patient with inconsistency
12. Stop trying to solve everything at once

Host’s Parting Words:
“Be a genius about the things that matter and lazy about the things that don’t.” (1:00:53)

For more tips, music discoveries, or to join the Lazy Genius community, Kendra encourages signing up for the podcast recap email, “Latest Lazy Listens.”