#398 - 5 Things to Remember Before January Begins - The Lazy Genius Podcast

Summary

Summary of "The Lazy Genius Podcast" Episode #398 - 5 Things to Remember Before January Begins

Podcast Information:

Title: The Lazy Genius Podcast
Host/Author: Kendra Adachi, The Lazy Genius
Episode: #398 - 5 Things to Remember Before January Begins
Release Date: December 30, 2024

Introduction

In episode #398 of The Lazy Genius Podcast, host Kendra Adachi delves into the often-overlooked period between Christmas and New Year's—a time she describes as "sometimes blissful, sometimes annoying, sometimes deeply ordinary." With her birthday coinciding closely with the New Year, Kendra shares personal reflections and offers listeners five essential reminders to carry into January. The overarching theme emphasizes the importance of perspective, self-acceptance, and mindful living as the year transitions.

1. You Don't Have to Start Yourself Over

Timestamp: [04:30]

Kendra addresses the pervasive "New Year, New You" mentality pervasive in culture and advertising. She challenges the notion that one's current self is insufficient and underscores the value of who you are today.

“Who you are today is perfectly lovely. You don't have to change who you are under this New Year, new you mindset in order to matter.” — Kendra Adachi [04:30]

She critiques how even supportive figures, like dietitians, occasionally succumb to this messaging, inadvertently promoting self-doubt. Kendra passionately advocates for self-acceptance and cautions against the relentless pursuit of an idealized version of oneself driven by external pressures.

2. The Cultural Machinery Around You Is Strategic

Timestamp: [11:15]

Kendra encourages listeners to become aware of the constant barrage of marketing and societal messages aiming to mold behaviors and perceptions, especially around the New Year.

“Everyone who is making something that goes in front of your eyeballs is a marketer... They are trying to make you feel like your current life is a before, and you should do something to make it an after.” — Kendra Adachi [11:15]

She explains how advertisements exploit fears and needs, pushing narratives of optimization and mastery. By recognizing these tactics, individuals can maintain autonomy over their choices, resisting the pressure to conform to unrealistic standards or timelines.

3. You Don't Have to Have Everything Figured Out and Decided Right Now

Timestamp: [13:30]

Highlighting the anxiety associated with setting New Year's resolutions, Kendra advises against the pressure to have all plans and goals meticulously laid out at the year's start.

“Release the expectation of everything about your goals and dreams and markers figured out by January 1st.” — Kendra Adachi [13:30]

She emphasizes flexibility, suggesting that it's acceptable to initiate projects or set goals at any point during the year. The key is to align actions with personal readiness and circumstances, rather than adhering to arbitrary deadlines.

4. A Perspective Shift Might Really Help You Right Now

Timestamp: [15:45]

Kendra proposes that adopting a compassionate and refreshed perspective can significantly enhance one's approach to the New Year. She recommends utilizing resources like books, podcasts, or supportive conversations to realign priorities.

“Intentionally take a teeny bit of time to reclaim your perspective, to name what matters in the season of life you're in, and to keep your life choices in line with those priorities.” — Kendra Adachi [15:45]

This shift involves recognizing current life stages, understanding personal needs, and ensuring that decisions are congruent with what truly matters, thereby fostering a more grounded and purposeful transition into the year ahead.

5. You Can Dream Big, But You Can Live Small

Timestamp: [18:00]

In her final reminder, Kendra differentiates between aspiring for grand dreams and maintaining a manageable, present-focused lifestyle.

“You can dream big, but you can still live small. Living small is a beautiful thing, so remember, you don't have to start yourself over.” — Kendra Adachi [18:00]

She clarifies that "living small" doesn't imply insignificance but rather emphasizes focusing on manageable aspects of life. This approach enhances presence, self-awareness, and the ability to address problems effectively, ensuring that big dreams coexist harmoniously with a balanced everyday life.

Conclusion

Kendra wraps up the episode by reiterating the five key reminders, reinforcing the message that self-acceptance, awareness of external influences, flexibility in goal-setting, perspective renewal, and a balanced approach to ambition can collectively foster a more meaningful and less pressured transition into the New Year. She also celebrates listener Christina from Las Vegas, who shared her meaningful practice of using Advent candles as a transition ritual, embodying the spirit of intentional and peaceful seasonal change.

“Who you are today matters. The cultural machinery around you is strategic. You don't have to have everything figured out and decided right now. A perspective shift or a reminder of a previous shift might be just the thing for you. And you can dream big, but you can still live small.” — Kendra Adachi [Closing Remarks]

Kendra concludes with a heartfelt appreciation for her listeners, encouraging them to embrace the upcoming year with wisdom and ease.

Notable Sponsors Mentioned:

Gruin's Gummies
ThirdLove
Prose
Hedley and Bennett
Daily Look
Quince

(Note: Advertisements and promotional segments from the transcript have been excluded from this summary to focus on the core content of the episode.)

This detailed summary encapsulates the essence of episode #398, providing insights and actionable advice for listeners seeking a balanced and authentic approach to entering the New Year.

Transcript

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Kendra Adachi (0:58)

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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 398, 5 things to remember before January Begins. We are right in the middle of this sometimes blissful, sometimes annoying, sometimes deeply ordinary week between Christmas and New Year's for folks able to take off work. It's full of travel or space or kids, or cleaning out rooms, or playing with new gifts or reflecting on what you want the next year to look like. My birthday is December 27, and even though I'm recording this episode before then, I know that this week is extra, extra heightened for me. The new Year and a birthday? Are you kidding me? So much I could think about and reflect on and make plans for. It's a beautiful, weird little week. So since 2025 starts the day after tomorrow, let's spend a short time together remembering a few things I do sometimes share things you can do to help make your life a little easier, a little more grounded. But so often the things that help create that life are not the things you do, but the way you see. Perspective is everything. Expectations are everything. Awareness is everything. Those are the things that keep us grounded in our humanity, especially during a week where a lot of the messaging around us might make us feel like inspired robots. So here are five things to remember before January begins. Number one, you don't have to start yourself over. Who you are today matters in many ways. Culture has moved slightly past the New Year New you messaging. I see it less than I used to, but in advertising, on TV and streamers, and definitely still on a lot of social media content. We're very likely currently bombarded with products and programs and books and courses that are telling us that we can make our future selves proud. We can commit now and be a different person in just a few months. I follow a dietitian on Instagram who usually is all about feeding your body in kind, thoughtful ways. She's helping people get more protein into their diets cause that's a part time job for us now. But I've never felt an ounce of guilt or body shaming or anything from her. In fact, nothing she has ever said is about the shape or size of anyone's body. And just the other day I saw a reel of hers that said something like what would happen if you started making different decisions today? What if these decisions helped you lose one to two pounds a week and by March you've reached your weight loss goals and you feel amazing. I'll show you how. And I was so disappointed. Now there's nothing wrong with wanting to lose weight. It's a personal choice and people are allowed to make it. Just like people are also allowed to not. But it was that New year New you messaging even from a place and a person that has never offered that to me before. There's this idea just sneaks into so many places telling us that who we are today is just not quite there yet. We need to keep pushing and trying and changing, not necessarily in ways that make us more whole and grounded and mentally healthy. It's always about bodies or accomplishments or what other people might say about you when you're gone. There's the Mother Hill motherhood guilt too, of like, what kind of parent do you want to be in 2025? All right, I can feel myself getting a little hot and I need to pull back. The reason I get hot about this is because you don't have to start yourself over. Who you are today matters. I'm tired of women being told that who they are is not quite there yet, because that is coming from a perspective of greatness. That's the lens of being the best. Even if it takes you a lot longer to get there, at least you're moving in a positive direction, right? Who you are today is perfectly lovely. Can you make choices that create change in your life? Of course you can. But I'm saying that that first First, I want us all to have the foundational perspective that who you are today is perfectly lovely. You don't have to change who you are under this New year, new you mindset in order to matter. That's a false promise and you don't have to keep chasing it. So the first thing to remember before January begins, you don't have to start yourself over. Who you are today matters. End of story. This episode is sponsored by Prose. My Hair and the winter air. They usually do not get along, but thanks to Prose, My Hair is winning this fight. Prose make custom hair care that actually works for you because it's made for you. 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I do know what I like, but sometimes the temptation of buying what I see on the Internet and just hoping it works for me is too real. That's why I'm glad I found Daily Look. Daily look is the highest rated premium personal styling service for women, making it easier to elevate your style without copying someone else's. With Daily look, you get a dedicated stylist to curate a box of clothes that match you delivered right to your door, no fitting rooms needed. You get up to 12 premium pieces per box, keep what you love and return the rest with free shipping both ways. Since I had filled out a detailed style questionnaire and even sent a style Pinterest board to my stylist, so many pieces in my recent box were hits. Get started by taking your style quiz at DailyLook.com Elevate your style by signing up at DailyLook.com today. Take your style quiz at DailyLook.com and get 50% off your first styling fee when you use code LAZYGENIUS at checkout. This episode is sponsored by Quince. 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That's Q-U-I-N-C-E.com Genius to get free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.com Genius number two the cultural machinery that surrounds you is strategic. So notice it. Everyone who is making something that goes in front of your eyeballs is a marketer. Advertising, social media content, product placement in stores. All of it is telling you a story, leading you on a journey of thinking that this thing might just be the right call for you. Some of it is meant to capitalize on your worst fears and your greatest felt needs. Now. A foundational message we hear all year long, not just right now, is that greatness and mastery and optimization and making the most of everything is the goal, right? That is all over the marketing messages you encounter every day. We learned from the plan, however, that greatness does not actually have to be our end game at all times. We can make a different choice. You can instead view your life through a lens where making the most of every single thing at every single turn is not the engine that drives your days. It's too exhausting for most of us to sustain anyway. But that message is always around us in some form. But this time of year, the marketing becomes more specific and more strategic. There will be language about setting goals and starting habits and don't you want to be this kind of person even in sneaky ways? There is, and will continue to be a lot of before and after energy. The dietitians who normally don't talk about body shape and size might start. The vitamin commercials that pick up speed in January will tell you that this supplement will keep you from feeling harried and overwhelmed because people who live like that obviously aren't taking care of themselves. Side note, being harried and overwhelmed, especially depending on your season of life, is part of life. You can do things to make it feel less so, to feel a little easier. But this false promise that the right supplement or vitamin will somehow give you sustaining energy to tackle your day is absurd. Vitamins don't care that your kid got sick or threw a pillow in a rage and broke a lamp or broke their finger playing basketball.