Loading summary
Transcript3 lines
- [00:00]
Kendra Adachi
This episode is sponsored by Quints. When I give gifts, I want them to feel thoughtful. Something the person will actually use and love, not just toss in a drawer. That's why I have been turning to quints this season. They have these beautiful Mongolian cashmere sweaters that feel like the kind of thing you would splurge on. Structured, soft, and somehow only $50. I've been wearing these sweaters constantly for several years and they hold up like no weird pilling and it still feels luxurious after multiple wears. Quince has all the elevated staples silk tops for when you want to feel fancy denim that actually fits and their Italian wool coats are just chef's kiss, tailored, warm and not bulky. And it's not just clothes. I grabbed a couple of their travel cubes for some upcoming trips. Their home and lifestyle stuff feels just as thoughtful as their clothing. Find gifts so good you'll want to keep them with quints. Go to quince.com genius for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns now available in Canada too. That's Q U I n c e.com Genius quints.com Genius this episode is sponsored by Square. Square is the toolkit built to help you run your business, keep up with demand, and actually grow through the busiest time of year. There's a little shop downtown that sells the coziest candles and handmade gifts, and I always notice how smooth everything is when I check out Fast Payment, Digital receipt. And every time I think, yep, they're using Square. It's one of the small details that just makes everything feel more thoughtful and efficient. Square gives businesses what they need to stay ahead of the holiday rush. Payments, inventory, staffing, even online sales. All from one system. And the tools are smart. You can see what's selling when you're busiest and what to prep for next. The holiday rush is coming. Square helps you run faster, sell smarter, and stay in control even when things get busy. And why wait? Right now you can get up to $200 off square hardware at square square.com go lazygenius that's s q U-A-R-E.com g-o/lazygenius run your business smarter with Square. Get started today. Hi there, you're listening to the Lazy Genius podcast. I'm Kendra Adachi. This podcast is not about hacking the system to find more time or hacking your energy to get more done. Hustling to be the best or to make the most out of every opportunity is exciting, exhausting and unsustainable. So here we do things differently on this show we value contentment, compassion and living in our season. We favor small steps over big systems. Here we are, lazy geniuses, being a genius about the things that matter and lazy about the things that don't. And I'm so glad you're here. Today we are releasing an extra episode for you as you enjoy your winter holidays. This is an episode from a while back that I think will be a great addition to your podcast listening queue. In this quieter week, probably it's episode 345, how to approach Holiday Downtime. This is the time when we move from the scurry of holiday preparations and schedules to just like suddenly being home with little to no agenda. And that can honestly be kind of hard. So this bonus episode might be just for you. I hope you enjoy listening while you slow down at home and we will see you back here on Monday for a brand new episode. We'll be Happy Holidays and thanks for listening. Hey there. You're listening to the Lazy Genius Podcast. 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 345, how to approach Holiday Downtime. This episode is releasing on Monday, December 18, and for some of you listening, you're close to entering a longer break from your regular life. You know, the winter holidays are upon us. Christmas is one week away, New Year's is two weeks away, and there's just like a lot of activity, but also a lot of downtime. Sometimes more than we realize. So today we're going to talk about how to approach it. Now, before we jump in, I do want to acknowledge those of you who have jobs or responsibilities that do not offer the same kind of holiday downtime that I'm talking about. You might get one or two days off over the next couple of weeks and that's it. All of these people, including me, right now, talking about their long holiday breaks and that week between Christmas and New Year's when nothing is happening. It might make you feel a little down. You might feel frustrated at the assumption that everyone has that time off. Or maybe you have work off, but not life off. You know, you might have some kind of responsibility or obligation that does not leave you much space for this holiday downtime. Poor problem. And I just want to say that I see you in that. I want to acknowledge how challenging this time of year is for you for reasons that people don't often speak about. So maybe this episode is not for you and you can skip to the next thing. But I do want to say that I see those of you who are still working for the rest of the month now, for those of you who are not working as much and you have some time off or you have kids home for the next couple of weeks, you know, I want to talk to you today. While I don't know what your holiday calendar looks like, chances are this next week before Christmas is nuts. You know, this is the week that you're seeing family, you're traveling, you're going to Christmas performances or finishing up shopping and wrapping gifts. There's, like, a lot of buzz this week. You know, there's a lot going on. Then once we get to next week to that week between Christmas and New Year's, it's a different vibe. Some of you might follow the liturgical calendar where there are actually like, really 12 days of Christmas and the first day starts on Christmas, you know, so your celebrations might land on different dates, but perhaps the rhythms are similar. Either way, no matter what, it looks like, a lot of you listening are about to enter some sort of short season where time is unusual. Some of it is packed, some of it is wildly empty. And depending on the day or the person, sometimes one or both can. Is not ideal, right? Too busy, too empty. So let's talk about how you can approach holiday downtime. Now as a group, I'm pretty confident all of y' all listening tend to have some tricky feelings around free time. You might remember episode 320, how to feel good about Free time. We often don't feel good about free time, especially time that is free to just us, right? When we are alone as individuals and we have the opportunity to essentially do whatever we want, we can feel all kinds of feelings about it. Now, if that's you, check out that episode. But for many of you, holiday downtime is different. It's different. It's not really free time per se, and it's definitely not just for you. Free time feels like time that is a break in the action. You know, it's like a relief amidst the regularity of responsibility. But during the end of December, we actually have downtime. We have longer stretches where there's, you know, there's nothing to do, there's nowhere to go. And sometimes that's amazing. Other times it's challenging. So this episode is focusing more on holiday downtime, on those longer stretches where we have breaks and we have other people around. Probably. Now, the first thing I want to acknowledge is the purpose. Okay, what is the purpose of your time? The next week or two. Again, the week before Christmas. It might have a different purpose than the week after. But what is the purpose? Is it to rest? To play? To be with friends and family as much as possible? To get a handle on a project that doesn't get your attention during regular life? Going back to the idea of rest, now might be a good time to revisit episode 258, the seven cards kinds of rest. Sometimes we use the word rest as a blanket description for anything that isn't responsible, basically. But there are different kinds of rest. Do you need to relax? Do you need to reset? Recharge? Do you need a break? Do you need to rest before, during or after something that's busy for this time of year? You know, the after probably rings true. So as you think about the purpose of your holiday downtime, consider what matters most. What's the purpose of this time? You might want to answer that question for yourself individually, and then maybe as a family too, if you live with other people. The second thing I want you to consider is your perspective. How do you view holiday downtime? What do you imagine? If I was just me and I had no other obligations or for people to tend to or anyone's feelings to consider, I would spend the week between Christmas and New Year's in the coziest clothes, reading, eating and napping, and maybe watching movies in whatever order suited me. And then I would hang out with people at night. Like, it would be so cozy in my house. I would have, you know, gentle music playing, the fireplace show would be on tv, the sweatpants would be plentiful. But I don't live a life where I don't have obligations or people to tend to or feelings to consider. I have a husband and three kids this Christmas. I have a mom who's moving houses. There are meals to plan still, I gotta make food. I have extroverted children in my house who hate movies and stillness and reading. Everyone in my house still gets up early even. It's very sad. But if I don't consider my perspective, if I only sit with this imagined idea of my holiday downtime, when I want to get cozy on the couch and then a kid wants to play or whines because there are no friends to hang out with or doesn't respect the fact that I'm trying to read here, you know, I can get frustrated and even resentful. The reality of my situation is messing with my perspective. But really, my perspective was a little, shall we say, idealized in the first place. Or maybe you're on the other side of that scenario. Maybe you are imagining that the downtime is magical for everybody and you have expectations within you that everyone is going to feel the same way about the time and even some of the things that you might have planned for that time, but then they don't, they don't feel the same way they that you do. And then it all gets wonky, you know. So think about how you are seeing this upcoming stretch of holiday downtime and see if you can, you know, kindly adjust your perspective a little and therefore your expectations to a place that better embraces everyone. The third thing to consider is a plan. Do you have one for the week after Christmas especially? I bet you have one for this week because things are on the calendar. But now that you've thought about the purpose and your perspective, is there anything that you want to put in its place to help make that holiday downtime valuable for you? It might be putting some feelers out to your kids, friends, adults, you know, the parents and grandparents and guardians and such, and saying like, hey, just who's in town next week? My kid is almost certainly going to want to hang out with people. So holler if you're in town and then I'll. We'll text if we need to. That's kind of using the magic question, right? What can I do now to make my social kids dealing with them easier later? You ask their adults now if anyone is around. That way you don't feel weird doing that whole like day after Christmas text where you feel like you're bothering people because maybe they're traveling or they're with family or you already know who is out of town so your kid doesn't get her hopes up when you do in fact text a friend that's currently in Minnesota and not down the street in North Carolina. What are some things you can plan now? And by plan, I really just mean like loosely, loosely put in place, right? You don't have to set a specific date for kids to hang out in this scenario. You're just gathering information. You're just like, hey, who's in town? Who's in town and maybe wants to play? Just putting out some feelers. You could also plan like a couple of movies that everyone likes to watch. Maybe there's a restaurant your whole crew likes to go to and you can know that at some point during that holiday downtime week, you'll go to that restaurant. You might gather up a puzzle or some games and put those under the tree like we learned from a lazy genius of the week. Now that all the Christmas gifts are gone, just consider some things that you can do now to loosely loosely create a plan for some ways to fill that holiday downtime if you need them. No need to lock anything in. You're basically just making an activity queue.
- [12:56]
Indeed Advertiser
When you're looking to hire someone quickly. Don't mess around with candidates who look decent on paper but don't really have what it takes. Ideally, you want to find someone who understands your workflow, someone who can jump in and help you do the job well. That's why you should use Indeed Sponsored Jobs. They help you find people who actually fit what you're looking for. Give your job the best chance to be seen with Indeed Sponsored Jobs. They'll help you stand out and hire quality candidates who can drive the results you need. Sponsored Jobs Boost your post for quality candidates so you can reach the exact people you want faster. Spend more time interviewing candidates who check all your boxes. Less stress, less time, more results. Now with Indeed Sponsored Jobs and listeners of this show will get a $75 sponsored job credit to help get your job the premium status it deserves@ Indeed.com lazygenius just go to Indeed.com lazygenius right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Indeed.com Laz lazy genius terms and conditions apply. Hiring do it the Right Way with Indeed.
- [13:58]
Kendra Adachi
This episode is sponsored by Ritual. This time of year, my skin always needs a little extra support. Not necessarily more products to slather on, just something to help it feel a bit more settled. That's why I've been trying Haicera from Ritual. It's a once a day capsule that supports skin hydration from the inside out. So instead of adding another step to my skincare routine, I'm doing something. Something behind the scenes that still makes a difference. I like that it's not about covering anything up, it's just giving my skin what it needs. I've been taking it for a while now and I've noticed my skin feels a little less reactive in the colder months, not as dry and less fussy. It's backed by clinical research and made with ingredients I trust vegan third party tested and thoughtfully formulated Start Hyacra to support your glow without compromising on clean science. My listeners get 25% off your first month@ritual.com lazygenius that's ritual.com lazygenius for 25% off your first month. This episode is sponsored by Wayfair. The holidays have this funny way of showing up fast and Even when you're not scrambling, there's usually something left on the list. A little decor to make things feel finished, a gift you forgot to grab, maybe a guest room that could use a quick refresh. Wayfair is kind of perfect for that. I found a lamp to make a dim corner feel instantly cozy, and a festive table runner that actually matches the rest of my stuff. No glitter, no Santa faces, just simple and pretty. The best part? Everything ships fast and arrives before you need it. Wayfair has pretty much everything. Gifts, bedding, furniture, kitchen things, even storage for all the extra stuff that comes with the holidays. It's nice to know you don't have to go all over the Internet to get what you need. It's all in one place for every style and every budget. Get last minute hosting essentials, gifts for all your loved ones, and decor to celebrate the holidays. For way less, head to Wayfair.com right now to shop all things home. That's W A Y-F A I R.com Wayfair Every style, every home. Now, as part of your plan, you might also want to think about some holiday house rules. Episode 212 is called a Guide to Summer House Rules, which might offer some good structure even though the season is different. If you're interested in kind of deep diving in that during holiday downtime, a house rule might be, you know, we have a quiet hour every day. Or maybe there's a house rule around movie nights. Like one kid picks the movie, another kid picks the snack, and another picks their seat first or something like that, you know, and then you rotate each time you do a movie. Just consider if there are like little fights or frustrations that seem to creep up during holiday downtime that you could apply a house rule to to help make that thing a little easier. Okay, so we have established a purpose. We've thought about our perspective. We've made a very loose, very, very loose plan. And now I just want to give you some permission. Holiday downtime doesn't have to be magical and sparkly. It does not have to be the most amazing time where the entire family is connected and laughing and like a holiday card. It doesn't have to be a time where everyone is gladly playing in games or doing puzzles or charmingly covered in flour making cookies. It could be that everyone is doing their own thing on a screen and you're reading. It could be that you or your kid watches college football literally all day. You might keep your decorations up for as long or as short as you want, right don't feel bad that the day after Christmas is a clean slate or that it's January 10th and you're still happily turning the Christmas lights on every you can rest, you can play, do projects, be productive, be alone, be with people, sleep in, let a toddler play dots on your phone in your bed with you so you keep your eyes closed a little longer. I want you to embrace the permission to make your holiday downtime something that works for you. It doesn't always look the way we want, the way that others do it, or even the same day to day. So just be kind to yourself and receive your own permission to enjoy holiday downtime in the way that you or your people need to. I have a feeling that for us in our house, we will have a mixed bag of really lovely holiday moments. There will be a good bit of whining because kids are bored. A little frustration for me is I remind them of the things that they just received that they could play with and then all of that will not happen, even all at once, because my kids are different and they will feel these different things at different times. Right? We will decorate sugar cookies, but the kids will probably tap out before things are close to done. At least if past years are any indication. We will watch football and eventually take the tree down. We'll maybe go see a movie that all three kids will feel like we're dragging them to. Who knows? But regardless, that time is important because it's where we are. Where you are during these next two weeks, wherever it is and whatever you're doing, it matters. You don't need to over plan, overanalyze, or overstress. Just be where you are. But if there are small things now you can think about or put in place to help make the next tiny little stretch of time, this little season of holiday downtime, easier, I hope this episode helps. And that's how to approach holiday downtime. Short and sweet. All right, before we go, let's celebrate the Lazy Genius of the week. This week it is SJP122. SJP writes lazy genius Holiday Tip. Our family loves confetti. On New Year's Eve. Instead of throwing it out, I keep our used Christmas wrapping paper and cut that up for homemade confetti. Bonus tip. Make the pieces big so they're easier to clean up at the end of the night. No vacuum required. What a fun idea this is. If you like confetti or your kids like confetti, or you just want to throw something in the air, you know, you probably don't want to spend money on actual confetti. And you can use all the paper that is about to go through your whole house. But I also love the idea of the pieces being big enough to clean up easily. Like, big confetti is still confetti and you can still throw it, and easy cleanup is always a win. Thanks for this idea, SJP122 and congratulations on being the Lazy Genius of the Week. All right, y', all, that's it for today. Thank you so much for listening. And until next time, be a genius about the things that matter and lazy about the things that don't. I'm Kendra, and I'll see time you next next week.