The Lazy Genius Podcast
Episode 454: Chores for Normals – Make 20 Minutes Enough
Host: Kendra Adachi, The Lazy Genius
Date: January 26, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, Kendra Adachi addresses the overwhelming nature of keeping up with home chores for “normals” (everyday people doing the best they can). She busts the myth that there’s a perfect system to end chaos and, instead, offers compassionate, practical steps to maintain a functional, welcoming home using as little as 2–20 minutes per day. Kendra encourages listeners to be kind to themselves, start small, and focus on what truly matters, rather than chasing perfection or completion.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Reality of Chores and Overwhelm (27:40)

• Chores are endless: No matter what systems you use, tasks never fully end. Entropy is real; things build up quickly.
• Comparison to teeth brushing: A little bit daily (like brushing teeth) is more effective than huge efforts done rarely.
  "Brushing your teeth for a couple of minutes a couple times a day is way better... than brushing your teeth once a week for 30 minutes." (11:31)
• Compassion over optimization: The episode rejects guilt, endless lists, and hustle-mindset productivity hacks.

2. Five Big Obstacles to Daily Chores (32:37)

Kendra identifies and validates five common barriers:

• Overwhelm:
  It’s normal not to know where to start or to feel paralyzed.
  "Chores are easily overwhelming, so don't feel like you're the only one experiencing that. We all feel that." (34:35)
• Season of Life:
  Life stages (toddlers, work, being single, caring for others) naturally limit what you can do. Embrace what you can manage and let go of the rest.
  "Tending a home with toddlers underfoot should come with like prizes at the end. It's so intense. It's so repetitive, so messy. Why are tiny humans so dang messy?" (36:02)
• Distraction:
  Technology and other tasks distract you—it's normal. Practice letting nonessential messes be.
• Perfection:
  Pursuing a spotless home wastes precious time and is unnecessary. Let "good" be enough.
  "Perfection is just the worst, y'all. I always say we want perfection in bridges and surgery... but not in our homes." (46:39)
• Completion:
  Chores are never finished. Accept it's a “forever” task to maintain a home.
  "You're never going to be done. I mean, I hate to be a wet blanket here, but this is just not going to stop." (48:46)

Central advice: Instead of fighting these obstacles, “befriend” them with kindness and realistic expectations.

3. Rethinking the Time Commitment: Start Small (51:25)

• Start with 2 Minutes:
  If you don't have a routine, don't jump to 20 minutes.
  "Zero minutes is actually nothing... Two minutes is actually something." (52:03)
• Build up slowly:
  Make two minutes a consistent habit before adding more time.

4. Deciding the Time of Day (54:11)

• Energy and enjoyment:
  Pick a time when you’ll both have the most energy and see the longest-lasting results. For many, this is after dinner when the day's messes stop accumulating.
• Set an alarm:
  Keep yourself gently accountable with a daily (or regular) reminder at your chosen time.

5. What Should Fill Your 2–20 Minutes? (57:40)

• Prioritize maintenance over deep cleaning:
  Focus on tasks that keep life flowing—those that, if neglected, quickly cause chaos.

• Four Essential Tasks:

  1. Trash: Pick up around the house, empty small cans if needed.
  2. Dishes: Gather and centralize dirty dishes; bonus if you have time to load or start washing.
  3. Putting Things Away: Restore out-of-place items to their homes.
  4. Laundry: Move clothes along (put in hamper, bring near washer, or move toward folding).

  "If you tend to trash, dishes, and clothes for 20 minutes every day, your house will feel completely different." (59:24)

• Don’t count already-established rhythms:
  If you already clean the kitchen nightly, that isn’t your “extra” maintenance time.

• Reminder:
  “You’re not cleaning, you’re not organizing, you’re just tidying and moving things along. If you spend two to twenty minutes doing this kind of thing every day… your home will start to change.” (1:08:11)

6. The Power of Tiny Efforts and Letting Go of Completion (1:09:28)

• Focus only on maintaining flow, not perfection.
• Stop when your time is up, even if tasks aren’t finished—completion is an illusion.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Perfection and Completion:
  "I always say we want perfection in bridges and surgery... but not in our homes." (46:39)
  "You're never going to be done. Housework will happen as long as you're breathing." (48:46)

• On Two Minutes:
  "Two minutes is actually something. 20 minutes is like so many somethings." (52:03)

• On Progress:
  "Stop thinking that you need to clean everything to completion and perfection all the time, and that anything less than that is some sort of failure. It is not." (1:11:25)

• Valuing Small Steps:
  "Do a tiny thing. Do two minutes and stop. Stop thinking that that's not enough. Stop thinking that means you’re not doing a good job at this. It’s just not true." (1:11:50)

Practical Steps Kendra Encourages (1:14:10+)

1. Pick your amount of time:
   Start with 2 minutes if you have no routine.
2. Pick your time of day:
   Set an alarm with a friendly sound.
3. Begin with one essential task:
   (Trash, dishes, “put away,” or laundry.)
4. Build slowly:
   Add time and tasks bit by bit over weeks—not days.
5. Let completion and perfection go:
   Your effort does not have to be all or nothing.

"A Little Extra Something": Kendra's Favorite Convenience Food (1:19:25)

• Kendra’s current favorite: Pre-pulled rotisserie chicken from Costco.
  • She loves it because it saves time and effort peeling chicken, has a long shelf life, and is versatile for meals.
  • “As for me and my house, we will purchase the most convenient, delicious version of cooked and ready-to-eat chicken possible.” (1:20:34)

Lazy Genius of the Week (1:23:21)

Natalie’s Tip:
When you remove socks that haven’t been worn much, use them to dust surfaces before tossing them in the laundry rather than waiting for the “right” time to dust or needing a special cloth or list.

• "There's no need to put that task on a list anywhere. You just do it when you notice it, do it with the sort-of-clean sock on your foot. I love this." (1:23:54)

Mini Pep Talk: When You’re Overwhelmed by the World (1:26:00)

• Control the timing of what you hear, even if you can’t control the content.
  "The pile-on of the Internet on top of all that is happening can be untenable... Make decisions that allow you to be informed and to maintain the energy you want to give." (1:28:18)
• Limit news alerts and social media exposure to maintain capacity for what matters.
• Add counterweights—small joys or beautiful things—to balance difficulty.

Summary Table of Key Timestamps

| Segment | Timestamp | |-----------------------------------------------|------------| | Opening & episode focus | 04:19 | | The challenge of chores & entropy | 27:40 | | Acknowledging obstacles | 32:37 | | Overwhelm | 34:35 | | Season of life | 36:02 | | Distraction | 41:48 | | Perfection | 46:39 | | Completion | 48:46 | | Start with 2 minutes, not 20 | 51:25 | | Time of day choice | 54:11 | | What to do in that time (tasks) | 57:40 | | Focus on essentials | 59:24 | | Letting go of completion | 1:09:28 | | Practical steps for setting routine | 1:14:10 | | Kendra's favorite convenience food | 1:19:25 | | Lazy Genius of the Week | 1:23:21 | | Mini Pep Talk: News and world overwhelm | 1:26:00 |

Final Takeaways

• You are normal if you’re overwhelmed by housework.
• Maintenance routines should be small, specific, flexible, and compassion-driven.
• Celebrate the power of tiny, consistent efforts—2 minutes can be transformative.
• Let go of perfection and completion; focus on what keeps your home and life flowing.
• Be encouraged by the Lazy Genius community’s small tweaks and remember to balance caring about the world with caring for yourself.

“Be a genius about the things that matter, lazy about the things that don’t.” (Final signoff)

Summary by The Lazy Genius Summarizer — for those who want clarity, not clutter.