Synopsis

In this debut book, Kendra Adachi offers practical tips to help us tackle life without running ourselves into the ground. Kendra's motto, "Be a genius about the things that matter and lazy about the things that don't" is the book's framework and the first chapter breaks down what it means to be a lazy genius. The subsequent chapters are 13 lazy genius principles: Decide Once, Start Small, Ask the Magic Question, Live in the Season , Build the Right Routines, Set House Rules, Put Everything in its Place, Let People In, Batch It, Essentialize, Go in the Right Order, Schedule Rest, and Be Kind to Yourself. Each chapter follows a similar flow beginning with a definition and/or real life story about each principle and is followed by steps to apply the principle to your own life. There is also a really helpful recap and a small starting step at the end of each chapter.

My Thoughts

Y'all. Kendra (aka The Lazy Genius) gets my brain. This book was such a breath of fresh air. It's not merely a book of practical principles, but it's also a book about discovering what matters to you and how to tackle those important-to-you tasks. The chapter about seasons made me cry (in a good way) and the chapter about scheduling rest is one of the most helpful things I've EVER READ about self-care. Whether you are a natural when it comes to organization and life-hacks or you need a little extra help, Kendra offers the perfect balance for us all.

What’s not to love about learning how to live your best life with Kendra? If you love her podcast, The Lazy Genius Podcast, then you’ll love her book. If you haven’t listened to the podcast, go check it out! Kendra is so approachable and most things are “a-ha” and common sense at the same time. And it’s pretty, so there’s that. :)

This book was amazing! It was laid out in a way that made sense and really helped me to think about the systems of how I am doing life and what really matters, what needs to change to fit what matters and HOW to make that happen.

I’ve been a longtime fan of the Lazy Genius Podcast (short, weekly episodes full of helpful knowledge for busy people), so I knew I had to check out Kendra’s book. It did not disappoint. As a newish mom that works fulltime, my life can be very exhausting and busy with little time for myself (or anything else really.)

The book is all about getting out of life’s grind and monotony and building better systems for everything from meal planning to relationships to decision making. There are so many little life hacks included, and many moments that I just felt seen. Each chapter ends with recap bullet points and One Small Step that you can do right now to apply one of her principles, which my organized brain loved. Kendra Adachi is such an honest, hilarious writer and I just felt inspired reading this.

This book is great for moms, business owners, fans of Emily P. Freeman, and literally anyone looking to create structure and rhythm around what matters.

Publication date is August 11th - Thank you to NetGalley and Waterbrook Multnomah for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This is the self-help book for people who like instructions. Actionable instructions. *raises hand*

I understand that sometimes the appropriate inspiration is “see your goal, reach your goal, be your goal.” Those books and speeches can be very useful. But….
Sometimes you just need someone to say: “You want to change your life? Do this real thing, then this physical thing, then achieve this effect.” YES! That’s what you get in The Lazy Genius Way – real actionable steps to make changes in your life. I highly recommend this book.

Favorite Lines:
- You have permission to let go, wonder, and go slow or to desire, hustle, and power through.

- We don’t give enough credit to all that goes before, but that’s precisely why small steps matter: they’re doing invisible work, and we can trust that process.

Stars: 5
Would I Recommend? Yes

I adore Kendra Adachi and her practical advice on how to “Lazy Genius” pretty much any situation. I loved this book because it shares principles that can apply to so many parts of life, not just little tips or hacks She is funny and warm and feels like a friend. Kendra is also a stellar writer and I hope this is just the first of many books to come from her.

I love Kendra Adachi aka @thelazygenius on Instagram. Her instastories are so practical and funny without ever making you feel less than. There are a lot of time saving type books out there but a lot of them are by men or just facts with not a lot of heart.

I’m not a Lean In woman and I’m not a Proverbs 31 woman. I’m just a person trying to keep my work, house, kids, and life reasonably operational. We’re all coming up on a school year that is to put it mildly, a trash fire. Kendra’s warm advice is incredibly timely to this season and I think you’ll enjoy it.

I loved The Lazy Genius Way! Adachi helped me view things through a better lens for the season of life I’m in. She helps you decide what matters, and work from there- be a genius about the things that matter to you, and be smart but lazy about the things that don’t. She uses examples of everything from the mundane (laundry and meal planning) to the sacred (making new friends, connecting with your kids and spouse). It’s full of good advice, given in a warm, friendly way- like a conversation with a good friend.

If you're a suburban, middle-class, Christian, stay-at-home mom of three from the USA, this is probably the book for you. Since I fit very few of these categories, I struggled with resonating with the messages and stories as much I would have hoped to.

The author offers 13 principles for living a more fulfilled life, in what she calls the "Lazy Genius Way". These principles are all illustrated through real-life situations she has gone through. Although I found some of the principles to be useful and resonated with several passages, I just couldn't connect to it as a whole. I don't think this is a bad book, I just don't think it's a book for me.

Kendra Adachi has written a book that has changed my life forever. The first chapter left me feeling like I had just left an in-depth counseling session. Her principals for living a Lazy Genius life are simple to understand and implement. She speaks in a way that makes the reader feel that they can ACTUALLY make changes in their life, without completely turning their life upside down. Her honest, heartfelt stories were wonderfully told. This is not a step-by-step self-help book. Rather, Kendra has written a book of principles to guide you. Because each of us have different priorities and challenges to overcome, we each will take different paths to change. I loved everything about this book, and I will be sharing it with all of my friends and family.

I have been a listener of The Lazy Genius podcast for several years. The book absolutely compliments the podcasts, but doesn’t replace them. A reader will not feel lost if they’ve never heard of this author’s work before picking up this book, and they will not feel like the book is redundant if they have been following Kendra’s work for years.
Powerful, practical, potentially life changing and attainable. This book is a must-read.

In "The Lazy Genius Way", Kendra Adachi offers many helpful tips for helping your life and household run more smoothly. I appreciated her practical advice and the encouragement that you can just make one small change, rather than overhauling everything at once. I believe that many readers (women especially) will benefit from reading this book!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I LOVE Kendra Adachi's Lazy Genius philosophy, and I loved this book! It's a great overview of her approach to life and gives you plenty of ideas for how you can tweak this mindset to be helpful to your life. Kendra's writing style is funny, relatable, and left me feeling like she was my big sister who gave great advice. I highly recommend you read this book and also check out the Change Your Life Chicken recipe on her Lazy Genius Collective blog. Thanks Kendra!

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for an ARC of this book. This is my personal review in exchange for this ARC.

I've been a big fan of Kendra's work for several years. so I knew right away I would want to read her first book. What I didn't expect was how deeply moving this book was for a so-called self help book. Rather than prescribing specific hacks to perfect your life, Kendra teaches her readers how to name what matters TO YOU, so you can relax into YOUR best life -- not hers or anyone else's. "Little did I know you can be just as exhausted from not trying as you can from trying too hard," she says. Kendra's compassionate, understanding, soothing tone simultaneously encourages us to be mindful around creating systems that work for us, while also giving us permission to ignore what isn't helpful. I thought I knew how to be a Lazy Genius before, but now I feel fully equipped to approach any situation that comes my way using Kendra's practical principles. I can't recommend this book highly enough, no matter your age or stage of life. This book is for everyone!

Thank you to NetGalley and WaterBrook for the ARC.

The Lazy Genius Way is like Kendra Adachi's greatest hits album in book form! I truly enjoyed all the steps and tips to becoming a Lazy Genius about what matters to you. As a long time listener of The Lazy Genius Podcast, I was so happy to have the chance to read this wonderful book. I often find myself quoting her ideas and suggestions to my husband, friends, family, and basically anyone who will listen! This book is filled with humor and grace about making everyday life more simple and thoughtful. I am so grateful to have stumbled upon Kendra's writing years ago when I was searching for a Gilmore Girl's binge guide. As always, she weaves pop culture, everyday life, dreams, hopes, jokes, and totally genius tips into concise and entertaining life hacks. I feel this book and the suggested methods to being a Lazy Genius will be applicable to anyone who wants to stress less, be more present, and in touch with what truly matters to them.
(Thanks to the author, WaterBrook & Multnomah, and NetGalley for the advance ebook copy I received as part of The Lazy Genius Way launch team. These thoughts are all my own. )

I have been a fan of Kendra Adachi ever since I stumbled across her Lazy Genius podcast two years ago. Her approach to life is that sweet spot between practical and fun. I was anticipating The Lazy Genius Way to take the same approach, and I was not disappointed, I loved it!
Do you want to hear the truth from a dear friend? This book reads as if she's sitting across the table with you, sharing great strategies for problems we all face, but with a sense of humor throughout. She lays out her ideas for how to become a Lazy Genius in the framework of 13 principles, giving lots of fun stories to illustrate each one.
I expect to be referring back to these principles often to apply to life situations for a long time to come. Thanks Kendra!

Kendra Adachi has a charming personality in podcasting as well as in writing. Her book is helpful yet light. She does not preach about the specifics on how to get something done, just gently coaxes one to find their own solutions while listening to hers. Thank you to Net Galley for providing an early reading copy! Congratulations to the author on a book well done.

I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH. LITERALLY. This was easy reading the entire way, and thank you so much for letting me review this amazing book. I was very excited when Kendra announced she would complie so much of her genius podcast into a book, so I was blown away from the start. I really enjoyed how there were clear principles throughout, and be true to yourself. This has given me clearer guidelines to make decisions, and has really encouraged me! I would recommend this for anyone who needs a good read, from making good decisions to just having encouragement. If anyone hasn't listened to Ms, Adachi's podcast they definitely should- it's full of good advice and even better anecdotes. Lastly, I would like to thank NetGalley and Kendra for giving me this in exchange for an honest review.

Found in the Lazy Genius Way a refreshing perspective for setting priorities applicable to all life situations. The book is easy to read. There was no a single boring chapter. I loved the honesty of Kendra Adachi.

I have been listening to Kendra Adachi's The Lazy Genius podcast for a while now so I was thrilled to learn she was compiling her tips, tricks and strategies into a book. I was eagerly anticipating reading what wisdom she had to share!

The Lazy Genius Way is full of principles to help guide decision making. Each principle is clearly stated in its own section complete with witty anecdotes, action steps and plenty of encouragement. The key message is to be a Genius about what matters TO YOU and be Lazy about what doesn't. Reflect on what matters to you and your family and then utilize Kendra's principles to create systems and habits that will work for you.

My copy of The Lazy Genius Way is filled with bookmarks for things I want to try immediately and things I want to think more about before putting into place. The Lazy Genius Way is a book to refer to repeatedly - different seasons of your life will call for different routines.

I highly recommend The Lazy Genius Way! If you are not already subscribed to The Lazy Genius podcast, do so now! And,of course follow The Lazy Genius and Kendra Adachi on all the socials.

Thank you to @netgalley for an Advanced Reader's Copy in exchange for an honest review.
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