The Lazy Genius Podcast

12 Ways to Be a Better Problem Solver, Part 2

January 19, 2026

Key Takeaways Copied to clipboard!

  • Becoming a better problem solver in *The Lazy Genius Podcast*'s framework involves embracing humanity by prioritizing people over productivity, perfection, and efficiency. 
  • Effective problem-solving requires accepting that solutions rarely start perfectly, necessitating a willingness to tinker, start smaller than desired, and be patient with inconsistency. 
  • The siren song of 'greatness' and constant improvement can drown out contentment; true problem-solving, as discussed in *12 Ways to Be a Better Problem Solver, Part 2*, values kindness, realism, and honoring one's current season of life. 

Segments

Sponsor Ad: Blue Apron Upgrade
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(00:00:00)
  • Key Takeaway: Blue Apron now offers chef-designed meals without a required weekly subscription, including fully prepared heat-and-eat options.
  • Summary: Blue Apron has upgraded its service to allow ordering meals without committing to weekly boxes, offering greater convenience. Options now include assemble-and-bake meals requiring minimal effort and fully prepared dish meals. All recipes are pre-portioned and designed with nutrition, protein, fiber, and flavor in mind.
Sponsor Ad: Primally Pure Skincare
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(00:01:01)
  • Key Takeaway: Primally Pure offers non-toxic, female-founded skincare and body care essentials using simple, recognizable ingredients.
  • Summary: Primally Pure focuses on simple, thoughtful formulas for non-toxic skincare and body care essentials. Their products, like the non-sticky lip oil and fast-absorbing body butter, prioritize skin health over trends. The brand blends plant-based and animal-based ingredients transparently, aiming to simplify daily routines.
Podcast Introduction and Philosophy
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(00:01:59)
  • Key Takeaway: The Lazy Genius Podcast prioritizes contentment, compassion, and living in one’s season over hustling for maximum productivity or greatness.
  • Summary: The host, Kendra Adachi, clarifies that the show rejects the exhaustion of hustling for constant improvement or maximizing every opportunity. The core values promoted are contentment, compassion, and focusing energy only on what truly matters. This episode continues the discussion on 12 essential tools for solving problems like a Lazy Genius.
Performance Reflection and Culture Critique
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(00:03:53)
  • Key Takeaway: The cultural noise promoting ’life change’ and ‘weight loss’ easily drowns out quieter messages of contentment, as evidenced by lower podcast rankings for related episodes.
  • Summary: An episode titled ‘Permission to Not Be Great’ performed lower in rankings compared to episodes focused on goal setting and self-improvement, illustrating cultural priorities. The host notes that the ’neon Times Square energy’ of improvement culture often overshadows the value of honoring where one currently is. Sustainable, kind problem-solving does not always receive the same traction as productivity-focused content.
Sponsor Recap and Next Steps
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(00:09:55)
  • Key Takeaway: Listeners can receive episode summaries via the ‘Latest Lazy Listens’ email, and the podcast is moving into the second half of the 12 problem-solving ways.
  • Summary: The host reminds listeners about the bi-weekly recap email, ‘Latest Lazy Listens,’ available at lazygeniuscollective.com/slash listens. The episode will now cover problem-solving ways six through twelve, following the first five covered in the previous week’s episode.
Sponsor Ad: Pura Fragrance Reset
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(00:10:31)
  • Key Takeaway: Pura’s well-being collection offers premium smart home fragrance to help reset feelings after being maxed out, allowing users to shape their space’s mood via scheduling.
  • Summary: Pura provides a way to shape the feeling of a space using smart home fragrance, suggesting a reset rather than an overhaul. Users can choose scents based on mood and set them on a schedule to reimagine their daily rhythm. Explore options at pura.com/slash moods.
Sponsor Ad: Quince Quality Staples
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(00:11:02)
  • Key Takeaway: Quince provides high-quality, thoughtfully sourced wardrobe staples, like cashmere sweaters and bags, at significantly lower prices than traditional retail.
  • Summary: Quince focuses on quality materials and ethical factories, offering items like Italian sling bags and cashmere sweaters that hold up well. Their pricing model allows staples to cost around $50 instead of $200. New customers receive free shipping and 365-day returns at quince.com/slash genius.
Problem Solver Tool 6: Start Smaller
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(00:12:04)
  • Key Takeaway: To solve problems comprehensively over the long term, one must start with an action smaller than the initial desired step, even after making the problem itself smaller.
  • Summary: Starting smaller than intended prevents initial solutions from becoming too complicated or overwhelming, which can lead to abandoning the effort entirely. The host used the example of joint health, scaling back from a seven-minute stretching routine to just a few seconds of hip circles upon waking. This minimal start is easier to build upon mentally and physically.
Problem Solver Tool 7: Take Time Now
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(00:16:26)
  • Key Takeaway: In the heat of an emergency or urgent situation, taking a deliberate moment to breathe and access kindness allows for better, less reactive solutions.
  • Summary: Reacting immediately to problems, like burning dinner or a child needing attention, often leads to creating further issues, as seen in the Bake Off example where a contestant threw away an imperfect cake. Assuming you have no time prevents you from seeing obstacles as welcome needs requiring attention. Slowing down provides the necessary space to choose a potentially better course of action.
Problem Solver Tool 8: Let People In
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(00:21:39)
  • Key Takeaway: Problem-solving is rarely a solo endeavor; letting others in—by accepting help or sharing challenges—provides necessary perspective and solidarity.
  • Summary: Accepting help when offered, such as a friend bringing soup during a busy week, directly solves a problem through external aid. Sharing challenges, even if no specific solution is offered, provides solidarity, which can be a solution in itself during tough seasons. Partners should not be assumed to be default problem solvers for domestic issues; inviting them in reveals invisible imbalances.
Problem Solver Tool 9: Go for Good, Not Great
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(00:26:36)
  • Key Takeaway: Solutions should aim for ‘good enough’ initially, as expecting immediate greatness leads to dissatisfaction and inaction when a perfect solution isn’t achieved.
  • Summary: Good solutions can accumulate over time to become great, but rarely do they start that way, requiring a change in expectation. For instance, using pre-packaged cookies instead of homemade ones when time is short is a ‘good’ solution that still addresses the need for dessert. For household organization, cramming shoes under a bench is ‘good’ enough when a ‘great’ solution like meticulous lining up is too time-consuming.
Problem Solver Tool 10: Expect to Tinker
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(00:30:41)
  • Key Takeaway: Tinkering—making small adjustments after initial implementation—is a required, non-negotiable part of problem-solving that prevents unnecessary starting over.
  • Summary: Starting over when a solution isn’t immediately perfect sets one behind; tinkering is what makes solutions stick, similar to adjusting seasoning in cooking. Expecting to tinker removes the pressure for immediate perfection, allowing for iterative improvement. This process is essential for adapting solutions to unique tastes and circumstances.
Problem Solver Tool 11: Be Patient with Inconsistency
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(00:33:11)
  • Key Takeaway: Patience with inconsistency, both one’s own and others’, is vital because human solutions involve error, and prioritizing people over productivity is a core Lazy Genius value.
  • Summary: Inconsistency is often unfairly criticized; it is a natural part of learning new systems, such as children learning laundry tasks. Forcing consistency when life pivots (like dealing with a child’s needs or a sore knee) is counterproductive to a people-first approach. Patience allows for the cultivation of deeper personal growth, even in difficult, repetitive seasons.
Problem Solver Tool 12: Stop Solving Everything
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(00:37:47)
  • Key Takeaway: Attempting to apply and maintain multiple new solutions across many areas simultaneously is exhausting and ineffective; focus energy on what matters most right now.
  • Summary: The brain lacks the capacity to successfully implement numerous new solutions all at once, leading only to stress and fatigue. Listeners should choose what matters most for the current season—today, this month—and be lazy about the rest, aiming for ‘done for now’ rather than complete resolution. This focused approach, combined with patience and small steps, leads to better long-term problem-solving.
Recap and Final Encouragement
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(00:53:06)
  • Key Takeaway: Difficult, long seasons are often the deepest teachers, cultivating contentment and beauty that grows roots in the darkest places.
  • Summary: If a season feels endless, accepting that it might be long allows one to let the circumstances teach deeper lessons about self. Suffering, though difficult, cultivates a unique sight and allows one to become more fully themselves. This deeper self-awareness improves one’s ability to see problems with ease and kindness.
Sponsor Ad: Lenovo Pro for Small Business
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(00:57:15)
  • Key Takeaway: Lenovo Pro offers small business owners one-on-one advice, IT solutions, and customized hardware powered by Intel Core ultra-processors to manage daily race days.
  • Summary: Small business owners can go ‘pro’ with Lenovo Pro to gain dedicated support for their daily operational challenges. This service includes customized hardware featuring Intel Core ultra-processors for enhanced performance. Sign up for free at lenovo.com/slash pro.