The Lazy Genius Podcast

How to Get Better at Projects

February 23, 2026

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  • Projects are inherently difficult because they are outside of your ordinary routine and require multiple decisions and tasks, which is why people often struggle to finish them. 
  • To successfully manage projects, you must first identify your personal motivators ("what keeps you going") and roadblocks ("what slows you down") to approach the work with intention. 
  • A successful project strategy involves intentionally planning for fun, knowing what activity or routine the project will displace, and expecting to pivot rather than sticking rigidly to an initial plan. 

Segments

Sponsor Messages and Introduction
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(00:00:00)
  • Key Takeaway: The episode focuses on providing ten tools to help listeners start and finish meaningful projects.
  • Summary: The episode opens with advertisements for Primale Pure and Anchin Accountants and Advisors. Host Kendra Adachi introduces the episode’s focus: sharing ten ways to get better at projects, including starting ones you will finish and finishing those that matter. The episode will also feature a random segment ranking favorite sporting events and a mini pep talk.
Defining Project Characteristics
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(00:09:00)
  • Key Takeaway: Projects are defined by having one main objective and a definitive end, but they are challenging because they are out of the ordinary rhythm and require multiple decisions and tasks.
  • Summary: Projects vary widely, ranging from personal to responsible tasks, and can last anywhere from a day to a year. A project has one main objective and a clear end point, distinguishing it from ongoing tasks. The difficulty arises because projects are deviations from routine and necessitate numerous decisions and sub-tasks, meaning a project should not be listed as a single item on a regular to-do list.
Tool 1: Know What Keeps You Going
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(00:12:54)
  • Key Takeaway: Identifying intrinsic motivators, such as enjoying spreadsheets or spontaneity, allows you to replicate those conditions in future projects.
  • Summary: The first tool is to recognize what elements keep you committed or enjoying a project, such as music or visible progress. The host notes that visible progress, achieved by crossing off tiny tasks, is a key motivator for her. Naming these sustaining factors helps ensure future projects are set up for success.
Tool 2: Know What Slows You Down
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(00:15:35)
  • Key Takeaway: Recognizing personal roadblocks like the feeling of never being done or specific tedious details helps you proactively mitigate them or work around them.
  • Summary: The second tool involves identifying what causes momentum loss, which is distinct from what keeps you going. For the host, the feeling of never being done slows her down, necessitating breaking large projects into smaller, manageable steps. Knowing these personal slowdowns allows for intentional planning to circumvent them.
Tool 3: Find a Reason to Care
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(00:18:07)
  • Key Takeaway: For unappealing projects, creating a compelling reason to care—whether through future benefit, discovery, or a linked reward—is necessary for follow-through.
  • Summary: Simply knowing the ‘why’ is often insufficient; you must find a reason to care enough to finish. This reason can be a kindness to your future self (like pre-cleaning the attic before a move) or framing the task as an exploration or treasure hunt. Alternatively, linking the project completion to a desired reward, like a reading retreat, provides necessary incentive.
Tool 4: Keep Details in One Place
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(00:20:58)
  • Key Takeaway: Centralizing all project processing, timelines, and endgame thoughts prevents feeling scattered and ensures you don’t lose track of prior planning.
  • Summary: Because projects involve many pieces, keeping all related details in a single location prevents forgetting thoughts or losing momentum. This dedicated space, like the Projects Playbook or a notes app, serves as the central hub for notes, tasks, and guiding questions. This centralization helps maintain focus across the project’s lifespan.
Tool 5 & 6: Displacement and Easier Days
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(00:22:44)
  • Key Takeaway: Accepting that a project will displace existing activities and intentionally simplifying routines on project days makes completion more feasible.
  • Summary: Since time is finite, a project replaces something else in your life; knowing what is being displaced (like leisure or regular chores) helps you accept the trade-off. On project days, instead of trying to maintain normalcy, make those days easier by ordering pizza or skipping non-essential routines. This intentional simplification reduces friction for project work.
Tool 7 & 8: Preparation and Order
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(00:24:57)
  • Key Takeaway: Having necessary knowledge, tools, and help before starting, combined with following a foundational order of operations, streamlines project execution.
  • Summary: Stopping a project due to missing supplies or knowledge kills motivation, so preparing necessary items beforehand is crucial for maintaining momentum. The foundational order for any project is: first, name what matters; second, calm the crazy (addressing chaos); and third, trust your own judgment on the next steps. This sequence ensures the project’s goal drives the process.
Tool 9 & 10: Pivoting and Planning Fun
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(00:29:52)
  • Key Takeaway: Learning to pivot mid-project is more valuable than perfect planning, and intentionally infusing fun into the process or as a reward enhances enjoyment.
  • Summary: Both planners and spontaneous individuals must expect pivots, as projects rarely follow a linear path; embracing this flexibility reduces stress. Furthermore, injecting fun—through music, conversation, or a planned reward—transforms a purely utilitarian task into an enjoyable experience. Planning fun ahead of time, rather than relying on spontaneity, makes projects more sustainable.
Lazy Genius of the Week
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(00:43:39)
  • Key Takeaway: Creating a dedicated, recurring time slot for projects, supported by a separate list of ideas, allows for flexible energy matching while ensuring progress.
  • Summary: Angela from Winston-Salem earned recognition for creating a house project note on her phone and scheduling a recurring reminder for the second Saturday of every month to tackle one. This strategy supports her weakness by allowing her to choose a project based on her current energy level that month. This system keeps project ideas separate from the weekly to-do list, preventing overwhelm.
Mini Pep Talk: Cranky Days
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(00:45:26)
  • Key Takeaway: When feeling cranky, the most effective strategy is to practice patience with yourself and others while waiting for the feeling to pass naturally.
  • Summary: Crankiness can arise without a clear cause, often due to hormonal shifts or lack of sleep. The key is to be patient with the feeling itself, the process of moving past it, and the people around you who must tolerate it. Forcing yourself to feel better often prolongs the cranky state; patience allows the feeling to soften faster.