IN-DEPTH: Greatness vs. Contentment (w/ Kendra Adachi)
Dec 5, 2024
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Kendra Adachi, bestselling author and host of the Lazy Genius podcast, joins to discuss her new book, The Plan. She introduces the transformative idea of compassionate time management, emphasizing the shift from chasing greatness to finding contentment. Kendra explores societal pressures affecting women in productivity, advocating for a flexible approach that prioritizes personal growth and meaningful relationships. The conversation highlights the importance of adaptability in both planning and navigating the complexities of modern life.
Kendra Adachi introduces the concept of compassionate time management, emphasizing a balanced approach to personal goals and self-care.
The podcast contrasts the unrelenting pursuit of greatness with the importance of seeking satisfaction and integration in one’s current life.
Kendra highlights the inadequacies of traditional time management methods for women, advocating for a framework that resonates with their unique challenges.
Deep dives
The Concept of Lazy Genius
A lazy genius is defined as someone who chooses to excel in areas that truly matter to them while allowing themselves to let go in less critical aspects of life. Kendra emphasizes that each person has the autonomy to determine what is significant in their current life stage. This approach counters the pressure of societal expectations to be exceptional at everything. The idea is to focus one's genius energy where it counts and embrace a more relaxed attitude towards everything else.
Integration vs. Greatness
Kendra discusses the distinction between striving for greatness and seeking integration as a way of life. The constant pursuit of extraordinary achievements can lead to exhaustion and feelings of inadequacy. In contrast, integration promotes living fully in the present, validating one's current experiences, and recognizing the importance of maintaining a balanced life. This perspective encourages individuals to honor their humanity instead of sacrificing their well-being for productivity and optimization.
Redefining Time Management for Women
Kendra addresses the inadequacies of traditional time management literature, highlighting how it often overlooks the distinct challenges faced by women. Many time management books originate from a male-centric viewpoint and fail to consider the pressures women encounter in both professional and domestic spheres. This gap can result in women feeling inadequate rather than understanding that those methods may not suit their needs. Kendra aims to provide a framework that resonates with women's lived experiences and empowers them to define their approaches to time management.
The Pyramid of Planning: Prepare, Adjust, Notice
Kendra introduces a planning model represented as a pyramid built on three pillars: prepare, adjust, and notice, with the foundation being what matters most in one's current life season. Preparing involves acknowledging that not everything can be a priority and allowing room for flexibility. Adjusting encourages individuals to align their expectations with their current capacity and energy levels. Noticing emphasizes the value of staying grounded rather than adherently following a task list, ensuring that personal connections and present experiences are prioritized.
Compassionate Time Management
Kendra advocates for compassionate time management, which combines achieving personal goals with self-care and compassion towards oneself and others. This concept allows individuals to plan wisely without becoming overwhelmed by unrealistic expectations of greatness. The idea is to provide a framework that respects each person’s unique journey, fostering a sense of community and understanding. By learning to embrace flexibility and a balanced approach, individuals can experience more fulfillment and less burnout in their daily lives.
In this episode of IN-DEPTH, Cal welcomes the bestselling author Kendra Adachi to talk about her new book, THE PLAN, which introduces the innovative idea of “compassionate time management.” Kendra and Cal discuss how to move beyond the forever pursuit of “greatness” to instead seek satisfaction in your current life; the ways in which time management and productivity writing ignores the specific concerns of women; and why flexibility and pivoting are more important skills than precise planning.
Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia