Hi there! You're listening to the Lazy Genius podcast. I'm Kendra Dachie and I'm here

to help you be a genius about the things that matter and lazy about the things that don't.

On Saturday, you might have heard the audiobook version of the introduction of my book, The

Lazy Genius Way, and today's episode is Chapter 1. I don't want to make you wait around,

so here it is, Chapter 1 of The Lazy Genius Way.

And title how to think like a lazy genius.

My first job out of college was at the church where I spent my high school years, and where

a few months earlier I had gotten married. Many of my coworkers had known me since before

I could drive a car, but now I was a grown-up with a husband and a job description.

I was eager to prove I belonged. Once a month, we had a morning staff meeting, and co-workers

would take turns providing breakfast for everyone. Most months had the usual fare of grocery

stormuffins and fruit salad, and I remember thinking, I can do better than this. I eventually

signed up for breakfast duty, not out of kindness, but because I wanted my breakfast to be the

gold standard. Yes, I cringed with humiliation as I publicly share such hubris, but as a self-righteous

perfectionist, I was obsessed with keeping score, avoiding failure and being impressive. Comparison

and judgment were par for the course. If I had been cool enough to go to parties as a teenager,

I wouldn't have been fun at them anyway. Most folks paired up to provide the meal, but

no ma'am, not me. I was going to do this entire shindig on my own. I figured weak, unimpressive

people ask for help. Outwardly confident, inwardly crumbling people go solo. Obviously, perfection

was my standard, and not for the food alone. Despite the fact that my husband and I had zero

dollars, I splurged on a couple of platters from pottery barn so that the food I served would

look beautiful. I bought a linen tablecloth. The plastic ones at church would make my new platters

...