As a consultant, business owner, wife, and mom, I’m constantly juggling client deadlines, coaching calls, strategic plans, and figuring out what in the world we’re eating for dinner.
I don’t need more hustle.
I need systems that work.
That’s why these two Lazy Genius principles have earned a permanent place in my brain. If you’re a nonprofit leader or small business owner trying to keep everything afloat, these might just help you breathe again too.
Lazy Genius Principle #1: Decide Once
“Decide Once” means choosing something once – and then letting that decision ride until it stops working. It frees up brain space and cuts down on decision fatigue, which is half the battle when you’re managing both work and life.
How I use it:
- Birthday Party Gifts: My daughter gives the same birthday gift with a slight modification — a notebook and a fun art supply (usually something from Ooly). This way, we don’t end up in the Target aisle 15 minutes before the birthday party with someone unable to choose the absolute perfect gift.
- Teacher Gifts: Same applies for beginning-of-the-year, Christmas, Teacher Appreciation, and end-of-the-year teacher gifts. I keep a list of those gifts in my phone’s notes and bring it out each year to remind myself.
How it helps business + nonprofit leaders:
You’re making 200 decisions before 10 AM. Save your brain for the big stuff: donor meetings, team decisions, community engagement by setting defaults wherever you can.
- Decide once how you onboard a new client.
- Decide once what your board meeting template looks like.
- Decide once how you handle out-of-office emails.
Lazy Genius Principle #2: Batch Work
“Batch Work” means grouping similar tasks together so you’re not constantly switching gears. It saves time, reduces mental clutter, and helps you actually finish things instead of working on 12 half-done projects at once.
How I use it:
- Marketing: For mkw+co, I draft and schedule my social media content in batches. I set aside one afternoon a month and knock out 3–4 weeks at a time. It’s much more efficient than trying to be creative on demand every morning.
- Lunches: For my daughter’s lunch, we purchased five of these Bentgo boxes. We fill the boxes on Sundays and then grab and go each day of the week. Then no one panics that we’re running late and the lunch hasn’t been made yet.
How it helps business + nonprofit leaders:
Batching helps you reclaim your time and your sanity.
- Set aside one morning a week for donor thank-you calls instead of sprinkling them throughout.
- Block a couple hours each month to schedule social media content.
- Group meetings by type or theme (admin, strategy, programming) so you can focus instead of context switching all day.
When your workflow is intentional, everything feels less chaotic—and you finally get to be proactive instead of just reactive.
Final Thoughts
You don’t have to overhaul your life, but you can make a few simple decisions that take the pressure off.
These two Lazy Genius principles have helped me stay sane while leading a business and a family.
I’d love to hear from you. If you practice any of the Lazy Genuis principles, what works best for you?