Is There a Lazy Way to Start a Well Circle? Here's What Kendra Adachi Would Say.

In this series, we're imagining what advice famous women would give you for starting a Well Circle — a small group of 6-12 who meet at each new moon. Priya Parker was not involved in the creation of this advice. (If you want to write this article for real, Kendra, just say the word!)

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If Kendra Adachi — aka the Lazy Genius — were helping you start a Well Circle, she would probably begin by saying:

You don’t have to do this perfectly.

In fact, trying to do it perfectly might be the fastest way to make sure it never happens.

Kendra’s philosophy is simple: "Be a genius about the things that matter [to you] and lazy about the things that don’t."‍

Starting a Well Circle is no different.

You can begin by naming what truly matters to you. Maybe it's creating tight-knit community after moving to a new city. Maybe it's ensuring that you carve out time for authentic connection and friendship every month, even when life feels beyond hectic. Maybe it's finding deeper Jewish spirituality after a time of being less connected.

When you know what matters to you, you can prioritize starting a Circle that meets those needs.

This approach helps make it clear that other things probably don’t matter to you quite as much. Fancy snacks. Elaborate programming. A perfectly decorated table. If you’re waiting until you have the perfect plan, the perfect house, or the perfect guest list, you might wait forever. Then you'd never get to experience what truly matters.

Instead, start with a few simple decisions.

1. Choose a day of the month that you'd like to meet. (For example: We'll meet each month on the Sunday closest to Rosh Chodesh. This is Kendra's "decide once" principle in action. ) 

2. Invite a few people. (It's OK to start small! That's another one of her principles.)

3. Read the Moon Manual and pick one or two activities to try out together.

4. Commit to making this monthly pause a part of your routine. ("Schedule rest," as Kendra says.)

Most importantly, remember this: you don’t have to carry the whole circle alone.

People actually like helping.

Let someone else bring snacks. Let someone else lead the gathering next month. Let the circle become something you share together.

The Lazy Genius approach to starting a Well Circle is simple:

Start small.

Keep it simple.

And let it grow naturally.