Lower the Bar for Success Dammit: What I wish I started doing 20 years ago.
48 ideas for you below!
And if you want extra accountability to stick with it, try our free trial of shelpful
Do ya feel stuck or overwhelmed by the mountain of expectations in your life? Welllll here’s a (revolutionary?) idea: Lower the bar. Yes, you heard that right. Lowering the bar isn’t about giving up or being lazy—it’s about setting yourself up for success by making goals manageable and habits achievable.
In a recent video, I shared how this simple shift in mindset can change everything. It’s not laziness; it’s a hack for getting things done and building momentum. Let’s break it down.
The Two Ways to Lower the Bar
Skip unnecessary steps.
Society often sets rules we don’t actually have to follow. Question those steps and focus only on what truly matters. Like not folding all laundry. eff that step.Shrink the goal.
Make things so small that it’s ultra-doable. Like putting on your Walking shoes as a daily goal (vs goal of going on a daily walk)Below, you’ll find 48 examples of how you can lower the bar in your life—organized by whether they help you skip unnecessary steps or shrink the goal.
48-ish Examples of Lowering the Bar to Stick to a Routine:
Shrink the Goal
Remember, you could always do more, but should really celebrate the small version
Self-Care and Hygiene
Brush one tooth before bed, just to get you going.;
Floss just one tooth.
Commit to one sip of water in the morning.
Lay out only tomorrow’s clothes instead of planning your week.
Fitness and Movement
Walk to the end of your driveway instead of going for a long walk.
Do one push-up after flushing the toilet.
Stretch for 30 seconds instead of doing a full routine.
Take three deep breaths when you wake up (bigger goal may be to hop into some exercise… but you’ll be good with just the breaths)
Home and Organization
Pick up one item before going to bed instead of cleaning an entire room.
Clear just one section of your countertop.
Sort one piece of mail instead of a goal to do the entire stack.
Spend 30 seconds tidying one corner of a room.
Work and Productivity
Brainstorm just one idea for a project.
Respond to just one email you’ve been avoiding.
Highlight a single sentence in a document instead of a goal to get through all your docs.
Set a timer for five minutes and start one task.
Family and Relationships
Give your child a 10-second hug before bed.
Make eye contact and smile at someone.
Call a relative just to say hello instead of having a long conversation.
Compliment one family member each day.
Mental Health and Mindset
Take a 10-second break to breathe deeply.
Journal a single thought or feeling instead of a long entry.
Say one positive WORD instead of an affirmation.
Write down one thing you did well today.
Skip Unnecessary Steps
Self-Care and Hygiene
Use a face wipe instead of a full skincare routine. Better than nothing.
Keep your go-to daily makeup in a single bag so you don’t have to dig through products.
Don’t fold socks, underwear, or dish towels—just toss them in a bin or drawer.
Leave your vitamins or meds next to your coffee maker so you never forget them.
Sleep in your workout clothes so you’re already dressed for exercise.
Buy clothing that doesn’t require ironing or switch to a handheld steamerFitness and Movement
Buy just ONE brand of socks that are all the same color so you aren’t spending time matching damn socks.
Home and Organization
Don’t pre-rinse dishes.
Sort dirty laundry as you get undressed and wash categories of clothes so you don’t have to do the whole giant hamper thing.
Don’t fold dishtowels
Don’t fold underwear
Don’t fold socks
Clean halfway, just putting things that don’t belong to a room in a basket, and do the other steps later.
Keep a donation bin in every “section” of your house so decluttering happens in real-time.
Work and Productivity
Use 1password or LastPass to manage your passwords. Game changer. and it’s more secure.
Use a voice recorder app, and have AI summarize your meetings and write up actions.
Use text shortcuts (like “omw” for “on my way”) to speed up replies.
Auto-schedule bill payments so you never have to think about due dates.
Use a grocery delivery or pickup service instead of shopping in-store.
Batch similar tasks together (e.g., reply to all texts/emails in one go instead of throughout the day).
Food and Cooking
Eat the same breakfast every day to eliminate decision fatigue.
Use frozen chopped onions and garlic instead of chopping fresh.
Cook double portions and freeze half so you always have a backup meal.
Drink from a big water bottle so you refill it less often.
Keep a stash of ready-to-eat snacks so you don’t have to prep food when hungry.
Why Lowering the Bar Works
By simplifying or shrinking tasks, you create micro-wins that build confidence and momentum. When your brain associates success with small, achievable actions, you’re more likely to keep going—and before you know it, you’ve made real progress.
Help sticking with it
We actually created Shelpful because I know so so so personally how alone you can feel when you are trying to stay consistent. Even if you lower the bar. Whether it’s a little nudge, a friendly reminder, or someone cheering you on, we’re here to help you keep those low-bar habits going. With HabitGPT and real-human coaches, you’ll have support every step of the way. Try it out for free and see how much easier sticking with habits can be. Head to shelpful.com and get started today!
