The Lazy Person’s Guide to Outsmarting Overachievers
The Lazy Person’s Guide to Outsmarting Overachievers
Just do the bare minimum.
After I wrote my 5% post yesterday, many people brought up the idea of improving 1% every day. While I'm a fan of continuous improvement, even 1% feels like a lot to me. Let's break down the math
The 1% Daily Improvement:
In 1 month: 34.78% increase
In 1 year: 3778.34% increase
In 10 years: 1.97 x 10^15 % increase
Basically, after 1 year, you can be 3778 times better than today. And after 10 years, I don't even know how to read the number anymore.
That looks like way too much. When I wanted to have a post go viral back in the day, I would send just enough additional traffic to keep it in the top Medium articles. Any extra traffic after that would be a waste - I'm already at the top of the chart. It's similar with improvement: we can become better, but we could be too fast for the environment around us to adapt.
For me, 1% daily improvement is a waste of time and energy. Do I want to be 3778x better in a year? No. Improving 1% every single day is exhausting. It's unsustainable for most people. That's why I came up with the "do the bare minimum" method, or the 0.1% rule. The entire goal is just to do something to improve yourself, even if it's the bare minimum.
The 0.1% Daily Improvement:
In 1 month: 3.05% increase
In 1 year: 44.02% increase
In 10 years: 3678.58% increase
Now, these numbers might seem less impressive at first glance. But they're achievable. And over time, they're still incredible. You're almost 37 times better in 10 years.
The goal of the 0.1% rule is just to do something every day, no matter how small it is. If you can do more, great. If not, no big deal.
Why I Love the “Do The Bare Minimum” Method:
It's Doable: Improving 0.1% feels like doing the bare minimum. And that's exactly why it works.
It's Sustainable: You can do it every day without burning out.
It Compounds: Over years, these tiny improvements add up to massive changes.
It's Psychologically Manageable: There's no pressure to make huge leaps.
It Creates a Growth Mindset: You start looking for small improvements everywhere.
Real-life Examples of the “Do The Bare Minimum” Method in Action:
Reading: Just one page a day. In a year, that's 365 pages - 1-2 full books!
Writing: Five sentences daily. In a year, that's 36,500 words - nearly half a novel!
Drinking Water: One extra glass a day. In a year, that's 86.14 extra liters of hydration.
Walking: 10 minutes daily. In a year, that's 60.83 hours of physical activity.
Learning: One new word a day. In a year, your vocabulary grows by 365 words.
Saving: $1 daily. In a year, you've saved $365 without even trying.
Meditation: 1 minute daily. In a year, that's 6 hours of mindfulness practice.
Gratitude: Write down one thing you're grateful for. 365 moments of positivity in a year.
Decluttering: Remove one unnecessary item daily. 365 fewer things cluttering your life each year.
Kindness: One small act of kindness a day. 365 ways you've made the world a bit better in a year.
The beauty of the “Do The Bare Minimum” method is that it feels like you're putting in almost no effort. It's perfect for lazy people like me who want maximum results with minimum effort.
Even though this is super easy to do, 95% of people won't even try because the majority of the population are extremely lazy. If you just do the bare minimum, you will automatically become part of the top 5%. Most people make 1% improvement sound easy, but it is extremely hard. Frankly, it's too much for the average person who is not ambitious and just wants a simple life.
Recently I heard about the principle of neuroplasticity - your brain physically changes and grows with each small effort, no matter how minimal. Every tiny improvement gives you a dopamine hit, reinforcing the behavior and building momentum. This scientific principle shows that even small efforts can lead to significant brain changes over time.
In a world obsessed with overnight success and dramatic transformations, do the bare minimum. Chasing a big goal, an ambitious future is tiring. Being just good enough usually brings more happiness. This approach allows you to make progress without the stress and burnout.
In life, sticking around longer often matters more than being the best. The people who reach the top aren't necessarily the most talented—they’re the ones who are smart enough to manage their energy and resources wisely. They do just enough to stay in the game, allowing time and persistence to bring the rewards. The “Do The Bare Minimum” method isn't about striving for perfection; it's about making sure you’re still standing when it counts.
Forever about optimizing, just do something.
Do the bare minimum.
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I've been doing 3 things a day after a coach I interviewed for one of my articles shared how and why it works. It has been a game-changer and stops the overwhelm, besides making me feel like I'm getting ahead. Love the post!
I really like this 👍