Summary
When Everything Exploded at Once
I’ve worked in the top seat of a marketing department through startup drama, impossible deadlines, and internal chaos. But what no one saw behind the screen was the real fire I was managing:
A child deep in addiction. A family unraveling. A world I couldn’t hold together, no matter how hard I tried.
And in the middle of all that? Another startup. Another delusional launch plan. Another impossible week stacked with decisions, slide decks, and performance metrics.
There were days when breathing felt like an achievement.
And the world doesn’t pause for your personal life—especially when you’re in the lead. So I had to find a way to function when I couldn’t function.
What Is a Bare Minimum Day?
A Bare Minimum Day (or BMD) is a day where you let go of every nonessential and do only what keeps you upright:
- Eat something.
- Drink water.
- Show up.
- Speak only when needed.
- Do the one thing that absolutely cannot wait.
- Let go of the rest.
That’s it.
No optimization.
No inbox zero.
No trying to look like you’re “fine.”
Just triage. Grace. Survival.
Why This Works When Everything Else Fails
Here’s what happens when you give yourself permission to go minimal:
- You stop spiraling. You don’t have to make 100 decisions—just one.
- You rebuild self-trust, slowly, by showing up without pressure.
- You quiet the shame loop. Because staying upright is something to be proud of.
Most importantly? You prove to yourself that you can keep moving without breaking—even when your world feels broken.
My Real-Life BMD Formula
Every time I felt myself unraveling, I came back to this list:
- Eat something warm
- Drink a full glass of water
- Get dressed (even if it’s just clean pajamas)
- Do one work thing that protects your reputation or income
- Don’t explain. Don’t over-apologize. Just do what you can.
- End the day with one thing just for you
That was enough. That had to be enough.
Why This Isn’t “Giving Up”
There’s this toxic idea in success culture that says if you’re not operating at 100%, you’re failing. But I’ve learned that showing up at 10% still counts.
- It counts when your kid is in crisis.
- It counts when your body says no.
- It counts when your boss is expecting a miracle and your soul has nothing left to give.
You’re not flaking. You’re adapting.
What I Want You to Know
You’re not weak for scaling down.
You’re not broken because you need a day to just exist.
You’re not behind. You’re human.
And you don’t have to do it all to stay in the game. You just need to stay in.
One breath. One glass of water. One line of code. One client email. One step.
That’s still momentum.
Want the BMD Protocol?
I turned this process into a printable for the hard days.
It includes:
– The BMD checklist
– Sticky quote space
– A space to write one goal
Grab it here.
You don’t need a plan for tomorrow.
You just need to get through today.
—Sterling Phoenix
