I’m not one to advocate for low bars. I’ve been told that I am particularly hard on people, which, upon reflection, is regrettably true. Setting ambitious expectations can be a net positive, but when it comes to my job, it can be demoralizing.

I don’t thrive on a variable schedule, and so the shifting sands of sleep and nap schedules really throws me off of my game. With all of the things that I want to do, in addition to taking care of my kids, I get frustrated when I don’t see forward progress.

I used to try to cram as much as I could into my schedule, but I realized that was a mistake. With each additional child, and every growth leap that they experience, the time that I have to accomplish what I want to work on is further squeezed. My solution is to set the bar low.

I now just have one thing that I want to work on, and I never make it longer than 30 minutes. If it’s a bigger project, I break it into 30 minute pieces.

By setting the bar low, I can still feel that forward progress and I know that I’m not neglecting my more important priorities.