The Minimum Viable Person: How to Reclaim Energy in Small Moments
Most high achievers struggle with the same quiet pressure: doing everything well, all at once. Over time, that pressure leads to exhaustion, decision fatigue, and the feeling that there’s never enough time to reset.
Mary Sheehan has spent her career helping teams launch products at companies like Google, Adobe, and high-growth startups. She currently serves as Head of Product Marketing for Adobe Lightroom, is a leadership coach for Moms in Tech, and is the author of the bestselling book A Pocket Guide to Product Launches. Through her program Propel Yourself, she also mentors women navigating demanding careers alongside family life.
Her most relatable idea didn’t come from a boardroom. It came from becoming a mother.
The Minimum Viable Person
After returning from maternity leave to a full-time leadership role, Sheehan realized something had to change. The workouts, long gym sessions, and extended personal routines that once kept her grounded were no longer realistic. The problem had nothing to do with motivation, but rather her perspective on scale.
Borrowing from the startup concept of a minimum viable product, she created the idea of a minimum viable person. The question became simple: what is the smallest version of the habits that keep me steady? Instead of a 90-minute workout, it became 10 minutes of yoga after putting her son to bed. Instead of a full reset routine, it became five minutes of meditation, 20 minutes of movement, and time outside when possible. Those small commitments formed a baseline. While not always ideal, they were sustainable.
Reducing Decision Fatigue
Many people, especially working parents, experience decision fatigue long before the workday ends. Thousands of small choices accumulate. Adding “Should I work out?” or “Do I have time to reset?” to that list only compounds the drain. By defining her MVP habits in advance, Sheehan removed those daily negotiations. The time was already carved out. Her partner knew it mattered. The expectation was clear.
That clarity gave her a little breathing room. When the basics were already decided, she didn’t have to debate them every day or feel guilty for taking the time. It wasn’t indulgent. It was just part of how she operated. She often comes back to the idea that you can do everything, just not all at once. The MVP approach is simply a way to live that out in real life, one small habit at a time.
Moving Beyond Binary Thinking
One of the most practical shifts in this framework is rejecting all-or-nothing thinking. Many people approach habits in extremes: either a full workout or nothing, a perfect routine or total abandonment. The MVP approach introduces a third option. If 90 minutes isn’t available, what is? If an hour walk isn’t realistic, could five minutes after school drop-off create the same feeling?
The goal is not duration, but reaching the exact state of mind those habits produce.
Sheehan encourages people to write this out on paper. On one side, describe a recent day that felt calm or energizing. On the other, list the smallest daily actions that could recreate that feeling consistently. This exercise transforms vague intentions into actionable commitments.
Measuring What Matters
What really makes it work is consistency. For some people, that means tracking it, but for Mary, it’s more tangible — writing down how many times she wants to hit certain MVP habits during the week and checking them off as she goes. There’s something surprisingly satisfying about marking the box and seeing proof that you showed up.
For others, it might be an Apple Watch buzz telling you to stand, or a reminder to get up between Zoom meetings. Especially when you work remotely, those small interruptions can snap you out of the all-day-at-your-desk spiral.
The objective is to find something that keeps you honest without adding stress. If tracking feels motivating, do it. If it feels like another chore, skip it. And no MVP is too basic. In fact, basic is usually the goal.
Focus on One Season at a Time
Throughout our conversation, Sheehan reflects on her own career trajectory. Writing a book, hosting a podcast, building programs, and leading product teams required ambition. What she learned over time is that doing everything simultaneously slowed progress. Today, there’s immense pressure to work outside of your regular boundaries: pushing into later hours, having a creative side hustle, or reclaiming old hobbies or skills in the wee hours of your free time. But not every season of life can sustain that.
Her advice is straightforward: focus on one major initiative at a time until it reaches mastery. Then move on. One season may be about finishing a book. Another may center on leadership growth or building a new habit. Clarity about the current season reduces overwhelm and sharpens results.
Small Habits, Compounding Impact
The power of the minimum viable person lies in its realism. It acknowledges limits while preserving agency. Five intentional minutes can interrupt a reactive day. Ten minutes of movement can reset energy. A scheduled break can prevent burnout.
Over time, those small commitments compound. They shift how a day feels. They restore clarity. They make it easier to show up fully in the moments that matter.
The question is simple: what is your minimum viable baseline? Define it, protect it, and let it build from there.
Listen to the Full Episode
🎧 Time Billionaires — “How to Make Time for the Things You Want to Do Every Day” — With Mary Sheehan
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