The Bare Minimum Dilemma: Coasting Through Work, But Craving More

You don’t wake up one day and decide, I’m going to do the bare minimum from now on. It just kind of… happens. One day, you’re engaged, you care (or at least pretend to), and then slowly, without really noticing, you start letting things slide. You answer emails, sit through meetings, complete your tasks—but there’s no real effort, no spark.

It’s not that you can’t do more. You just don’t see the point. The job isn’t exciting, your effort doesn’t really change anything, and if we’re being honest, nobody even notices whether you’re giving 100% or 50%. So, you do what needs to be done, nothing more.

At first, it’s kind of nice. Less stress, more energy at the end of the day, no pressure to constantly prove yourself. But then, somewhere in the quiet moments—when you’re staring at your screen, scrolling, pretending to work—you feel it. That whisper in your head: Is this it? Is this what I’m going to do with my life?

Because while coasting makes life easier, it also leaves you with this weird restlessness. You know you have more in you. You remember times when you felt motivated, when you cared, when you actually wanted to do well—not for a promotion, not for your boss, but for yourself. And now? Now you’re just… there. Not miserable, not happy. Just existing.

Why This Happens to (Almost) Everyone

This feeling? It’s normal. Most people don’t spend their entire careers in a constant state of ambition and passion. Work has seasons. There are times when you’re driven and excited, and times when you’re just keeping the wheels turning.

Sometimes, you hit a bare-minimum phase because you’re burned out. Other times, it’s because the work itself just isn’t meaningful to you. Or maybe you’re tired of trying so hard when the payoff is the same whether you give 100% or just show up. Whatever the reason, it’s okay. You’re not failing. You’re not wasting your life. You’re just in a phase where work isn’t your top priority.

But if the restlessness doesn’t go away—if you keep wondering whether you’re selling yourself short—then maybe it’s worth paying attention. Not in a “Quit your job and find your passion” way, but in a “What small shift would make this feel a little less soul-sucking?” way.

What to Do About It (If You Want To)

If you’re in a bare-minimum phase and it’s working for you, there’s no need to force yourself out of it. But if you feel that itch to shake things up, here are a few realistic things to try:

1. Forget “figuring it out”—just notice what annoys you most. Sitting down to reflect on your career when you already feel disconnected? Not gonna happen. Instead, pay attention to what drains you most in real time. Is it back-to-back meetings? Pointless tasks? A lack of feedback? Sometimes, just identifying the biggest energy suck is more useful than searching for some grand missing purpose.

2. Try doing one thing slightly better—just to see how it feels. If you’re coasting, the idea of suddenly becoming “high-performing” is laughable. But what if, just once this week, you put effort into something—writing a better email, preparing for a meeting, sharing an idea instead of staying quiet? Not to impress anyone, just to see if it changes how you feel. Effort sometimes brings energy back. And if it doesn’t? That tells you something too.

3. Make work more tolerable in dumb, simple ways. You don’t have to be passionate about your job, but you can make it suck less. Block off “fake meetings” on your calendar to carve out quiet time. Listen to music while working. Set up a small reward system—If I get through this report, I’m ordering a ridiculous coffee later. Small tweaks won’t fix everything, but they can make the day more bearable.

4. Think about the next move, but don’t pressure yourself to act. If this bare-minimum phase feels like it’s becoming permanent, ask yourself: If I left this job tomorrow, what’s the first thing I’d be relieved about? You don’t have to change jobs today, but knowing what you don’t want can spark ideas—or at least make you feel less stuck.

5. Remember that this is normal. You don’t have to be in hustle mode all the time. You don’t need to love your job. You’re allowed to have seasons where work is just work. The goal isn’t to guilt yourself into being more ambitious—it’s to find a way of working that doesn’t drain the life out of you.

Because at the end of the day, doing the bare minimum isn’t a failure. It’s just a phase most of us go through. And if you ever decide you want more, you’ll figure it out. You always do.