Shelpful

Happy 4th, hope you are filling your cups.

Figuratively filling your cups (fresh air, rest, quality time)

But literally works too ;) 🍻

Our absolute favorite thing from The Brain Doctor ➡️ You’re gonna wanna save/screenshot this

We talk a lot about lowering the bar for success in order to achieve more. Not just because small is easy, fast, speeds up your feeling of success.

Why?

Because it helps your BRAIN 🧠 make this small action into a habit.

“After I sit at my desk, I’ll stretch my arms overhead” is a small habit.

> Some days I may feel like doing a big stretch and I may go to the floor.
> Some days I may be able to do a full yoga session 🧘🏻‍♀️.

As the days go by, my stretching will naturally increase.

BUT it all starts with the same very small habit. And I can always fall back to that on a tough day. And that’s enough. 💛

EXTRA TIP: I like to use the small version of a habit with my AI Task Manager, so I can have some"one" to celebrate with me for the tiniest of versions of my habit



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how to start habits - new habits - easy habits - what are the best habits - morning routine

If you’re looking for your next productivity book “The Power of Habit” by Charles Duhigg is a great choice! 📚✨ Here are the top 5 takeaways for boosting productivity and well-being:

1️⃣ The Habit Loop: Every habit has a cue, routine, and reward. Mastering this loop helps you change any habit. 🔁

2️⃣ Keystone Habits: Focus on habits that create positive ripple effects, like regular exercise or daily journaling. 📝

3️⃣ Belief and Change: Belief in change is crucial. A supportive community can make all the difference.

4️⃣ Small Wins🎉 : Incremental progress leads to big changes. Celebrate those small victories!

5️⃣ Cravings Drive Habits: Identify and leverage cravings to create healthier routines.

Loved how this book blends science with actionable advice. Perfect for anyone looking to hack their habits and improve their life! 🧠💪

We give this book a 4/5. What’s great is that the advice is practical. There’s a detailed breakdown of the habit loop (cue, routine, reward) and lots of case studies showing how it’s been applied in different scenarios.

Our only remark is it can feel a bit repetitive at times and is just shy of 11 hours long in audiobook form.

So, this might be a great listen during those passive activities like going for a walk or washing clothes! 🎧🚶‍♂️🧺

Reading about habits is one thing, sticking to them is another! If there’s a habit you’ve been wanting to kick start (or get rid of) you can use HabitGPT to help you keep accountable.

Comment AI and we’ll send you a DM for more info on our trial.

Any books you recommend for habits? Share your rec below!

Quick work trip, and didn’t drop any big tasks or habits (I don’t think…) — that’s a win! Working on some fun new features, and boy do I prefer a train ride to a plane or car trip.

Missed our other cofounder Lydia who was sick and stayed behind to rest up! She also is a weather checker and usually my unofficial travel “shelper,” so I especially missed her when I was getting rained on with no rain jacket.

This is prob one of the few solid west coast train journeys between 2 major cities, and I want to take full advantage. Jealous of my friends on the East Coast and in Europe! We don’t do trains like you do.

🚂headed to snooze town

A productive and meaningful morning routine can help set your day up for success. But omg can we please agree that a 20 step morning routine isn’t doable for all people. So why not just pick one small place to start? Build a little habit, then you could always add another.

Shelpful is here to help combat those tough mornings, so make sure to swipe left for five tiny habits to add to your morning routine. Want more tiny habits? Head to our blog for 21 tiny morning routine habits. Also, we love the Tiny Habits book by Dr. BJ Fogg. It’s like double clicking on the habit stacking section of Atomic Habits. (Dr fogg’s research is the main one cited in that section!)

Bring those habits over to your free 1 week trial of Shelpful for added support. 🤍

Swipe through for simple yet powerful water habit tips to keep you hydrated all day!

💦 Want 23 more Habit Ideas up your hydration game? check out our blog, which also has more on the behavioral science from Dr. BJ Fogg that'll help you formulate a plan that works for you! https://shelpful.com/blog/drink-more-water

🌊 Got your own water-wise tips? Drop them in the comments! And don't forget to follow for your daily dose of habit hacks.

Happy — here’s some ways to tap AI for your health habits. What other tech hacks have helped you?

Free to try it out. Would love to know what you think of it, if you haven’t already. 🤗

If you are trying now, ask any Qs or share how you are using 👇

The sillier it is, the better probably. Because if it feels silly it’s probably really small and you’ve lowered the bar enough to stick with it consistently 👍👍

Please share other silly little ways to get your face / feet / body outside.

This is what Dr. BJ Fogg’s research shows. Make it small, attach it to an existing behavior, feel GREAT about it.

The link is in our first highlight, and also our link in bio will get you to a button!

Apologies to international folks, Zoom decided to block signups outside the U.S. 😖 DM us if you want recording and we’ll shoot a quick typeform so we can grab your info.

Hope to see you there! It’ll be recorded so sign up for that either way. But we are so fun to talk to 💁🏼‍♀️💁🏻‍♀️ so would love to see you LIVE 🤍

We JUST launched a new image-recognition feature 🔥🏞️

🌟Picture-Perfect Task Completion🌟

When chatting with your A.I. Task Manager, snap a photo of your completed tasks or habits in action – whether it’s your clean workspace, your meal, or even your morning jog shoes – and let HabitGPT recognize your progress.

Need a nudge for accountability? Set reminders to send in those motivational pics! Plus, easily update your to-do lists by sending over a photo of your handwritten notes.

Dive into a new way of staying on track and making your habits stick with HabitGPT!

29 FREE DAYS to try our Al Task Manager (texts you to keep you on top of habits, and dump all the todos from your brain for it to keep track of).

Psssst share this post with your friends too!!

How to claim:

Step 1: on Feb 28 or Feb 29 2024, go to our site and sign up for the free trial for our Al task manager (the default is a 1 week trial) - first time customers only

Step 2: After signing up, leap over to **this Instagram post** and comment with the Raise Hands & EMOJI and your name or send us a direct message with your name. We’ll respond that we added the days!

Step 3: We’ll add the extra free trial days to your account, so you have 29 full free-wheeling days to experience the benefits of personalized habit support and task management.

Note: if you want to do one of our hybrid options with the human accountability coach added in, you should! We can do an extra 5 trial days for that option! Sorry we can’t do a full 29 days, because our accountability coaches are the best on the planet and we need to take care of them you can always upgrade later too.

Don’t miss this once-in-four-years chance to transform your daily habits and productivity.

Sharing this as I needed this today, even from an AI…. CUTE 🥰

🤖:

Grateful to Sam Altman and Apollo Projects for their support as we at Shelpful work to support people with their habits and tasks 💛 our members tell us they feel more supported and less alone in the daily grind, and that makes us so happy and makes us want to work harder, keep building and improving. 👏

Sam Altman’s venture fund invests $3M in startup using humans and AI to keep people on task Shelpful co-founders, from left, Lydia Swift, Sharon Pope and Chris Morse. (Shelpful Photo) Shelpful, a Portland, Ore.-based startup that combines

If you are thinking of taking on 75 hard (which is HARD), how about starting small NOW with some Tiny Habits?

All these are based on research-backed habit formation methodology of Dr. BJ Fogg (the GOAT of behavioral science), Stanford Professor and author of 📘Tiny Habits. Our fave habit book.

Note, if you’ve read Atomic Habits, you might recognize Dr. Fogg’s research is behind the concept of HABIT STACKING. Dr. Fogg calls them Habit Recipes, and we are sharing 5 ideas for you here.

KEYS:

1. ANCHOR: identify a behavior you already do, that you could attach 📎 a new habit to. (Locking the door, putting your mug away, putting your toothbrush down after brushing)

2. Tiny BEHAVIOR: think of a teeny tiny version of your new habit. Hilariously small. Like putting on one shoe, stepping outside, taking one sip of water. We are lowering the bar for success so you can feel successful more often. It will grow from here! But the small version is enough.

3. CELEBRATE 🎉 the small version. Feeling successful is key to locking in the habit.

Share any other ideas below 👇

If you are wondering what 75 hard is… it’s intense!

For 75 days, you do 5 tasks:

The tasks include drinking a gallon of water (that's about four litres), working out twice, sticking to any structured diet, reading 10 pages of a book, and taking a progress photo – every day.

It’s from a book by

It’s  which kinda means nothing to people without a glam squad, but what if it meant just doing one little thing for yourself? — With & , we're big on helping you stay accountable to YOU and getting the down time, rest, and self care that you likely are NOT getting enough of already. (We started this whoooole company because we weren’t getting what we needed).

Remember, it's much easier to take care of others, your home, job, pets, friends/family when you're not pulling from an already empty tank ⛽.

Take this month as a challenge to yourself to prioritize  #1 .....YOU! 🫵

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⭐️ HOW TO ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY⭐️

1️⃣ Follow us 
2️⃣ Comment with your favorite self-care emoji 💛☕️🛁🫖🚶🧖‍♀️🚗😴 💇‍♀️ 💅 🍱 🚰🛶🏊‍♀️🛫🐾 💆

That’s it! ✔️✔️ the winner gets all items mentioned in the post.

————-

**GET BONUS ENTRIES**
✚ Sharing this post in your stories (30 bonus entries)
✚ Like all of our September posts (40 bonus entries)

Giveaway ends October 3, 2023 at noon PT.
This giveaway isn’t affiliated with Instagram

- Spafinder operates mainly in the U.S., so you could still win if outside the U.S., but you may not be able to use the gift certificate unless you want to gift to a friend!

- HabitGPT: you get the hybrid membership, which includes a human coach to cheer you on / strategize with. It can be used internationally, as long as you can message with a business on WhatsApp. Yes you can enter if you are already a HabitGPT member, we’ll just tack on the extra time!

     
                         
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I need self care | How to find an accountability partner | the best accountability | I need support

Some of our favorite funny tweets (exes? Does anyone know what they're called now?) 😂

It’s so important to be able to LAUGH at yourself. Whether it’s making a mess, showing up late, or forgetting to schedule a doctors appointment-laugh it off!

It’s all a part of the PROCESS. You mess up, laugh, and then try again tomorrow. You can only do better next time, right? 💪🏆🎖️

What this means is…

When you SHIFT your identity to be aspirational toward what you want to be (like, “I’m a runner.” “I’m productive”), then each time you take an action, you are affirming that identity. Be KIND to yourself today, and you will thank yourself tomorrow.

BOOK RECOMMENDATION 📚: Atomic Habits by James Clear. If you’re experiencing frustration and a lack of motivation over achieving the goals you set for yourself, then THIS is the book for you. As certified habit coaches, we love that this book cites some GREAT habit research, and has really helpful case studies from people who have successfully tackled new habits. It helps you understand why we struggle to achieve the HUGE goals we constantly set for ourselves, and provides actionable items for how to start achieving those goals. It is what inspired us to create Shelpful! 🙌

A lot of people have read Atomic Habits and then come to shelpful to have us HOLD them to those habits. The author has a whooooole section on the magic of accountability systems.

We are always looking for new ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ books to add to our reading list. Let us know in the COMMENTS what books you love that have changed your perspective! ⬇️⬇️⬇️

Just FYI.

To do for you:
Save this. Write this in an iPhone note to yourself, or send it to your shelper and ask them to remind you of this next week. 😊

We are absolutely overjoyed to have received such a glowing review from one of our customers. It warms our hearts to know that our efforts have made a positive impact in your life, and we are deeply grateful for your trust in Shelpful.

We are here to truly assist you in any way that we can. Whether you are facing a difficult task, seeking to learn a new skill or simply struggling to stay on top of your goals, we want you to feel supported and cared for.

With Shelpful, you can always count on exceptional support and service, and we promise to go above and beyond to ensure your satisfaction. If you haven’t already, we strongly encourage you to check out our services. We are here for you! 💛

Need a productivity boost? 🚀🎶 Turn up the tunes and get in the zone! 🎧🎵 Check out our latest post for tips on how to use music to fuel your focus and conquer your to-do list.

Want more music ideas? We made a Spotify playlist just for you! https://open.spotify.com/user/31ibyasoqy4ozvqpteehxffd2zoa?si=1969f7fb88d4445b

BREATHE in…… and breathe out….. In case anyone hasn’t reminded you yet. 😉

Hoping you had some fun this Memorial Day weekend✨ but as you are getting spammed with all the Memorial Day sales and thinking of all you have to do this short week……

This message goes out to those who are having the 3-day weekend scaries. We feel you!

After you take a breath, here’s some 3 minute things you could do:

- write down a to-do list to get those things out of your head (any way you can!! E.g., paper, iPhone note, android note or 💬text your shelper)

- open your calendar and put on one self care thing this week. Could be as small as a 10 minute stretch session, or as big as a yoga class that you know you can drop into.

- keep breathing 😮‍💨. Here’s how to do Box Breathing if you aren’t familiar with it (navy seals use this to calm down their bodies and minds):

BOX BREATHING:

1. Breathe out slowly, releasing all the air from your lungs.
2. Breathe in through your nose as you slowly count to four in your head. ...
3. Hold your breath for a count of four.
4. Exhale for another count of four.
5. Hold your breath again for a count of four.
Repeat for three to four rounds.

Because who else will make sure you're not binge-watching Netflix when you should be crushing your goals? Accountability groups: keeping you on track since... well, whenever they were invented.

Use Shelpful when you want that extra support! You'll not only be paired with an accountability buddy, but with a group of people working towards the same goal.

We see ALL the best to-do list apps, because our members use their Shelper to hold them accountable for making the list each day.

There are lots of good to-do apps out there, and we really like the ones linked in this post. BUT remember this isn't an "if-you-download-it, you'll-instantly-be-productive" situation. Whichever app you choose, start small.

After I get to my desk, I'll write ONE to-do item, and will send to my shelper for accountability. (if you have a shelper -- you could also use a friend or a coworker).

JUST starting a new list every day is a great start and can help freshen your outlook as you get the day going.

Which one will you try first? 📝💻 Head to our blog (via link in bio) to read more about our favorite to-do list apps! 🙌

We see ALL the best to-do list apps, because our members use their Shelper to hold them accountable for making the list each day.

There are lots of good to-do apps out there, and we really like the ones linked in this post. BUT remember this isn't an "if-you-download-it, you'll-instantly-be-productive" situation. Whichever app you choose, start small.

After I get to my desk, I'll write ONE to-do item, and will send to my shelper for accountability. (if you have a shelper -- you could also use a friend or a coworker).

JUST starting a new list every day is a great start and can help freshen your outlook as you get the day going.

Which one will you try first? 📝💻 Head to our blog (via link in bio) to read more about our favorite to-do list apps! 🙌

We love hearing from our happy members and we just had to share this amazing review with you all!

It makes our day knowing that we are helping people reach their goals with the help of a human accountability buddy (aka. Shelpers). Why not try it yourself? Click the link in our bio for a FREE three day trial!

Anchor habits are behaviors that we already do without much thought or effort, and they can serve as a foundation for creating new habits.
By identifying these existing habits, we can attach new behaviors to them and make them part of our daily routine. This makes it easier for us to create lasting behavior change because we're building on something that's already familiar and established.

So, take a moment to notice your existing habits and see where you can add in some new ones. Maybe you always brush your teeth before bed - that could be a great anchor habit for adding in some bedtime stretches or meditation. 🧘‍♀️🪀
Remember, small changes can lead to big results! 🌟

More:
- Read 📘:
- Join our next habit workshop 💻:
- Get support: with the free trial from

Scheduling simple and quick mindfulness exercises into your day can make a world of difference. The best way to incorporate practicing mindfulness is to start with tiny habits! Swipe left for practicing your mindfulness with 3 tiny habits!

Remember to click the link in our bio for 14 Habits to Practice Mindfulness and share this post with a friend to hold each other accountable for your mindfulness goals!