The 2-Minute Rule

According to the Two-Minute Rule, "when you start a new habit, it should take less than two minutes to complete."
You'll discover that almost any habit can be reduced to a two-minute version:

• "Read one page before bedtime every night" becomes "Read one page every night."
• "Do thirty minutes of yoga," for example, becomes "Get out my yoga mat."
• "Fold the laundry" is shortened to "Fold one shirt."

The goal is to make it as simple as possible to begin new habits. Anyone can meditate for one minute, read one page, or fold one piece of clothes. This is a great tactic since it's a lot easier to keep doing the correct thing once you've started. A new habit should not feel difficult. The acts that follow may be difficult, but the first two minutes should be simple. What you want is a "gateway habit" that takes you naturally down a more productive road.

People often believe it's strange to become excited about something as simple as reading one page, meditating for one minute, or making one sales call. But the aim isn't to do anything in particular. The goal is to develop the habit of showing up. The truth is that a habit must be formed before it can be improved. If you can't learn the fundamental talent of showing up, you have little chance of mastering the finer points. Rather than attempting to create a perfect habit from the start, do the easy thing on a more consistent basis.

To others, the Two-Minute Rule may appear to be a ruse. You know the ultimate goal is to do more than simply two minutes, so you may feel as though you're deceiving yourself. And why would you fall for it if you know it's a mental trick?

If the Two-Minute Rule feels too constraining, try this: do it for two minutes and then quit. Go for a run, but remember to come to a halt after two minutes. It's not just a method for getting started; it's the entire thing. Your habit has a time limit of one hundred and twenty seconds.

We rarely consider a change in this manner because everyone is preoccupied with the end result. However, one push-up is preferable to not exercising at all. A minute of guitar practise is preferable to none at all. A minute of reading is preferable to never taking up a book. It's far preferable to do less than you had intended than to accomplish nothing at all.

The Two-Minute Rule can be used whenever you are having difficulty sticking to a habit. It's a simple technique to make your behaviours easier to maintain.