The 2 Minute Rule
2 Minute Timer
This post was originally published February 8, 2024.
Sometimes doing things is hard.
I’ve learned over the past few years that everything takes up space. Whether it's the dishes in the sink, the empty word document on my computer, or the never-ending to-do list that exists in my mind. When there’s always something to do, I can get overwhelmed. Unfortunately, there’s always something to do.
Enter the 2 minute rule.
I’m fairly certain that I first heard about the 2 minute rule from a TikTok. It piqued my interest, so I did some quick googling to learn more. I found a few helpful resources, including this article, which led me to the books Getting Things Done by David Allen and Atomic Habits by James Clear.
There are two interpretations of the 2 minute rule and both have helped me move through my life with a semblance of productivity. The first proclaims that if a task can be done in 2 minutes, you should do it as soon as you think of it. David Allen explains that you will spend more time and energy remembering and tracking a task than simply doing it, if it can be done in under 2 minutes.
When I sat down and wrote every little thing that I did in a day, I was surprised by how much I did. Looking back at it, many of those tasks required no more than 2 minutes to do. No wonder I forgot about them! And yet the stress of sending a networking email can consume me, leading me to overthink it and put it off for several days.
I wish I could say I’ve become a pro at getting my tasks done using this rule, but I’m not. As I’m writing this blog post, all I can think about is that I need to clean my cat’s litter box, which will take maybe 30 seconds to do. However, I have cleared a lot of clutter from my life. I put things away when I’m done with them and keep my surfaces cleaner. I make my bed every morning, move the tea kettle back to its designated burner, and straighten my throw pillows when I get up from the couch. Having a tidier space really does lend to a tidier mind. Less things weigh on me, and I’ve found the ability to fully commit to my writing in ways I hadn’t been able to before.
The second interpretation of the rule is the one I share when people ask me how I overcome writer’s block. James Clear explains in his book that developing habits requires you to start with making a task as easy as possible. If you want to run every day, it starts with you putting on your shoes. If you want to write every day, it starts with you opening up a word document on your computer.
You take the big task and zoom in on the first step. What can you get done in the first 2 minutes? After learning that my writer’s block was often a symptom of resistance, I started implementing this rule. If I don’t feel like writing, I set a timer for 2 minutes. I can write for 2 minutes. Within that time, I usually overcome my resistance. Once the words start flowing and the momentum builds, I can carry it on for a little bit longer.
But sometimes I can’t. And this is the trick that I’ve learned and shared. If I try writing for 2 minutes and I’m still struggling, it’s time to close the word document and move on to something else. I started this blog post with a 2 minute timer.
My favorite thing about this rule is that after 2 minutes, I always have permission to stop. In fact, if there isn’t a hard deadline, sometimes I make stopping mandatory. I’m working on another project right now, and I’ve procrastinated on it for months because I’m finding it to be completely overwhelming. 2 minutes a day though… Yeah, I can do that. So I chug along, and slowly but surely, I see the progress. Sometimes the goal isn’t finishing the task but instead learning to not resent it.
Anyway, I’m off to clean out the litter box. I know I’m going to feel better once I do it.