Beat Procrastination for Good with This Simple "Two-Minute Rule"

Let's be honest: we all procrastinate. That big project, the important phone call, the workout you were supposed to start—they loom over us, and the larger they seem, the more we avoid them.

We often mistake procrastination for laziness, but it's usually something else entirely: friction. The initial effort required to start a task feels too great, so our brain opts for the easier path of avoidance.

So how do you fight back? You don't need a complex productivity system. You just need two minutes.

The "Two-Minute Rule," popularized by author James Clear, is a powerful strategy for overcoming procrastination. It has two parts:

Part 1: If it takes less than two minutes, do it now.

This is for the small, nagging tasks that clutter our minds. Washing that one dish. Sending that quick email. Taking out the trash. By getting them out of the way immediately, you clear mental bandwidth and get a small hit of accomplishment.

Part 2: When starting a new habit, it should take less than two minutes to do.

This is the game-changer for big goals. The idea is to scale down your desired habit into a tiny, two-minute version that is so easy, you can't say no.

• "Read 30 minutes every night" becomes "Read one page."
• "Run three miles" becomes "Put on my running shoes."
• "Meditate for 15 minutes" becomes "Sit and close my eyes for one minute."
• "Study for my exam" becomes "Open my notes."

The goal here isn't to get immediate results. The goal is to master the art of showing up. You're not trying to build the habit of running three miles; you're building the habit of putting on your shoes. Once you've started, it's far easier to continue. That one page often turns into ten. That one minute of meditation feels so good you do five.

This rule is about making it easy to build momentum. And momentum is the ultimate cure for procrastination.