ATOMIC HABITS
JAMES CLEAR
CHAPTER 13
HOW TO STOP PROCRASTINATING WITH THE “2-MINUTE RULE”

According to James Clear the best way to combat procrastination and start a new habit is to use the “two-minute rule.” What is the “Two-Minute Rule?” The Two-Minute Rule states “When you start a new habit, it should take less than two minutes to do.”

Two of the main reasons why good habits fail, (1) is because we set the bar too high for ourselves, and (2) the way to we get to our goals are too ambiguous.

The point is to make habits as easy as possible to start. I am sure that anyone of us can put on running shoes and tie them, fold a pair of pants, stretch for 3 minutes, and even read one page of a book. To approach good habits in this way is powerful because once you start these small steps it eventually leads to the bigger goal. The small step becomes the means to an end. It makes what you are trying to incorporate into your life, something you can develop over time on an ongoing basis. In other words, it becomes much easier to do, when it is more attainable. Any habit that feels like a challenge, becomes more difficult to do. But in taking smaller steps it makes the challenge much easier to accomplish.

James Clear says “A new habit should not feel like a challenge. The actions that follow can be challenging, but the first two minutes should be easy. What you want is a gateway habit that naturally leads you down a more productive path.” So, the small or easy clear and concise step is what James Clear calls “the gateway.”

The way we figure out the gateway is by charting our goals from “very easy” to “very hard.” For example, he says, “running a marathon is very hard. Running a 5K is hard. Walking ten thousand steps is moderately difficult. Walking ten minutes is easy. And putting on your running shoes is very easy. Your goal might be to run a marathon, but your gateway habit is to put on your running shoes. That’s how you follow the Two-Minute Rule.”

So, the idea is, we should do what is simple first, and as time goes on you begin to do a little more and more until you get where you desire to be. But it starts with a single step!

Here is why the two-minute rule works, when we accomplish a small task that leads to something bigger, we get hyped. We may at times think it strange that such small steps could accomplish such great wonders.

The point here, is not to despise small steps of reading one page of a book or praying for 30 seconds or making one payment towards a bill. Because the attempt is not to do it once, but to master the habit of doing it again and again, as James Clear puts it, it is “to master the habit of showing up.”

The truth is, if we are attempting to improve on a good habit it must be established first. So, learning to repeat it often, is where the hope of eventually mastering it lies. So, James Clear cautions that “instead of trying to engineer a perfect habit from the start, do the easy thing on a more consistent basis.”

Thus, “the first two minutes simply becomes a ritual at the beginning of a larger routine as you master the art of showing up.” So, as you and I practice those smaller steps, that actually grows into bigger ones it becomes an easier way to master the more difficult skills.

As James Clear says, “You may not be able to automate the whole process, but you can make the first action mindless. Make it easy to start and the rest will follow.”

The idea is not to do two minutes, that is not the goal, the goal is to do more than two minutes. Two minutes is the gateway to get you started. I mean, who is really inspired to read one page and stop, one push up and not two or wash a dish and not clean the kitchen. It’s not a mental trick nor is it a forced behavior, it’s a start to a new habit.

James Clear suggest that “If the Two-Minute Rule feels forced, try this: do it for two minutes and then stop. Go for a run, but you must stop after two minutes. Start meditating, but you must stop after two minutes. Study Arabic, but you must stop after two minutes. It’s not a strategy for starting, it’s the whole thing. Your habit can only last one hundred and twenty seconds.”

Strategies like this work for another reason too: they strengthen the behavior you are trying to build for yourself. If you show up to the gym for a week, even if it’s just for two minutes—you are shaping a new behavior. You are not concerned about getting in shape. You’re focused on becoming the type of person who doesn’t miss workouts. You’re taking the smallest steps that supports the kind of behavior you are trying to develop.

James Clear says that “we rarely think about change this way because everyone is consumed by the end goal.” But one push-up is better than not exercising at all. One minute of panino practice is better than none at all. One minute of reading a book is better than never reading at all.

James Clear, says “It’s far better to do less than you hoped than to do nothing at all.”
Whenever you are struggling to stick with a habit, you can employ the Two-Minute Rule. It’s a simple way to make your habits easy.

Here are five nuggets you can use:
1. Set concrete goals - The most effective goals are specific, measurable and achievable
2. Set priorities - write down all the things that you need to do and place them in order of importance.
3. Break down your work into little steps - A seemingly overwhelming test gives birth to procrastination
4. Tell others about your goals - people knowing your goals will help you stay accountable.
5. Reward yourself - when you complete the task acknowledge what you’ve done. Reinforcement is a good way to motivate yourself.