The two-minute rule has two versions. In David Allen's Getting Things Done (2001), it says that if a task takes less than two minutes, you should do it now instead of writing it down, because tracking it would take longer than doing it. In James Clear's Atomic Habits (2018), it says that a new habit should start with a version that takes less than two minutes, such as "read one page" instead of "read every night". For procrastination, the second version is the one that helps. You shrink the thing you're avoiding to a first step that takes about two minutes, start it, and then decide whether to keep going. It works because the hardest part of most avoided tasks is starting, and a two-minute step is too small to feel threatening.
Where the rule comes from
David Allen: do it now
In Getting Things Done, the two-minute rule is a sorting rule for your inbox. When something lands in front of you, ask whether it can be done in under two minutes. If it can, do it right away. Replying "yes, Thursday works" to an email is faster than adding "reply to Sam" to a list and coming back to it later.
James Clear: start smaller
In Atomic Habits, Clear turns the idea into a way of starting habits: "When you start a new habit, it should take less than two minutes to do." "Run three miles" becomes "tie my running shoes". "Study for class" becomes "open my notes". The point is to make showing up automatic first, and to grow the habit after that.
Allen's version is about small tasks that are already small. Clear's version is about big tasks that you make small on purpose. When you're procrastinating on something big, you need Clear's version.
Why it works on procrastination
In Piers Steel's review of procrastination research, the strongest predictor of putting something off was how unpleasant the task felt (Steel, 2007). "Write my thesis" feels huge and uncertain. "Open the chapter file and write one rough sentence" feels like almost nothing. The step is the same task, but it doesn't set off the same urge to escape.
The rule also helps with self-doubt, another strong predictor in Steel's review. You might not be sure you can write a good chapter, but you know you can write one sentence. Finishing it gives you a small piece of evidence that you can do the next bit too.
Finally, two minutes is short enough to start without waiting for motivation. Once you've begun, the task usually feels less unpleasant than it did in your head, and continuing is easier than starting was.
Examples of two-minute first steps
| The thing you're putting off | A two-minute first step |
|---|---|
| Finish thesis chapter 2 | Open the chapter file and write one rough sentence. |
| Do my tax return | Log in to the tax website and find last year's return. |
| Apply for jobs | Open one job listing and copy its title into a document. |
| Start going to the gym | Put my gym clothes and shoes by the door. |
| Clean out the garage | Carry one box from the garage to the bin. |
| Call the dentist | Find the dentist's number and save it in my phone. |
| Reply to a hard email | Open the email and write the first line of a reply. |
| Learn Spanish | Open the course and do the first exercise. |
| Write a novel | Write one sentence that the main character says. |
| Sort out my budget | Download last month's bank statement. |
| Practise the guitar | Take the guitar out of its case and tune one string. |
| Fix the bug I've been avoiding | Run the failing test and read the first error line. |
How to write a good two-minute step
- Start with a verb. "Open", "write", "carry", "call". If it doesn't start with an action, it's probably a topic, not a step.
- Describe something physical. You should be able to picture your hands doing it.
- Keep it to one sentence of about twelve words. If it needs "and then", split it and keep the first half.
- Let it be rough. "Write one rough sentence" is easier to start than "write a strong opening", and you can fix the sentence later.
- Make the end obvious. You should know without thinking when the step is done.
Mistakes that make the rule fail
The step is still too big
"Outline the chapter" sounds small but can take an hour. If you notice yourself avoiding the two-minute step, it's too big. Make it smaller again until starting feels easy.
The step is thinking, not doing
"Think about the structure" or "research options" have no clear end, so they turn into more avoiding. Pick an action that leaves something behind, such as a sentence, a saved number or an open file.
There's no time attached
A small step with no time still gets postponed. Pair it with a time and a place: "At 9:00, at my desk, I'll open the chapter file." Research on these if-then plans shows they make people much more likely to follow through (Gollwitzer and Sheeran, 2006).
You force yourself to continue
If two minutes secretly means an hour, you'll start dreading the two minutes too. Keep the promise: when the step is done, you can stop. Most days you won't want to.
What to do after the two minutes
Give yourself a choice. Stop and count it as a win, or set a five-minute timer and keep going. Tomorrow, the next step can be a little bigger or simply the next small piece. Over a couple of weeks, the starts get easier and the sessions get longer without you having to force them.
How Startr uses the two-minute rule
Startr is built around this rule. You type the thing you keep putting off and it writes a two-minute first step for it, in one plain sentence that starts with a verb. If the step still feels too big, a "Make it smaller" button shrinks it. You then pick a time and a place, and when the time comes, Startr counts you down and starts a 5-minute timer.
Questions people ask
Who came up with the two-minute rule?
David Allen described it in Getting Things Done (2001) as a rule for doing any task under two minutes right away. James Clear adapted it in Atomic Habits (2018) as a way to start new habits with a version that takes less than two minutes.
Does the two-minute rule work for big projects?
Yes, if you use it to choose the first step rather than to finish the project. A big project is avoided because it feels big. A first step that takes two minutes doesn't, so you can start, and the next step is easier from there.
What if I stop after two minutes?
That still counts. The rule's job is to get you started. Stopping after two minutes keeps the promise you made to yourself, which makes it easier to start again tomorrow.
Startr is a procrastination app built on the ideas in this guide. You type the thing you keep putting off, it writes a first step that takes two minutes, you pick a time and a place, and at that time it counts you down and starts a 5-minute timer. There's no sign-up, and the web app works on any phone or computer.
Get my first stepSources
- Steel, P. (2007). The nature of procrastination: A meta-analytic and theoretical review of quintessential self-regulatory failure. Psychological Bulletin, 133(1), 65–94. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.133.1.65
- Gollwitzer, P. M. & Sheeran, P. (2006). Implementation intentions and goal achievement: A meta-analysis of effects and processes. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 38, 69–119. doi:10.1016/S0065-2601(06)38002-1
- Allen, D. (2001). Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity. Viking.
- Clear, J. (2018). Atomic Habits. Avery.