Great news! You can become a better person in just two minutes a day (seriously).
The surprising two-minute habit hack that helps you create awesome new habits and stop being a procrastinator.
So it turns out it's better for you to get up at 6 am, put on your runners, and then immediately get back to bed, then stay in bed and promise yourself you'll definitely get up to exercise tomorrow before pressing snooze for the 118th time.
Who knew??
Despite contrary belief, small daily acts are more important (and effective) than trying to make sudden, significant, sweeping changes.
In fact, all you need is two minutes (guys, I can feel you breathe a sigh of relief from here - wink wink).
I've just learned this life-altering reality check from the best-selling book Atomic Habits and I had to share it with you immediately!
It's called the Two-Minute Rule, and here's what you need to enjoy the best two minutes of your life.
40-50% of your actions every day are done automatically. The way you brush our hair. The route you drive to work. I'll even bet your daily coffee ritual is a habit.
These automatic habits determine what happens in your day (which is why your life can sometimes feel predictable).
The beautiful thing is you have micro-moments every day that can turn into powerful positive habits; James Clear calls them decisive moments (see image below). When you make the most of the decisive moments, you can shift the course of your day and your life.
This is where two minutes can change your life. Two minutes can be the difference between a good day and an unfulfilled one.
The reality is, people often fail to build awesome new habits because they try to go too big too fast.
But the Two-Minute Rule changes that.
“When you start a new habit, it should take no more than two minutes.”
That’s right, break down your new habit into small two-minutes actions and only do two minutes. So:
Exercise for 30 minutes = put your shoes on
Read every day = read one page
Learn a new language = open the app and listen to one word
It’s all about making your habits as easy as possible to start.
You are mastering the art of showing up first.
The more you ritualise the beginning of the process, the more likely you'll slip into the state of deep focus that is required to do great things.
A habit has to be established before it can be improved. While the Two-Minute Rule can seem counterintuitive (and feel like we’re pulling your chain), it works.
It works because that act of taking small action every day is forging an identity.
By reading every day, even just one page, you start to identify as a reader. By showing up every day at the gym, even if just for two minutes, you become someone who goes to the gym every day.
Your identity is the driving force behind who you are and what you do.
It's just two minutes a day. What have you got to lose?
Give it a shot.
And if you'd like to learn more super-simple and surprisingly effective habit hacks, I highly recommend Atomic Habits. You can learn more about it here.
x Lee
