James Clear Explains Why the 'Two Minute Rule' Is the Key to Long-Term Habit Building

Entrepreneur attended BetterUp's Uplift summit San Francisco connected April 11, wherever renowned writer and nationalist speaker, James Clear, who is champion known for his New York Times bestselling book, "Atomic Habits," said astir nan cardinal to building habits that stick.

His book, which teaches group nan value of building amended habits connected a scaleable level and uncovering occurrence pinch these recently adopted behaviors, has sold much than 15 cardinal copies. Still, he knows that erstwhile group want to make monolithic changes, it tin consciousness wholly overwhelming.

"We're truthful focused connected optimizing that we don't springiness ourselves support to show up moreover if it's conscionable a mini way."

But Clear said there's 1 method that only takes 2 minutes of your time.

Related: How to Develop Atomic Habits

By utilizing nan "two-minute rule," you tin statesman implementing habits into your regular lives, nary matter really farfetched (or big) nan caller habits mightiness be. The strategy tin beryllium applied to immoderate wont you're trying to build, he says, successful some a master and individual capacity.

What Is nan Two-Minute Rule?

The two-minute norm is erstwhile you return nan caller wont aliases task you want to execute and nary matter really large it seems, break it down into a short task that tin beryllium done successful 2 minutes aliases less.

"Take immoderate wont you're trying to create and standard it down to thing that takes 2 minutes aliases little to do," Clear explained. "So 'read 30 books a year' becomes 'read 1 page' aliases 'do yoga 4 days a week' intends 'take retired my yoga mat.'"

Clear says critics person raised issues pinch this strategy because they are consciously alert that they are trying to instrumentality their brains, which makes it harder to implement. But Clear says to return a measurement backmost and conscionable statesman — nan hardest measurement is usually nan first one.

"This is simply a deeper truth astir habits that group often overlook, which is simply a wont must beryllium established earlier it tin beryllium improved," he said. "It has immoderate modular successful your life earlier you tin standard it up and optimize and move it into thing more."

Clear compared this to going to nan gym and knowing that your first habit-building measurement mightiness conscionable beryllium putting connected your workout apparel and stepping retired nan beforehand door, not starting pinch a 5-mile tally aliases an aggravated workout class.

"At immoderate point, readying becomes immoderate shape of procrastination."

"And I don't cognize why we do this. But we get very all-or-nothing astir our habits a batch of nan time," he said. "We're truthful focused connected uncovering nan champion workout program, nan cleanable income strategy, nan perfect fare scheme — we're truthful focused connected optimizing that we don't springiness ourselves support to show up moreover if it's conscionable a mini way."

Sometimes deciding to commencement alternatively of readying to commencement is nan displacement you need, he said.

"The two-minute norm benignant of pushes backmost perfectionism, fear, and this inclination to complete scheme aliases complete research," he said. "Planning and mentation tin beryllium useful. But if you're readying and investigation and mentation are substituting for actions that you should beryllium taking, now it's benignant of outlived its usefulness and go a crutch — astatine immoderate constituent readying becomes immoderate shape of procrastination."