The two-minute rule

Scale a new habit down until it takes two minutes or less to start.

Why it works

The hardest part of any habit is starting; activation energy, not effort, is the usual failure point. Shrinking the entry to two minutes removes the friction that kills the habit before momentum can build.

How to do it

1. Reduce the habit to its smallest starting action ("read one page", "put on running shoes").
2. Master showing up before you optimize the full behavior.
3. Let the two minutes be a complete success on its own, not a guilt trip toward more.

Evidence

Consistent with research on activation energy / friction and on self-efficacy: small wins build the consistency and confidence that larger behavior change depends on. (mechanistic)

The exact "two minutes" is a heuristic, not a studied threshold; the principle is reducing the cost to start.

Sources

• Bandura, self-efficacy theory (mastery experiences build confidence and persistence)

Common mistake

Secretly using the two-minute version as a foot in the door and feeling like a failure when you stop there. Showing up is the win.