Starting small

The two-minute rule: a small way to start big things

The two-minute rule has two common meanings. One is "if it takes less than two minutes, do it now". The one we mean here is a starting trick: shrink the task until the first step takes about two minutes, then do only that. You are allowed to stop when the two minutes are up. That permission is the point. Starting feels safe when stopping is allowed, and many people keep going once they have begun.

How to use it

  1. Pick the thing you have been putting off.
  2. Ask: what could I do in two minutes? Open the email. Put one dish away. Write one sentence. Find the form.
  3. Do only that. Set a timer if it helps.
  4. Decide after. Stop, or keep going. Both are fine.
  5. Count it. You started, and that is a win.

Some two-minute starts

Open the document. Put one thing back. Fill a water bottle. Reply to one text. Set out tomorrow's clothes. Stand and stretch for 30 seconds.

When two minutes is still too much

Shrink again. "Open the laptop." "Look at the first line." There is always a smaller step.

In Onzy

  • Untangle takes a task you keep avoiding and breaks it into small steps, with the first one shrunk to about two minutes.
  • Shrink one thing (in the Tools menu) turns a big task into a tiny two-minute first step.
  • Up First shows one task at a time, and Smaller makes it smaller still.

Onzy offers support and everyday coping strategies. It is not medical care and does not diagnose or treat anything. It is not a crisis service: if you are in crisis in the US, call or text 988.

Try the first small step in Onzy

One task at a time, a coach that asks first, and wins that stay when you miss a day.

Open Onzy in your browser →

Free to start in any browser, no card. Or find Onzy on Google Play (US). On iPhone, use the browser version.