I started to see the negative effect a messy house/work space was having on me. I wasn’t able to get my projects done due to a bunch of clutter getting in the way. Over the past year, I have experimented with a few different rules to try and build up some healthy habits. A lot of the ones I’ve tried have helped me with an organization system to make sure I stay focused on what I need to be doing and how I should go about doing it. Some time last year I heard about the two minute rule. I have implemented this rule into my life and it has helped so much.

The Two Minute Rule

<img width="755" height="560" src="https://gabebult.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/kevin-andre-xX_LgsPkx9k-unsplash-1024x769.jpg" alt="" srcset="https://gabebult.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/kevin-andre-xX_LgsPkx9k-unsplash-1024x769.jpg 1024w, https://gabebult.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/kevin-andre-xX_LgsPkx9k-unsplash-300x225.jpg 300w, https://gabebult.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/kevin-andre-xX_LgsPkx9k-unsplash-768x577.jpg 768w, https://gabebult.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/kevin-andre-xX_LgsPkx9k-unsplash-1536x1153.jpg 1536w, https://gabebult.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/kevin-andre-xX_LgsPkx9k-unsplash-2048x1538.jpg 2048w">The two minute rule&nbsp;Now, I have always been a messy person but over the last year or so, my wife and I have been trying to develop some really good minimalist habits.&nbsp;&nbsp;I started to see the negative effect a messy house/work space was having on me. I wasn’t able to get my projects done due to a bunch of clutter getting in the way. Over the past year, I have experimented with a few different rules to try and build up some healthy habits. A lot of the ones I’ve tried have helped me with an organization system to make sure I stay focused on what I need to be doing and how I should go about doing it.&nbsp;Some time last year I heard about the two minute rule. I honestly cannot remember where I heard this but it was probably Matt D’Avella, who knows… I have implemented this rule into my life and it has helped so much.&nbsp;Okay so, what is the two minute rule, how has it helped me and why is it so important for us to follow rules that help us build healthy habits?&nbsp;The two minute rule states that if it can be done in under two minutes, you should do it immediately and not put it off. Don’t let things clutter up your life if you can just get it done now. For me, it’s so easy to say “I’ll do it tomorrow” or “I’ll get to it on Monday” but now, after having a rule I can stick to and commit myself to, it makes it so much easier to just get it done now. It makes those little decisions a lot easier.ProcrastinationI know for me, I tend to sabotage myself and it makes zero sense. When I know I have something important to do, I will procrastinate by looking at my phone, reading, eating or basically anything I can that’ll get me off track from what I need to do. When I want have a clean house, I’ll leave my dishes around, if I want to build a morning routine, I’ll be really excited for a week and then I’ll hit snooze and forget about it because I don’t feel like doing it anymore. We need to take a look at what we want our lives to look like and then we can set rules that’ll help us get there. No one has ever gotten to where they want to be without hard work and setting boundaries for themselves. If you want to run a marathon, you need to set goals to help you get in shape so you’re able to do it without giving up half way through. You’ll have a system that’ll help you by running 1 mile a day, then 2 and 3 miles to eventually help you build your endurance.&nbsp;CleaningUsually I will do a 1 to 2 minute clean of the space I was just using and boom, by the end of the day, everything is relatively clean and it’s not too much to handle at once. I end up even cleaning up a few extra things, I might sweep the floors or wipe down the counter.&nbsp;When Meredith was growing up, her family would all pile their dishes on the counter starting in the morning after breakfast all the way to dinner and then one person would be assigned to wash the mountain of dishes. It would take hours and I remember when we were dating it would drive me nuts. It drives us both nuts now and we try to make sure there’s nothing in the sink when we go to bed at night.&nbsp;Habits&nbsp;When you’re building a new habit, it’s so easy to just fall off the wagon when it gets too hard. Personally, I do this because I think of the habit as just too big. Say your struggling going to the gym consistently, instead of committing to go to the gym for an hour commit to putting on your workout clothes and walking to the car. You then have the choice but to drive to the gym or to get out and go back in the house. 9 out of 10 times you’ll go to the gym. For me breaking down habits to small commitments that only take a minute or 2 to start has been a great way to almost trick myself into doing those things I don’t want to do.&nbsp;GrowthI have also committed to reading two minutes every day. Usually in the morning I’ll turn on an audio book that helps me learn something. Instead of committing to an hour a day of listing or something like that because I might fail at after a week, I commit to simply hitting play each morning or if its a physical book I’m reading I commit to reading one page a day. That’s it. I can close it after that. This makes these habits easy to stick to and makes sure I’m making progress each day. Most days I end up listing or reading way more than 2 minutes but on those days I stop after one page, I still don’t feel guilty because I stuck with it.Thanks for reading, hope you all enjoy your week!!!&nbsp;

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The two minute rule

Now, I have always been a messy person but over the last year or so, my wife and I have been trying to develop some really good minimalist habits.

I started to see the negative effect a messy house/work space was having on me. I wasn’t able to get my projects done due to a bunch of clutter getting in the way. Over the past year, I have experimented with a few different rules to try and build up some healthy habits. A lot of the ones I’ve tried have helped me with an organization system to make sure I stay focused on what I need to be doing and how I should go about doing it.

Some time last year I heard about the two minute rule. I honestly cannot remember where I heard this but it was probably Matt D’Avella, who knows… I have implemented this rule into my life and it has helped so much.

Okay so, what is the two minute rule, how has it helped me and why is it so important for us to follow rules that help us build healthy habits?

The two minute rule states that if it can be done in under two minutes, you should do it immediately and not put it off. Don’t let things clutter up your life if you can just get it done now. For me, it’s so easy to say “I’ll do it tomorrow” or “I’ll get to it on Monday” but now, after having a rule I can stick to and commit myself to, it makes it so much easier to just get it done now. It makes those little decisions a lot easier.

Procrastination

I know for me, I tend to sabotage myself and it makes zero sense. When I know I have something important to do, I will procrastinate by looking at my phone, reading, eating or basically anything I can that’ll get me off track from what I need to do. When I want have a clean house, I’ll leave my dishes around, if I want to build a morning routine, I’ll be really excited for a week and then I’ll hit snooze and forget about it because I don’t feel like doing it anymore. We need to take a look at what we want our lives to look like and then we can set rules that’ll help us get there. No one has ever gotten to where they want to be without hard work and setting boundaries for themselves. If you want to run a marathon, you need to set goals to help you get in shape so you’re able to do it without giving up half way through. You’ll have a system that’ll help you by running 1 mile a day, then 2 and 3 miles to eventually help you build your endurance.

Usually I will do a 1 to 2 minute clean of the space I was just using and boom, by the end of the day, everything is relatively clean and it’s not too much to handle at once. I end up even cleaning up a few extra things, I might sweep the floors or wipe down the counter.

When Meredith was growing up, her family would all pile their dishes on the counter starting in the morning after breakfast all the way to dinner and then one person would be assigned to wash the mountain of dishes. It would take hours and I remember when we were dating it would drive me nuts. It drives us both nuts now and we try to make sure there’s nothing in the sink when we go to bed at night.

Habits

When you’re building a new habit, it’s so easy to just fall off the wagon when it gets too hard. Personally, I do this because I think of the habit as just too big. Say your struggling going to the gym consistently, instead of committing to go to the gym for an hour commit to putting on your workout clothes and walking to the car. You then have the choice but to drive to the gym or to get out and go back in the house. 9 out of 10 times you’ll go to the gym. For me breaking down habits to small commitments that only take a minute or 2 to start has been a great way to almost trick myself into doing those things I don’t want to do.

I have also committed to reading two minutes every day. Usually in the morning I’ll turn on an audio book that helps me learn something. Instead of committing to an hour a day of listing or something like that because I might fail at after a week, I commit to simply hitting play each morning or if its a physical book I’m reading I commit to reading one page a day. That’s it. I can close it after that. This makes these habits easy to stick to and makes sure I’m making progress each day. Most days I end up listing or reading way more than 2 minutes but on those days I stop after one page, I still don’t feel guilty because I stuck with it.

Thanks for reading, hope you all enjoy your week!!!

The Two Minute Rule – Gabe Bult Blog

The Two Minute Rule

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