The Two-Minute Rule

“If an action will take less than two minutes, it should be done at the moment it’s defined.” - David Allen

“Many people find that getting into the habit of following the two-minute rule,” says David Allen, in his Getting Things Done, “creates a dramatic improvement in their productivity.” This has been the case for me. While I want to avoid hyperbolic statements such as “life-changing,” learning and following the two-minute rule is one of the easiest yet most powerful productivity tips to utilize.

Let me define the rule, offer pros and cons, and encourage you to start using it today.

David Allen defines the two-minute rule like this: “If an action will take less than two minutes, it should be done at the moment it’s defined.” 

Stated differently, if you can complete an action in less than two minutes, do it immediately. Don’t write it down in your task-management app. Or worse, don’t leave the task in your brain in hopes of remembering to complete it later. Just do it right away. 

That’s the two-minute rule. 

Pros 

The two-minute rule offers many benefits. For starters, one benefit is immediacy: you can immediately start using the rule after you finish this article. Many are too overwhelmed to get serious about productivity because they don’t know which app to use, how to manage their calendar, or how to stop procrastinating. Productivity, for some, seems abstract. But the two-minute rule demystifies what productivity looks like in real life.

The two-minute rule also saves you mental and emotional energy. When discussing energy, we often think of just physical energy. But energy is also mental and emotional. Energy is not just about getting eight hours of sleep at night and exercising regularly, but also about not getting mentally and emotionally bogged down. It might not seem like it’s hurting your productivity at first, but allowing a bunch of little tasks to remain undone will create a mental and emotional burden.

Procrastination is one of the biggest productivity killers, and the two-minute rule prevents unnecessary procrastination. By following the two-minute rule, you save yourself emotional and mental energy that you should use on more important tasks like studying, writing, prayer, and being present with people. After completing a task that produced unnecessary procrastination, you might say, “Why did I put off completing that task? That wasn’t so bad after all.” 

The two-minute rule helps build momentum as you gain little victories. Yesterday, I had to return two books to a friend. I decided I would bring them with me as I went over to his place for lunch. Instead of letting the two books take up space on my desk or putting stress on myself to remember to bring them later, or write down “Bring books” in my task management app, I just put the books in my car as soon as I woke up. Why? Because I knew it would take less than two minutes. It started the day with a little win and put me in a productive mindset for the day.

As you complete tasks in under two minutes, it builds your confidence. With enthusiasm, you’ll be asking, “What else can I get done today?” 

The two-minute rule is underrated. It’s often underappreciated, even by those who understand it because it’s so simple. We’re suspicious of simple things. Like all areas of life, the human heart is tempted toward pride, and we feel better about ourselves when we learn and utilize complex systems and acquire technical knowledge. Nonsense. Simple is good. Learn to make the two-minute rule one of your best productivity friends. 

Where does the two-minute rule apply? 

Here are some examples where you can usefully follow the two-minute rule: 

• Taking out the garbage. 

• Booking an appointment. 

• Ordering an item on Amazon.  

• Returning a book to the church library.

• Reading and replying to an actionable email. 

• Writing ideas down for a potential sermon series. 

• Texting an encouraging note to one of your staff members. 

• Making a note in your task-management app to follow up with someone in your church. 

While the two-minute rule is effective, it still has its limitations. 

Potential Cons with the Two-Minute Rule 

1. The inability to quickly discern whether a task will take two minutes or less.  You think a task will take two minutes, like responding to an email. As you write, you realize your email response takes you longer than two minutes. You end up spending 15 minutes. And then you get distracted by other shiny internet things. What starts as a genuine desire to get something done can turn into a downward spiral of wasting time.

The two-minute rule requires trial and error. As tasks arise, train yourself to think: “Will this take less than two minutes to complete?” Over time, you’ll better understand how long things take to get done.

2. Context-Switching. Let’s say I’m working on a sermon. After taking a break, I check my phone. I get a request to order something on Amazon. Should I? Theoretically, it will take less than two minutes to order, but after ordering it, Amazon might suck me in, and I might spend an inordinate amount of time browsing items on Amazon. While the two-minute rule is powerful, it requires discipline. Getting to the point of deep focus while working on a project can sometimes take a while, and you don’t want to break this precious focus for tasks that can be easily done later.

3. The two-minute rule might give you a false sense of accomplishment if you neglect your main priorities. The two-minute rule might get you fired up to complete a whole bunch of tasks, but there’s a potential that you might be completing the wrong tasks. Don’t neglect your main priorities in the name of just getting random things done throughout your day.

Try the Two-Minute Rule this Week 

In your life and ministry, try out the two-minute rule this week. Over time you’ll get good at knowing whether a task takes two minutes or less, and you’ll see the power of this rule in your life.