---
title: The Two-Minute Rule Eliminates Procrastination
date: 2025-09-09T04:04:54.298891
author: Charlie M.
category: SIGNAL
---
So, I was making coffee this morning, and I noticed the sink was full of dishes again. Why does this keep happening? Like, every time I walk into the kitchen, there's just this mountain of cups and plates staring back at me, daring me to do something. I think I spent more time procrastinating about doing them than it would actually take to just... do them. Which, of course, makes me think of this thing I read about the "Two-Minute Rule."
It's this idea from David Allen's Getting Things Done, I think. If a task takes less than two minutes, just do it right then. Cool, right? But I can't help wondering... does anyone really stick to this? Because sure, it sounds great when you're reading it while scrolling through Instagram at 11 PM, but in real life? Eh, I don't know.
I mean, there are studies—vague, fuzzy studies I can't fully recall—that talk about how our brains get this happy little buzz from completing things. Completion bias, maybe? We like finishing stuff, like making that little checkmark on a list. It feels good. And supposedly, doing quick tasks immediately helps prevent the build-up of bigger to-dos, right? But I'm not convinced. I've tried this before, and somehow I always end up back here, staring at the same pile of unfinished business in my kitchen.
Maybe I'm doing it wrong. Or maybe I'm just perpetually caught in this loop where I think a task will take longer than it does? Like deleting all those old screenshots from my phone. I spent more time thinking about how annoying it is to go through them than the literal minute it takes to swipe and delete. It's kind of funny, now that I think about it, how we complicate things in our heads. Or maybe that's just me.
I've been trying to remember when I last actually followed the two-minute rule. Probably ages ago, back when I was trying to be all productive and efficient—you know, that phase we all go through. Like when I deleted Instagram for a week, convinced it was sucking up my life. It was... okay? Except later, I'd just keep reinstalling it, telling myself I could totally manage my time better now. Spoiler: I couldn't.
So, this two-minute thing—it makes sense in theory. Knock out the little stuff before it multiplies into a time-sucking beast. But then there's this part of me that's skeptical, like does it really stop procrastination? Or is it just a way to feel productive without tackling the big, scary tasks we really should be doing? Who knows. I certainly don't have the answer, and honestly, I don't think I ever will.
But maybe next time, I'll try it. I mean, what's two minutes, right? Just two minutes. Feels like a tiny commitment in the grand scheme. Then again, who am I kidding? The dishes will probably still be there tomorrow.