The 2-minute rule, heavily popularized by David Allen in his book “Get Things Done,” states that there are tasks that take less time to perform than to organize and track.
In a previous post, I also stated that I am using the 2-minute rule to get myself out of a funky, lazy mood and get myself to do stuff. It is still my single most effective way to create momentum when I struggle with getting anything done.
Today, I want to give you an extensive list of 2-minute tasks you can do around your work and personal life that will convince you to give that 2-minute rule a chance.
Before you come at me for it, yes, I am aware that David Allen talks about doing tasks now instead of later as an ongoing habit when planning and organizing your life. What I offer is a slight twist that compliments his idea but doesn’t entirely cover it.
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2-Minute Tasks You Can Do Around Your Home
In the kitchen
- Wash a few dishes;
- Load the dishwasher;
- Put away clean dishes;
- Make yourself a cup of coffee or tea;
- Take meat/meals out of the freezer (in case you need them for later);
- If you freeze meals, go through your freezer and check for expired/too-old meals you need to dispose of;
- Wipe down kitchen counters;
- Refill the water filter;
- Empty the trash;
- Collect garbage from around the kitchen;
- Pick stuff off the floor;
- Wipe down a few drawers;
- Check the fridge for expired food;
- Quickly sweep the kitchen floor;
- Wipe the stovetop;
- Refill the soap dispenser;
- Water kitchen plants of herbs;
- Wipe down the refrigerator’s door;
- Clean a small appliance like a toaster or coffee maker;
- Sharpen a knife;
- Clear off the kitchen island (wipe it down if you’ve got the time);
- Arrange and tidy up the spice rack;
- Wipe down the backsplash;
- Replace a kitchen sponge/kitchen towels;
- Replace the filter of the water filter.
In your home
- Make the bed;
- Fold a blanket and put it away;
- Put away scattered items;
- Clean up a messy shelf;
- Hang up clothes;
- Put dirty clothes in the laundry basket;
- Set up a washing machine;
- Open all doors and windows to let fresh air in;
- Dust a small area in your home;
- Sweep a small section of the floor;
- Arrange books or magazines;
- Fluff pillows;
- Organize remote controls in one place;
- Wipe down the coffee table;
- Put away stray shoes;
- Tidy up your bedside tables;
- Hang up coats and jackets;
- Tidy up the entryway area;
- Replace burnt-out bulbs;
- Put away kids’ toys;
- Set a 2-minute timer for folding clean laundry (once the 2 minutes are gone, you can decide if you should stop or keep doing it);
- Wipe down light switches;
- Declutter catch-all place;
- Freshen up a room by spraying with an air freshener;
- Tidy up pet items/wash food bowls.
Miscellaneous tasks
- Text a friend/answer to a text message;
- Water a houseplant;
- Check the weather forecast (it would help you plan your outfits for the rest of the week, trust me);
- Clean your glasses;
- Sort the mail;
- Check your bank balance (knowing what you’ve got there is always a good habit);
- Check your to-do list;
- Clean a mirror;
- Declutter old apps from your phone;
- Delete old photos from your phone.
Outdoors
- Pick up trash in your yard;
- Water outdoor plants;
- Sweep the porch;
- Quickly clean leaves from seating areas;
- Shake our a doormat;
- Fill bird feeders;
- Clean fallen leaves from plants’ beds;
- Clean the patio table;
- Clean spider webs from corners and walls;
- Pluck away a few weeds.
In the office/home office
- Delete unnecessary emails (filter emails from one provider and delete those you don’t need, for example, all FB notifications, old promotions from stores, and so on);
- Organize desktop icons;
- Clean your keyboard;
- Remove clutter from your desk;
- File something away;
- Do a quick catch-all for everything that’s on your mind (work-related);
- Back up important files;
- Scan a document;
- Refill printer with paper/ink;
- Water a plant;
- Make a quick phone call;
- Grab a glass of water;
- Shred old documents;
- Organize office supplies;
- Empty the trash;
- Organize a small desk drawer;
- Stretch yourself for 2 minutes;
- Open the window to let fresh air in;
- If you work in a big office building, walk around for two minutes to get that blood in your body moving;
- Check if you need any office supplies and order them.
Self-care and mental health tasks
- Write down a gratitude note;
- Stretch your neck and shoulders;
- Take a few deep breaths;
- Do a quick facial massage;
- Apply a hand cream;
- Do a quick eye exercise;
- Find an inspiring quote;
- Apply lip balm;
- Listen to a favorite song;
- Drink a glass of water;
- List a few things you like about this day;
- Set a 2-minute timer and write as many positive words as possible;
- Close your eyes and think of nothing for 2 minutes
- Do a grounding exercise;
- Repeat a self-love affirmation.
Personal growth and self-development tasks
- Learn a new word in a foreign language;
- Review a flashcard;
- Review a weekly goal;
- Reflect on a recent achievement;
- Research a topic of interest;
- Write down 5 things you are grateful for;
- Do a word-chain: Start with one word and write the first thing that comes to mind after that, then grab that second word and write another word that comes to mind… you keep doing that until the 2 minutes are up.
- Meditate for 2 minutes;
- Plan a small act of kindness;
- Write a positive affirmation
- Read an article from your favorite Pinterest board (you know you’ve got pins you’ve saved but never went back to read those articles);
- Choose a task from your to-do list to delete (usually the one you keep transferring from one day to the other for the last two weeks);
- Visualize achieving a goal;
- Do a quick brain exercise or a puzzle;
- Brainstorm ideas for a project.
Blogger, dreamer, procrastinator, and lover of everything soul-touching. My mission is to make you laugh, provoke your thoughts, light up your day and inspire you to fall in love with life and yourself.