“I’ll do it tomorrow” is probably the most treasured phrase in human history. Lie on the couch instead of exercising. Put off a report until the evening. Leave the dishes in the sink “for later.” And then it’s dark, you don’t feel like anything, and you feel like a lazy slob, even though your conscience is gnawing at you. Sound familiar? Australian psychologist and motivational expert Dr. Simon Wells (University of Adelaide) asserts that laziness doesn’t exist in the way we imagine it. He says, “What people call laziness is 90% procrastination due to fear, fatigue, or the feeling that the task is too big. A healthy, happy person who simply ‘doesn’t want’ to move is almost never found. There’s always a reason.” And the most interesting thing: you can get out of this state in 5 minutes without forcing yourself.
Wells conducted an experiment with 500 volunteers who complained of “chronic laziness.” Everyone was given one simple rule, called the “two-step rule.” The result: after two weeks, 78% of the participants reported getting twice as many things done, and their feelings of guilt had decreased by a third. And all without willpower. Without morning self-imposed orders. Without trendy apps.
What is this rule?
The two-step rule is incredibly simple: if you don’t feel like doing something, don’t try to do it completely. Take just two physical steps toward it. Or any microscopic action that takes no more than 5 seconds.
Examples:
Need to wash the dishes? Don’t aim to wash the whole mountain. Just go to the sink and turn on the faucet.
Want to exercise? Don’t think about an hour-long workout. Get out your mat and lay it on the floor.
Need to write a report? Open your laptop and create a file with the name.
Need to clean your room? Pick up one thing and put it back.
Sounds funny? Too easy? That’s the genius of this method. Big things scare the brain. When you tell yourself, “I need to write a 20-page report,” your brain goes into overdrive: “It’s long, it’s complicated, we’ll die. Better to just lie down.” The brain doesn’t know how to evaluate benefits; it knows how to conserve energy—a legacy inherited from its cave-dwelling ancestors. But when you give the command, “Just open the file,” your brain doesn’t resist. It doesn’t hurt. And then the magic happens.
