I love technology that saves me time.
Give me a useful shortcut, a good automation, or an AI tool that eliminates repetitive work, and I’m a happy camper.
But one of my favorite time-saving habits doesn’t involve technology at all.
It’s ridiculously simple:
If something takes less than two minutes and I can do it right now, I try to just do it.
Why?
Because I don’t want to create another task out of a tiny task.
📺 Watch the video below to hear why I use the two-minute rule.
Don’t Create More Work for Yourself
Let’s say an email comes in that needs a one-sentence response.
You could:
Read it.
Decide you’ll answer it later.
Add it to your task list—or leave it sitting in your inbox to remind you.
See it again later.
Remember that you still need to deal with it.
Open it again.
And finally answer it.
Or…
You could spend 30 seconds answering it the first time.
Done.
Sometimes managing a tiny task takes longer than actually completing it.
What Counts as a Two-Minute Task?
This isn’t about timing yourself with a stopwatch. 😏
It’s simply about recognizing those little things you can handle quickly instead of carrying them around in your brain all day.
For example:
- Reply to a quick email.
- Add an appointment to your calendar.
- Rename a file when you save it.
- Save someone’s contact information.
- Put a downloaded file where it belongs.
- Capture an idea before you forget it.
If I can handle it quickly, I’d rather take care of it than create another thing I have to remember later.
There’s an Important Catch
The key phrase here is:
If I can do it right now.
Not every two-minute task deserves to interrupt what you’re doing.
If you’re concentrating on an important project, stopping every two minutes because another tiny task appears isn’t productive. That’s just distraction wearing a productivity hat. 😂
The point isn’t to constantly interrupt yourself.
The point is that when you’re already dealing with something and finishing it will only take another minute or two, sometimes the most efficient choice is simply to finish it.
Get It Off Your Brain
Tiny unfinished tasks have a funny way of taking up more mental space than they deserve.
“Don’t forget to answer that.”
“I need to put that on the calendar.”
“What was that thing I wanted to remember?”
Every one of those is another little open loop your brain is trying to keep track of.
When I can close that loop immediately, I do.
Done. Off my brain. On with my day.
Productivity Doesn’t Have to Be Complicated
I’m a big believer in systems.
I’m also a big believer in not creating a system where you don’t need one.
Not every task needs an app.
Not everything needs to go on a list.
Not every action needs seven steps and a color-coded workflow.
Sometimes the best productivity system is simply not creating more work for yourself.
So here’s your Quick Win:
The next time you catch yourself saying, “I’ll do that later,” ask yourself one question:
Could I finish this in less than two minutes right now?
If the answer is yes, maybe don’t put it on the list.
Just do the thing. 💙