A Developer’s Guide To Two Minute Rule: Double Your Productivity

I’ve struggled managing my time effectively over the years, just like many.

While the daily work progresses as expected, the self-learning to keep myself updated or upbeat wasn’t getting on track. Having said that, work chores pile up too sometimes. Every time I miss the self-learning target, I pacify myself with unending excuses like I was tired or I have family or I have to socialise etc.

As a software engineer, we’ve all been there: we likely faced the daunting prospect of a sprawling codebase, an endless stream of bugs to fix, new features that seem to multiply by the hour, or a new technology that boss asked to explore but didn’t get time to do!

The digital clock in your code editor ticks away, reminding you of tasks yet untouched. This might feel like you’re swimming against a relentless current in a sea of code. Though we realise our time is eaten away with the day-to-day development chores and the goalpost for self-development is moving further away, we tend to blame it on “busy life” or “no time” excuses.

These are priorities at work and in life that we slip often, most likely due to the way we manage the time.

Don’t fret; you’re not the only developer feeling this way. But here’s a hard truth: You’re on your own. In this world of ones and zeroes, you’re the architect of your success.

That said, every problem has a solution, and for this particular one, I’d like to introduce you to a simple yet transformative tool: the “Two-Minute Rule.”

Decoding the Problem

Before we dive into the solution, let’s dissect the problem a bit.

The key issue for most developers isn’t a lack of time; it’s the intimidating nature of tasks. Developer tasks such as coding, debugging, testing, exploring, logical thinking etc, as we know, is complex.

However, no matter how intense our projects may be, we don’t have less time than Elon Musk, Bill Gates, or any successful tech magnate.

It’s not about finding time; it’s about optimising it.

Introducing the Two-Minute Rule

The “Two-Minute Rule,” introduced by productivity guru David Allen in his book “Getting Things Done,” is a strategy for efficient task management.

The principle is simple: if a task takes two minutes or less to complete, do it immediately.

Whether it’s committing code, reviewing a small pull request, or sending a quick update to a teammate, instant action prevents minor tasks from accumulating and becoming overwhelming.

When tasks that could be done in two minutes or less are postponed, they can pile up over time, creating a backlog of small tasks. This can lead to feelings of being overwhelmed and add unnecessary stress.

Every task we put off, no matter how small, eats into our mental energy, leading to mental fatigue, reduce focus on other tasks, and lead to overall reduced productivity and increased anxiety. Avoid this cognitive load by adopting the technique like 2-minute rule to chip away any tasks.

Continually putting off two-minute tasks could signal a broader issue with time management and efficiency. It can prevent the development of more effective work habits and strategies.

When Two Minutes Become More

The real strength of the “Two-Minute Rule” goes beyond tasks that can be completed in 120 seconds. The technique can also be a mental lever to help overcome the inertia that often comes with larger, more complex tasks.

By splitting a larger task into smaller, two-minute components, you can generate momentum. Instead of staring at a monolith of code, you see a series of manageable sub-tasks. As you conquer each small task, you find yourself progressing on the larger one, making the impossible not just possible, but achievable.

In an another article down the line, we will look at 15 minute rule that offers a way to tackle larger tasks and establish beneficial habits for long-term productivity.

But the power of the “Two-Minute Rule” doesn’t stop at task completion; it’s also a gateway to habit formation. James Clear, in his book “Atomic Habits,” uses the “Two-Minute Rule” as a strategy for creating new habits.

Cultivating the Two-Minute Habit

The aim is to start a habit that can be accomplished in two minutes or less.

This could be reading a few lines of a technical blog post, jotting down ideas for a new feature, or writing a few lines of code or running for a marathon!

The goal isn’t to limit the activity to two minutes, but to make it as easy as possible to start. Over time, the habit can be gradually extended beyond the initial two minutes.

Though it may sound silly, I practice this for forming newer habits or keeping consistent focus.

For example, I used this method (at that time I didn’t know that there was this two-minute-habit forming “rule” for creating new habits — just rolled along) to write every evening two minutes just after sitting on bed. It slowly increased to 10 minutes and before I know I started writing hours until early hours!

Currently, I am working on two more of new habits:

My Elasticsearch in Action book has sucked two-years of my free time and during this time I lacked much physical exercise. So my new habit is to do squats for two minutes every morning after brushing my teeth!

The second one is to read out English text every evening after dinner for improving my diction and pronunciation (while I hate to adopt a fake accent, I’m trying to lose the thick South Indian accent :)).

Hopefully I’ll get these two habits formed in me within no time! I’ll surely buy a beer for James Clear!

Final Thoughts

In the fast-paced world of software engineering, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. However, the “Two-Minute Rule” provides a practical tool for better task management and habit formation. This strategy can increase not just productivity, but also satisfaction with your work, leading to better mental wellbeing.

Incorporate the “Two-Minute Rule” into your life routine, and you’ll start to see a tangible shift in your productivity, stress levels, and overall satisfaction. You can also use this “Timebox Planner” to put this productivity hack into practice.

So, fellow developers, welcome aboard the “Two-Minute Rule” ship. Let’s sail towards more efficient time management and greater job satisfaction.

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