Master your habits with the two-day rule
The "two-day rule," a simple yet powerful habit-forming strategy, encourages individuals to avoid missing two consecutive days of effort towards any goal. Popularized by YouTuber Matt D’Avella, this rule acknowledges occasional lapses while promoting consistency and resilience.
Jonny Thomson writes for BigThink
The two-day rule states that you should never let two days pass without acting towards your goal. If you miss going to the gym today, make sure you go tomorrow. If you didn’t read any of your book today, make sure you do so the next. The two-day rule is so successful because it accepts that humans will occasionally fall short. We will have those everyday moments of private failure when we can’t be bothered or our willpower stays in bed. It’s also about balance. There are very few things in life we “should” do all of the time or every day. A rest day or a cheat day is important. But the two-day rule is brilliant because it doesn’t let you off the hook. It says, “Okay, time’s up, back to it,” and “Okay, you failed, now try again.”
By applying this principle, tasks like responding to emails, maintaining routines, and overcoming setbacks become more manageable.