Are you embarking on a journey to building lasting habits this year?
If so, you need to know about the game-changing principle that is the two day rule.
Here is everything you need to know about this golden principle which revolves around the power of consistency and allowing for imperfection when trying to create new habits.
The two day rule simply involves not allowing yourself to skip a new habit for two days in a row. So, if you skipped going to the gym or reading for 30 minutes one day, you’d pick it back up the next.
The reason why this technique is so effective is because it supports a more realistic approach to behavioural changes.
Habits are simply behaviours we repeat consistently, but there is no requirement to repeat them perfectly.
The two-day rule reflects this and helps people stay away from the all-or-nothing approach that is frequently associated with a stop start and self-destructive approach to health.
Basically, no more feeling of missing one day and wanting to throw in the towel.
The two-day rule makes it easier to get back on track as there is a margin for error built into the behaviour change system.
Missed a day? Not a problem, but! You just have to come back swinging the next day.
Think of it kind of like forging a path across a field.
When you first try to take a new path you’ll likely be wading through thick grass, but over time, the grass will wear away and you’ll be left with a clear path to walk through.
Even if you take a different route one day you still need to keep walking your usual path so you don’t allow the grass to regrow – that’s what the two-day rule is really about.
As the famous saying goes… A habit missed once is a bad day, a habit missed twice is the start of a new habit…
