Most people fail at habits because they start too big. "I'll work out for an hour every day." By Wednesday, you're done.

Here's a rule that actually works — it's called the 2-Minute Rule, popularized by James Clear in Atomic Habits:

Scale any new habit down to something that takes 2 minutes or less.

• "Read 30 pages a day" → Read one page

• "Run 5km" → Put on your running shoes

• "Meditate for 20 minutes" → Close your eyes and breathe for 120 seconds

• "Write 1000 words" → Open your document and write one sentence

Why does this work?

1. It eliminates the activation energy. The hardest part of any habit isn't doing it — it's starting. Once you start, momentum takes over.

2. It rewires your identity. You're no longer "someone who wants to read." You become "someone who reads every day." Even one page counts.

3. It compounds. After 2 weeks of "one page," you'll naturally start reading 5, then 10, then 30. But you never have to.

The trick most people miss:

Never increase the minimum. Even on your worst day — sick, tired, overwhelmed — you can always do 2 minutes. That unbroken streak is worth more than any single big session.

I built LifeStack around this exact principle. Every habit starts small. The system tracks your streaks, scores your consistency, and helps you build up naturally.

Try it today: Pick one habit you've been failing at. Scale it down to 2 minutes. Do it right now. Then come back and tell me how it went.