The Rule Of The Minute: A Method To Combat Laziness
Many people make resolutions for change. Exercise every day, read every night, or adjust your lifestyle in some way. The rule of the minute is one of those methods that helps you ensure that not all purposes die of inaction.
In the West we have a terrible habit of trying to achieve big changes quickly. We think that it is a question of willpower and that is how we put on our shoulders some tasks that we are not able to fulfill later.
We want to change overnight, and when we don’t, we feel guilty and frustrated. The point is, maybe we do have the willpower to do it, but we may not be using the right method. That is when some tricks become valid, such as the rule of the minute: it is free, simple and those who have practiced it say that it is very effective.
What is the rule of the minute?
As the name implies, the minute rule is a method based on a minimum unit of time. It comes from Japan and has been used both in aspects of working life and in personal situations.
Orientals have the advantage of understanding that everything is a process and that great achievements are the result of long continuous efforts, in which different stages must be completed. Its greatest virtue is to understand that speed almost always gets us nowhere.
The rule of the minute says that you should start making a change in your life for only one minute. If you want to maintain an exercise routine, start by dedicating one minute a day. The same with any custom you want to introduce or eradicate. Of course: you can not fail any day.
Is the rule of the minute effective?
Those who have practiced it assure that the rule of the minute is extremely effective in achieving those changes that resist us. The main enemy of action is mental, physical and emotional laziness, which appears when we have to do something that involves more effort than we are able to invest.
This is why the rule of the minute is so effective. It allows to establish that mark in the brain to introduce a change, and it does it without us feeling that we have to make a huge effort to adapt. A minute passes quickly, but the mark remains: in this way, the change in the lifestyle takes hold, without us hardly noticing.
From minute to life
Ideally, you should apply the rule for at least 60 days in a row. It is enough time for what was previously completely alien to our routine, to become a family activity. And if we manage to experience this action as “normal”, the resistance to doing it will disappear.
Orientals know that everything has its time and that great changes occur gradually. The rule of the minute is only an initial aid, which allows the body and mind to be ready for the new. But, obviously, things can’t just stay in a minute. It is necessary that the practice time of the new activity be gradually extended: from one to five minutes; five to ten and so on.
The cycles can be 60 days, but this always depends on each particular case. Some people are more permeable to change and will be able to move from one stage to another more quickly. Others, on the other hand, will need more days to increase the time to practice the new activity. Thus, it is important that you know yourself well enough to determine what your times are.
The rule of the minute is ideal for tasks that do not motivate us too much or cause us great laziness. An example is that of the exercise routine, but it can also be applied to any type of habit that we want to acquire. Think: with such a simple method, why not give it a try?
