What’s 2 minutes? Maybe that’s the time you spend scrolling through social media during your work break or how long it takes to make a cup of coffee. But it’s certainly not long enough to help form or sustain positive habits, right Wrong! Even just 2×2 minutes per day is enough to bring about positive change.
Many people believe that only a giant overhaul can lead to self-improvement, but this mentality is actually what holds most individuals back. If a new practice or habit seems insurmountable, you’re unlikely to want to dedicate your efforts to it in the first place. The truth is, forming and sustaining new habits just isn’t something you can do all at once. It’s about consistency, not intensity!
Why Traditional Learning Fails to Create Positive Habits
A common problem many workplaces face is the ineffectiveness of traditional learning and development initiatives. In an attempt to bring about better work practices, organizations often rely on one-off, learning opportunities—a lecture, group seminar, or perhaps an intensive coaching session.
The results? Not much happens at all. Regardless of the fact that most learning and leadership initiatives are not only time-consuming but also very expensive, employees are overwhelmed with information, unsure where to begin, and learning rarely converts into real doing. The greatest flaw of these approaches is that learning isn’t brought into immediate action. The Knowing-Doing Gap leaves individuals struggling to implement or apply what they’ve learnt—thus learning is rendered ineffective. Results and productivity are only achieved if passive knowing gets transferred into Active Doing. Moreover, traditional learning initiatives are mainly applied via a watering can approach: Sprinkling instead of target actions- the same for everybody. We all know we learn much more effectively if tailored to individual resources and talents, behaviours and personal needs.
Despite well-intentioned, often far too expensive training initiatives leading to such poor results, frustrated employees, wasted time and resources, many organizations will often invest in more of the same, again and again.
The Power of Consistency: Small Steps, Big Change
Isn’t there a better way? Yes! With consistency and practice. Consider this: if you tried to run 20km once a month, you’d quickly give up before your fitness improved. But by running for just 30 minutes per day, anyone can build a positive habit and get into shape over time.
This same concept applies to leadership as well as to learning and development in the workplace. Intense learning sprints that happen infrequently are ineffective for forming (and sustaining) positive habits. Consistent Learning AND Doing—that’s what it takes to add up to something greater. It is the daily practice of the little things, that matters the most.
Just 2×2 Minutes per Day Every Day
Even as little as 2×2 minutes per day every day can be effective in building better habits. That amounts to a full 24 hours every year, but unlike a day-long seminar program, this approach is about facilitating consistent development over time.
It’s the same advice given for brushing your teeth – and we all do it without questioning it: 2×2 minutes per day every day is all that’s needed to maintain a healthy smile. If you were to brush your teeth for 24 hours in one go, you wouldn’t get the same results at all—in fact, your teeth might even fall out!
Additionally, while a day seminar might only be able to cover 2-3 areas for improvement, with daily, independent learning, individuals benefit from continual, wide-reaching growth.
Small Steps, Taken Daily,That’s How Progress Is Made
More of the same? It’s time to stop investing in intensive, high-cost learning initiatives that bring few results. Organizations should instead focus on solutions that help individuals play an active role in their own learning, practicing little and often, every single day. That’s how positive habits are formed and sustained. That’s how Productivity AND Happiness significantly improve over time.
