David Allen's 2-minute rule: if a task takes under 2 minutes, do it now. James Clear's adaptation: for bigger tasks, make the first 2 minutes so small you can't say no.

The original rule

Seeing a task, if it would take under 2 minutes, complete it immediately rather than scheduling or noting it. Reduces task-queue overhead dramatically.

The adapted rule for big tasks

"Write the report" paralyses. "Open the document and type one sentence" doesn't. Reduce the first action to 2 minutes; continuation happens automatically.

Why it works

Procrastination is about starting, not duration. Starting bypasses avoidance; duration takes care of itself once started.