Day 7: The 2-Minute Rule That Changes Everything

September Rentrée Series

🍂 Welcome to the September Rentrée! Every weekday this month, you'll get one bold, bite-sized piece to spark reflection, shift your habits, and help you design a life that feels good in real life. 1 month. 20 bold truths. A life-changing September. In France, la rentrée (the return) is a national event. It's about fresh routines, new ideas, and intentional renewal. And that's exactly the energy we're bringing here!

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Your big goals are killing your progress.

You decide to "get healthy" and immediately commit to:

• 5am workouts

• meal prep Sundays

• 10,000 steps

• 20 minutes of meditation

• Gratitude journaling

The WORKS.

By Wednesday? You’ve skipped the gym, and you're back to scrolling your phone in bed eating chicken nuggets.

(No judgement. I’ve been there. So many times!)

Your brain perceives big changes as threats.

But worse? When you fail at big goals, you feel like shit.
And that shame spiral kills any chance of trying again.

Here's what changes everything: Make it so small you can't fail.

The 2-minute rule: Shrink any habit until it takes less than two minutes.

Not "get fit" → “Do 2 push-ups against the wall”
Not "journal" → “Write one sentence about how you feel”
Not "meditate" → “Take three deep breaths with your hand on your heart”
Not "eat healthy" → “Add one vegetable to whatever you're already eating”
Not "read more" → “Read one page while your coffee brews”

I know what you’re thinking: “Noemie, that's not enough to matter”

But this isn't about lowering your standards.
It's about mastering the Art of Showing Up.

Why your brain (and heart) need tiny wins

Positive emotions are what wire in new habits. Not discipline. Not motivation. Feeling successful.

When you do two minutes and succeed? Your brain releases a hit of dopamine. “I did it!!”

That tiny celebration rewires your brain faster than any grand gesture followed by guilt.

Two minutes = guaranteed success = positive emotions = consistent habits.

Plus, you often continue past two minutes. Once you do 2 push-ups, might as well do 5. But if you don't? Still a win!

Each tiny win built evidence: “I'm someone who shows up”.

That self-efficacy? That's what changes everything.

The trust you rebuild with yourself

After a week of two-minute sessions, something shifts.

You stop saying “I'm trying to meditate” and start saying “I meditate”.

Even if it's just three breaths with your hand on your heart. You're doing it. You're that person now.

Your brain believes what it sees you do repeatedly. And more importantly? You start trusting yourself again.

That trust is worth more than any perfect routine you'll never stick to.

Do this today: Pick your most overwhelming habit. Shrink it until you literally can't fail. Two minutes max. Do it right after something you already do. Then celebrate: fist pump, smile, a little yay (my favourite), whatever. Your brain needs that positive hit.

Ask yourself: What would change if you actually believed you could stick to habits? What if success was guaranteed because you made it stupidly easy?

The payoff: Stop breaking promises to yourself. Start stacking tiny wins that build unstoppable momentum.

Because confidence isn't built on perfect performances. It's built on showing up, two minutes at a time.

With love,
Noemie

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