The Two-Minute Reset: A Simple Shift for a Happier Life
A former coworker, Don Balaban, once gave me a piece of advice about marriage that has stuck with me for years. He and his wife had been married for over 60 years, and when I asked him the secret to their lasting relationship, he said:
“I squeegee the shower doors after every shower.”
At first, I laughed, thinking he was joking.
But he wasn’t.
He explained that for years, he resisted doing it, thinking it was annoying, a waste of time, and not worth the effort.
But then he realized something deeper—what he actually wanted in life was to be happily married to his wife. And if a two-minute act of squeegeeing the shower doors made her happy, then why was he making it such a big deal?
That conversation made me think—how many times do we put off or procrastinate on the very thing that would make us happier?
How many of us avoid small actions that would bring us peace, simply because we tell ourselves they’re annoying, inconvenient, or not urgent?
Think about it:
Loading the dishwasher instead of letting the dishes pile up
Changing over the laundry instead of letting it sit another day
Taking two minutes to reply to a text instead of carrying the mental weight of "I need to respond to that later."
Squeegeeing the shower doors because it brings joy to someone we love
We convince ourselves we don’t have time.
And yet, those tiny tasks—those two-minute actions—don’t just disappear.
They compound. The frustration grows. The tension builds. The little things that could have been handled in a few minutes turn into overwhelming stress points that steal our joy day after day.
When you reset the way you’re approaching the task, everything changes.
The power of small actions is exactly what we focus on when shifting our mindset and habits:
Recognize – What’s the small thing you keep putting off that is causing unnecessary stress?
Evaluate – Why are you avoiding it? What story are you telling yourself?
See What’s Possible – Imagine the peace, ease, or joy you’d feel if you just did it.
Execute – Take action! Commit to doing it today, not later.
Traction – Repeat the habit, and notice how much lighter your life feels.
It’s not about the shower doors.
It’s about choosing to make small, intentional efforts that create a happier, more peaceful life.
So, I’ll ask you—what is your "squeegee moment" today?
What’s one tiny, two-minute action you can take right now that would make your life (or someone else’s) just a little bit better?
Because the life you crave isn’t waiting for some massive transformation—it starts with the small, daily resets.
