When you're working towards a long-term goal, it's so easy to let days, and even weeks, slip by without making much progress. Instead of taking a few steps in the right direction, you take breaks or let off-days pile up — and then wonder why you aren't getting anywhere.
In a viral TikTok posted Feb. 2, creator @by_sydney shared tips for locking in on your goals, and one of them was the "48-hour rule." Here's how it works: Imagine someone followed you around for 48 hours. What would they see? Based on what you do throughout the day, would they be able to name the goals you're working towards? Would they believe your goals are what you say they are?
"Most of us have actions different from what we say our goals are," she said in the clip. If you say your goal is to run a marathon, but you never once stretch or go for a jog, it might be hard to believe that's your goal. This isn't about being lazy. It just means you aren't prioritizing your goals in your daily life. The 48-hour rule helps you become more aware of your routines so you can stop holding yourself back.
According to Keisha Saunders-Waldron, LCMHCS, a counselor, speaker, and founder of Confidential Confessions Counseling Services, it's extremely common to feel like you're making progress towards a goal — even when you aren't.
"Most people I work with have a whole list of goals they're 'working on' but when we dig into their actual daily habits, there's almost no alignment," she tells Bustle. "The goals live in their head as this beautiful future version of themselves, but their current behavior doesn't match. It's like saying you want to be fluent in Spanish but never actually practicing. You just keep thinking about how great it would be to speak Spanish someday."
This happens because thinking often feels just as productive as doing. To take it back to the example of wanting to run a marathon, to do so, you might research training plans, tell all your friends about it, and follow fitness accounts on Instagram. As you do these things, your brain gives you a little dopamine, like you're actually doing something. But according to Saunders-Waldron, mental engagement isn't the same as actual progress.
In terms of the 48-hour rule, if someone were to follow you around for two days with the above actions taking place, they likely wouldn't be able to identify your goal based on that alone. They would see you taking a nap or working on a random project, versus making even one small, actionable move related to your plans.
Saunders-Waldron thinks this rule offers a good perspective. "It's a reality check that cuts through all the self-deception we engage in about our goals," she says. "Most people overestimate how much they're doing and underestimate how much time they're wasting. The 48-hour rule forces you to look at actual behavior, not intentions."