Worksheet
The Button Builder
A worksheet for turning a goal into start buttons, stop buttons, and a minimum version for bad days.
What this tool does
The Button Builder is the worksheet version of the Two-Button Rule. It keeps goals executable by giving them a first action, an enough point, and a small reward.
Write only the start button and press it today.
Bad-week version
Use it when
- Your goal is real but the first step is fog.
- The task feels endless, so you never begin.
- You want a habit that can survive the version of you who is tired.
How to use it
- Write the behavior.
- Name why it keeps failing.
- Choose start button one and start button two.
- Define the stop button.
- Create the bad-day version and reward.
Worksheet version
Copy these prompts into a notebook, notes app, spreadsheet, or the nearest envelope that is already judging you.
Common traps
- Choosing a heroic start button.
- Letting the stop point stay fuzzy.
- Making the reward too distant.
Related tools
Read the book
Want the whole system?
The Button Builder is one handle from Build a Life That Doesn't Eat You Alive. The full book connects it to habits, boundaries, money, work, rest, and bad-week repair.