The simplest planning tool

Give it a try - it's surprisingly impactful !

Planning and intention

We don’t plan to fail, but we might fail to plan. Yet a plan doesn’t have to be huge. Just a little intention to provide that magic, creative spark.

The secret to sustained productive success is finding the method that works best for you. The one you’re comfortable with and will keep using. Because then you will gently build a positive habit that supports you at multiple levels of your being.

If you haven’t used this one, give it a try. It’s surprisingly impactful.

Just enough

The 1-3-5 rule is based on understanding that while you don’t often hit all your daily tasks you will most likely get at least one thing done. When crafting a to-do list, people tend to overestimate their daily capacity, but here’s a way to organise your to-do list to ensure you complete it.

Here’s the PDF you can download and print

1 Big Thing

Head up your task list with the one big thing you will focus on today. This is the chunky thing that will move your work or personal life forward. It might be a 3-5 hour task or project.

3 Medium Things

Now add the three medium things you’re going to complete. These may take around 40 minutes each.

5 Small Things

Then make a list of five small things you’ll do, that will take just a few minutes each.

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Doing the work

Despite having a task list on my computer, there’s something curiously helpful about writing these things down then having that simple list beside me through the day.

There is no one right approach, so be flexible and find what works for you, then stick to it.

Most people are more productive in the mornings, and if that’s you, then tackle the big task first and get it done. 

However, if you’re a slow starter then getting some of the five smaller tasks off your plate can wake you up before diving into the one big thing. An early morning motivational boost that comes with ticking off completed tasks can give you the energy to keep moving forward. 

Still, our days rarely follow the same structure because of ever-changing priorities and constant distractions. There’s no point in following a strict task structure if it’s constantly disrupted.

The goal is to complete the tasks and it doesn’t matter how, as long as you do.

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Thanks for dropping by . . . 🙏

This letter was a way for me to get started in SubStack.

In the coming days I’ll get into the juicy stuff, and unpack the why and the how of a radically simplified approach to information management. And how immensely liberating and empowering it can be.

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