for the one who writes a thirty-item todo list every night and finishes three
Goal
Convert tomorrow's bloated todo list into a single priority before bed.
Source principle
Live by priority, not by todo list: the todo list is a wish list; priority is the one thing that, done first, makes the rest irrelevant. : from The One Thing by Gary Keller.
The plan
- 📋9:00-9:05 PMDump every todo on paper. All of them. Out of your head.
- ✂️9:05-9:10 PMCross out what doesn't serve the One Thing. Be brutal.
- 👁️9:10-9:12 PMReread what's left. Cross out two more.
- ⭕9:12-9:15 PMMark the single one that does. Just one.
- 🗒️9:15-9:18 PMWrite it on a sticky note. One line. Tomorrow's first move.
- ⏰9:18-9:22 PMSchedule the 4-hour block for it. Real slot, tomorrow.
- 🗄️9:22-9:25 PMPut the rest of the list in a drawer. Close the drawer.
- 📢9:25-9:28 PMRead tomorrow's One Thing aloud. Lights out.
Reward
A clear desk and a guilt-free night.