3 Reasons to Use a 3-Item To Do List

First, let me give credit where credit is due. It was fellow No Sidebar contributor Melissa Camara Wilkins who first introduced me to the 3-Item To Do List.

I have used it ever since, almost every day. And now I get to recommend it to you.

For most of my life, I was the person with a mile long to-do list next to me at all times, often carrying over from day-to-day and week-to-week. Sometimes even longer.

But several years ago, I switched to a 3-Item To Do List exclusively—and I have found it to increase both my productivity and work satisfaction significantly.

The 3-Item To Do List is as simple and profound as it sounds. At the beginning of each day, I take time to identify and articulate the three most important items for me to accomplish.

For example, my To Do List for today consists of these three items:

That’s it! Three items—all significant, all important, all entirely manageable.

There are 3 benefits I have noticed to the approach:

1. The short list keeps me focused on the most important tasks I need to accomplish.

Almost certainly I will work on some things today not included in that list: lead a meeting, prepare for another meeting tomorrow, answer comments on a recent article, prep for an upcoming speaking event. But my three main identified projects will always take precedence.

No matter what pops up in my day or where my mind wanders off to, I can always return to those three main items that I wrote down at the beginning of the day.

But I have found other benefits as well…

2. The shorter list keeps me from feeling overwhelmed.

As a result, the limited list helps me overcome procrastination—the finish line is always in sight.

But maybe most important for me personally…

3. The 3-Item List provides a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day.

This benefit is the main one that Melissa articulates—she even refers to her 3-item list as an “Enough List.”

When the list is completed, there is a sense of finality. She says it like this:

Now instead of ending each day feeling like I’ve fallen behind, I have a built-in sense of accomplishment in the evenings. I finished my three things! I did what mattered most!

The importance of identifying the three most important things to accomplish in a day is revolutionary regardless of where you apply it.

It is a helpful productivity hack at work. It can be used equally well by a stay-at-home mom or dad. It can be uniquely tailored for a hobby or side-business.

In order to accomplish our most important tasks, it is essential to remain focused on them. The 3-Item To Do List accomplishes that and also forces us to identify them anew each morning.

About the Author: Joshua Becker is the Founder and Editor of Becoming Minimalist, a website read by over 1M readers every month. He is also a #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling author and Founder of Simplify Magazine.