Do You Want More Productive Days?

By Andrew Calabrese

Many start their day with a long list of things to accomplish. It’s not uncommon for people to have 10, 20, or even 30 tasks they want to complete by the end of a particular day. It can be overwhelming, and it provokes a question: where do you even start? 

Even if you’re able to check off several tasks from your to-do list, you may still feel defeated at the conclusion of the day because of all the things that you didn’t get done. This is a recipe for exhaustion. 

So, how can you stop the chronic overwork and get rid of the overwhelm? It’s simple really. You should narrow your task list. In other words, you should prioritize your tasks. 

Many leaders and authors recommend starting with the top three outcomes you need to accomplish for the day to make progress on your weekly and long-term goals and projects. If you lose sight of these top three daily tasks, your days will be swamped by things that seem urgent to someone else but not necessarily important to you.

“This may seem counterintuitive, but it actually requires more effort and discipline to look at the many things you could do and zero in on the three things you should do.”

This may seem counterintuitive, but it actually requires more effort and discipline to look at the many things you could do and zero in on the three things you should do. With this clarity on what is and is not the priority, your days will no longer feel held captive by an unreasonably long list of tasks.

When you narrow your focus, you not only boost your sense of progress, but you also fuel better results. You might stay busy all day, having a list of two dozen tasks; however, that doesn’t mean you were necessarily productive. Completing the three most important tasks every day can have a tremendous impact. When you focus on less, you accomplish more by directing your energy toward what truly deserves your attention.

You can keep your top three most important tasks on a sticky note, on your phone, or in a planner. Wherever you keep your top three tasks, let yourself focus only on what really deserves priority and pushes your goals forward.

When you do this each day, you’ll have a clear sense of control. Getting things done will no longer feel overwhelming, but peaceful. Instead of ending your day feeling like a failure, you’ll feel like a winner.

What can you eliminate or delegate from your task list so you can focus on your daily top three priorities?