When you think of time management, two objects instantly come to mind: your watch, and your elaborately protracted to-do list. But how often have you actually completed the items on your to-do list?
If you’re like most people, you’ve probably created a to-do list for your work activities with the goal of being efficient, only for things to not go according to plan, or to end up discarding it altogether, which leaves you feeling less productive and enthusiastic about your work than when you started.
Although two-thirds of professionals use to-do lists, nearly 41% of tasks written on them never get completed, according to research from project tracking software provider iDoneThis. And this is down to super extensive and unrealistically long to-do lists. In fact, executives and other high-performing professionals are infamous for creating infinite, interminable lists of as much as 150 tasks in a single day, with the research noting that according to social psychologist Roy Baumeister and journalist John Tierney’s book, “Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength,” an executive’s to-do list for a Monday would well extend into the entire week.
So it’s reasonable to assume that if there’s one thing that any aspiring manager or leader needs to have under their belt, it’s time management, and the art of a good to-do list.
The fact is, we can’t change events beyond our control. That’s inevitable. What we can change, however, is our approach to our day, and how we navigate these unexpected situations and emergencies with ease, doing everything within our power to be proactive instead of reactive. We can change the way we are realistic about our time.
This showcases exceptional risk management skills, because when you can prepare for the worst and adapt your schedule to ensure the most important work tasks are unaffected, you demonstrate you are more competent for a potential promotion and mitigating greater risks efficiently.
While there is undoubtedly a plethora of time management tools and to-do list approaches one could employ to boost their overall productivity and reduce overwhelm, one effective strategy stands out:
The 1-3-5 rule.
What Is The 1-3-5 Rule?
To reduce the likelihood of you overestimating your work capacity as a leader or manager, bear these steps in mind the next time you create a to-do list:
Restrict your to-do list to just nine items for one day, then organize these nine items into three categories: big, medium, and small.
Jot down one big task that will consume the majority of your time, energy, or effort. This might be leading a strategic planning session, writing or negotiating a major contract, planning the budget, or preparing a quarterly performance report.
Next, write down three medium tasks. A medium task is operationally essential, but aren’t as demanding on your time or brain energy. These could range from conducting a one-to-one with a team member, to reviewing and analyzing KPIs, to facilitating or taking part in an all-hands meeting or team meeting.
Finally, concentrate on listing five small tasks that you can take easily care of within a few minutes, such as approving a budgetary spend or time-off requests, sending an email, having a brief check-in, scheduling meetings, or providing quick responses via Teams or Slack.
Combine this method with delegating to people and tools, time-blocking your calendar, eating the proverbial “frog” (the biggest task) in the morning, and leaving a few 15-minute slots for reactive items and events, and you’re well equipped to face your day. Using this strategy to create your to-do list not only ensures efficiency and that a little bit of everything necessary gets accomplished, but it also helps you to feel that you’re on top of everything, more in control of your time, and less anxious about the 131 items that haven’t been touched yet.
You might actually surprise yourself and get more done.