Productivity methods
The 1-3-5 rule, a day that fits.
Plan each day as one big task, three medium ones and five small ones, and nothing more.
· 3 min read · 5 steps
- Described by
- Alex Cavoulacos, The Muse
- Shape
- 1 big, 3 medium, 5 small
- Planning
- The day before
- Best for
- Overlong to-do lists
What it is and where it began.
The 1-3-5 rule is a way to keep a daily to-do list realistic. You assume you can do one big thing, three medium things and five small things in a day, and you pick those nine before the day starts.
It was described on The Muse, credited to its co-founder Alex Cavoulacos [1]. The idea is to accept that you cannot do everything, and to decide in advance what you will do.
The numbers are a guide. Days with many meetings may hold only 1-2-3; a free day may hold more. The structure is the useful part: one thing that matters most, a few that move things forward, and a cap on small stuff.
How to do it, step by step.
Pick one big task
The one thing that would make the day a success, the kind that takes a few hours.
Pick three medium tasks
Things that take around an hour each and move work forward.
Pick five small tasks
Quick things: a reply, a booking, a short call.
Leave everything else for another day
Tasks that do not make the nine wait. That is the point of the rule.
Adjust for the day you have
On a day full of meetings, shrink the list. Keep the shape: one, a few, some.
Who it suits, and its limits.
It suits you if
- Your to-do list is longer than any day.
- You end most days feeling you did not get anything done.
- You want a simple rule without a whole system.
Where it falls short
- It plans one day at a time; you need something else to keep track of everything else.
- Sizes are rough. A medium task can turn out to be big.
- Days with fixed schedules, like shift work or teaching, may not have room for this structure.
Common mistakes to avoid.
Nine big tasks
If every item takes hours, it is not 1-3-5. Be honest about sizes.
Adding more during the day
New things will come up. Capture them for later instead of growing today's list.
Ignoring meetings
A day with four hours of meetings cannot hold a full 1-3-5. Check your calendar when you pick.
Picking in the morning rush
Choose the nine at the end of the previous day, when you know what is open.
How to do it in thisflow.
Each step uses a feature that is in the app today.
Pick the nine with Plan your day
In the morning, Today offers to plan: it suggests overdue tasks, the Inbox and what is coming, and shows how much time today holds.
Size them with priorities
Use P1 for the big task and P2 for the three medium ones, so they come first among today's tasks without a time.
Capture the rest for later
New things during the day go into quick add. They land in the Inbox, not on today's list.
Wrap up and move the rest
From 16:00, Wrap up shows what got done and moves what is left to another day.
Questions and answers.
Who came up with the 1-3-5 rule?
It was described on The Muse and is credited to Alex Cavoulacos, one of the company's founders.
What if I have more than nine things to do?
Then some of them wait. The rule is about deciding which, instead of carrying an endless list.
How big is a big task?
Roughly half a day or a few hours of focused work. Medium is about an hour, small is a few minutes.
Can I combine 1-3-5 with Eat the frog?
Yes. Your one big task is often the frog, and doing it first leaves the rest of the day for the medium and small ones.
Sources
Numbers in the text, like [1], point to these sources.
- [1]The Muse: A Better To-Do List: The 1-3-5 Rulewww.themuse.com/advice/a-better-todo-list-the-135-rule
More methods to try.
Weekly review
Once a week, clear your inboxes, check every list and plan next week.
Flowtime technique
A timer that counts up: work until focus fades, then take a break that fits.
52/17 and ultradian rhythms
Where 52/17 and 90-minute work rhythms come from, and how solid the evidence is.