If you’ve ever looked for “tips” about how to be more productive, one of the first pieces of advice you’d come across would be to make a damn list.
You’d be advised to:
- Start with a master list that includes everything you want to be, do, or have in life.
- Create a list of the most important goals you want to accomplish.
- Organize and create lists of projects to help you meet your goals.
Then, depending on how granular you want to get, you might be advised to make even more lists—for your yearly, monthly, weekly, and daily goals.
I know, it sounds excessive.
But the truth is, list-making is the cornerstone of productivity.
List–making is the cornerstone of productivity
Productivity methods can get complex and confusing real quick.
And complexity is the enemy of productivity.
In its simplest form, ‘being productive’ is deciding what you want, and enjoying yourself as you work toward making it happen.
And you can start doing that with two simple lists:
1: A master list, and
2: a daily list.
Your master list is exactly what it sounds like—a list of actions and outcomes you want to achieve.
Your daily list comes from your master list, and it’s nothing more than a structured list of outcomes you can accomplish today.
Here’s how this might look in the real world:
- You start by referring to your master list to make your daily list.
- You decide what matters most to you today, and then you write those actions down on a daily list, in order of importance.
- Then, you simply start crankin’ away—starting with your most important task until you’re done.
But even a daily list of things to do can get long and overwhelming – which is anti-productive.
To combat this, I created a simple and structured way to accomplish your daily tasks.
I call it The 1-2-5 List-Making Method, and it won’t just make you more productive—it’ll take your productivity to the MOON.
Here’s how to use it…
The 1–2–5 List–Making Method
Use my 1–2–5 list-making method to prioritize your daily list in the following way:
- 1 Big Thing (1BT)
- 2 Medium Things (2MT) and
- 5 Little Things (5LT)
Keep your list with you and keep it in plain view, checking your tasks off as you complete them.
Physically checking off tasks as you do them will give your brain little drips of dopamine—which will motivate you to keep taking action.
It’ll also give you a sense of control and accomplishment over your day.
Having a list is like having a second brain.
And the structure that comes from knowing what needs to get done and how important each of those things is will provide you with focus.
The 1-2-5 list-making method is perfect for this:
How to be more productive with a 1–2–5 List
- 1BT—Write down the one big thing you must accomplish today no matter what.
- This is your most important action of the day and usually requires an hour or more to do.
- You can find out your 1BT for any given day by asking yourself the following question: “What’s the one highest leverage thing I can do to make today a success?”
- Start your day with this and don’t let go until you’re done. (Yes, of course, you have more than one thing to do. You can get to everything else after you’ve crushed your one big thing for the day.)
- Examples of 1BT tasks: work on a major project, review reports, deep clean the house, write 1500 words for your book, prepare for a speech, study for an exam, etc.
- 2MT—Write down two medium things you need to accomplish today.
- These are tasks that can be done in about an hour or less.
- ‘Medium things’ require some effort, but aren’t insanely challenging.
- Examples of 2MT tasks: working out, meetings, appointments, responding to emails, yard work, research for a larger project, etc.
- 5LT—Write down five little things you can accomplish today.
- These are quick actions that can be handled in a single sitting, each of which usually takes 30 minutes or less to do.
- Examples of 5LT tasks: write one email, pickup prescription from CVS, call Yaseen, proofread the report submitted by Tanner, do a load of laundry, meditate for 10 minutes, crank out a quick H.I.I.T workout, etc.
Introducing
The 1–2–5 Daily Productivity Cards
The perfect companion for Dean Bokhari’s 1-2-5 list-making method.
The 1–2–5 Daily Productivity Cards.
A never-ending to-do list is a fast track to procrastination. The 1-2-5 cards offer a different approach to productivity—so you can focus on getting things done. It’s simple, structured, and astonishingly effective. Being productive never felt so good.
How it works
Usability. Portability. Your fast-track to Productivity.
How to Use The 1–2–5 Productivity Cards:
- Each morning, grab a fresh 1-2-5 Productivity Card + plan your day with intention.
- Write down your 1-2-5 priorities to create a structured, focused game plan for the day ahead.
- Check each task off as you complete it, and let the momentum carry you forward.
Product highlights:
- 60 days of planning per set. Cards are undated, double-sided, and designed for daily use.
- 30 premium index-sized productivity cards (3” x 5” / 76.2 x 127 mm).
- Made with thick, smooth, 100% recycled FSC paper.
How to get The 1–2–5 Productivity Cards:
Full Year Pack of 1–2–5 Cards
- 12 Months of Daily Productivity Cards
- Keep a stack of cards in your workspace + stay focused all year long.
- 6 sets of 30 double-sided cards gets you 365 days of daily productivity planning.
60-Day Pack of 1–2–5 Cards
- 2 Months of Daily Productivity Cards
- 30 double-sided cards, giving you 60 days of daily productivity planning.
