I used to drown in to-do lists.
Long, sprawling monuments to my ambition that I’d chip away at, never finishing, always adding more. Digital graveyards of good intentions. Each night, the unfinished items would migrate to tomorrow’s list, like sad refugees of productivity.
Sound familiar?
Then I discovered the 1-3-5 Rule, and everything changed.
The Beautiful Constraint
The 1-3-5 Rule is brutally simple: each day, accomplish:
- 1 big thing
- 3 medium things
- 5 small things
That’s it. Nine things total. No more, no less.
The magic isn’t in the specific numbers (though they work remarkably well). The magic is in the constraint itself.
My friend Jake, a brilliant but scattered software developer, used to start each day attacking twenty different tasks at once. “I’m a multitasker,” he’d proclaim, wearing his chaos like a badge of honor. Three months after adopting the 1-3-5 Rule, he shipped the app he’d been “almost finishing” for two years.
Constraints create clarity. Clarity creates completion.
Why This Works When Everything Else Failed
Most productivity systems fail because they don’t account for three fundamental truths:
- Your ambition exceeds your capacity. Always.
- Your estimates suck. We all drastically underestimate how long things take.
- Interruptions happen. Life doesn’t care about your perfect plan.
The 1-3-5 Rule works because it embraces these truths rather than fighting them.
It forces you to prioritize ruthlessly. It builds in buffer time for the inevitable interruptions. And it provides enough structure to move forward without becoming another system you’ll abandon by Wednesday.
Defining Your 1-3-5
The architecture of your day demands precision. Here’s what each category truly means:
The BIG ONE
This is your day-maker. The task that, once completed, makes the day a win regardless of what else happens. Characteristics include:
- Takes 1-3 focused hours to complete
- Moves a significant project forward
- Often involves creative or deep thinking
- Completing it creates a sense of meaningful progress
For entrepreneurs: Finalize the pitch deck for your funding round For artists: Complete the central element of your new piece For writers: Draft the key argument of your article or chapter
The MEDIUM THREE
These are substantial tasks that require focus but can be completed in less time than your big task:
- Takes 30-60 minutes each
- Important but not necessarily urgent
- Often operational in nature
- Supporting players to your main objective
For entrepreneurs: Review competitor positioning, update financial projections, prepare for tomorrow’s team meeting For artists: Research new techniques, respond to gallery inquiries, organize reference materials For writers: Create your interview questions, outline your next piece, review edits on existing work
The SMALL FIVE
Quick wins. The tasks you can knock out between meetings or during short bursts of attention:
- Takes 5-15 minutes each
- Often administrative or maintenance tasks
- Can sometimes be batched
- Provide small but immediate satisfaction
For entrepreneurs: Post client testimonial, schedule investor coffee, send invoice For artists: Order supplies, update portfolio site, respond to commission inquiry For writers: Submit pitch to publication, schedule social media post, follow up on payment
Implementation: From Theory to Practice
Here’s how to make the 1-3-5 Rule work in real life:
Step 1: Plan Tomorrow Today
Take 10 minutes at the end of each workday to set your 1-3-5 for tomorrow. This critical habit:
- Gives your subconscious time to process the tasks overnight
- Eliminates morning decision fatigue
- Creates a clean break between workdays
- Allows you to start each day with immediate momentum
Step 2: Build Your Achievement Machine
Choose a tool that feels frictionless to you:
- For minimalists: Use Apple Reminders with three simple lists: Big, Medium, Small.
- For visual thinkers: Try a note-taking app with a template you copy each day.
- For the data-driven: Create a spreadsheet template that allows you to track completion rates over time.
The tool doesn’t matter. The consistency does.
Step 3: Defend Your Big One
Your “Big One” task requires protection:
- Schedule it during your peak energy hours
- Enable Do Not Disturb or Focus mode
- Close all unnecessary apps and browser tabs
- Set a timer (90 minutes often works well)
- Work in a different physical location if possible
Remember: The world conspires against your important work. Defend it like it matters, because it does.
When Life Happens: Adapting the System
Some days go sideways.
The emergency client call. The sick kid. The server meltdown. When this happens, don’t abandon the system - modify it.
On chaotic days:
- Scale down to a 1-2-3 Rule (1 big, 2 medium, 3 small)
- Or even a 0-3-5 Rule (no big task, just medium and small)
The framework remains useful even when scaled back. When you return to normal operations, simply resume the full 1-3-5.
The Myth of “I’ll Just Do More”
Here’s the counterintuitive truth: you’ll accomplish more by planning to do less.
I’ve tracked my own productivity for years. On days when I plan 20+ tasks, I typically complete 6-8. On days when I plan using the 1-3-5 Rule, I complete all 9 tasks about 80% of the time.
When I explained this to Maria, a graphic designer constantly missing deadlines, she was skeptical. “But I have way more than nine things to do every day,” she protested.
“So does everyone,” I replied. “The difference is whether you want to feel busy or be effective.”
Three weeks later, she called to tell me she’d cleared her backlog for the first time in years.
Beyond the Daily: Creating Cascading Achievement
Once you’ve mastered the daily 1-3-5, expand to:
Weekly 1-3-5
- 1 significant project milestone
- 3 meaningful progress points
- 5 maintenance activities
Monthly 1-3-5
- 1 major accomplishment
- 3 capability improvements
- 5 relationship or network advancements
These expanded timeframes create a nested system that converts daily actions into transformative results.
The Bottom Line
The 1-3-5 Rule isn’t sexy. It’s not the latest productivity hack or shiny new app.
It’s just simple math that works.
Nine things. Every day. Consistently.
In a world drowning in options and overwhelm, sometimes the simplest solution is the one that saves you. The 1-3-5 Rule has saved me and countless others I’ve shared it with.
Try it for two weeks. Be strict about it. See what happens when you replace the infinite to-do list with the focused 1-3-5.
Your future self—less frazzled, more accomplished—will thank you.