Are you having a hard time staying productive? Sometimes, staying motivated can be difficult if we’re overwhelmed with the number of items on our task list…or excitedly anticipating holiday festivities!
If you’re struggling to feel motivated these days, why not try the 1-3-5 rule? Using this rule, write down a list of the following to get done for the day:
1 Major Task
3 Medium Tasks
5 Small Tasks
Committing to a variety of tasks in reasonable quantities can help you make the most out of your time and energy, even if there’s not much of it. And, of course, you can always tweak the rule to fit your needs. If 1-3-5 still feels overwhelming, try adjusting it to the 1-2-3 rule!
“But Dr. Valentine,” you ask, “what if there is so much on my plate that I have no idea where to begin?” That’s a great question.
If you’re having difficulty prioritizing your tasks, I recommend making a master list at the beginning of the week of everything you need and would like to accomplish. This way, you don’t have a million tasks swirling around in your head. Having a master list will provide you with things to choose from for your day-to-day list. If you have some extra time, you can even try to group tasks as big, medium, or small beforehand.
Another tip is to make sure every task has a specific goal to complete. For example, if you need to make a phone call to some customers, list each phone call you need to make as separate tasks, rather than creating one task called, “Make phone calls.”
Tell me, have you tried out the 1-3-5 rule before? I’d love to hear how it has worked (or not) for you!
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