Effective Time Management: Rule of Three

It’s no secret that at ClickTime, we go nuts for productivity and effective time management skills. We firmly believe that tracking time & important tasks, measuring efficiency, and tweaking accordingly are the tools that make your business successful. We think this strategy works for individuals, teams, and companies.

At the same time, we know that productivity isn’t only about time. It’s also about choices. To wit: you could spend hours picking crumbs off of your kitchen counter, but if you don’t deal with that dripping pile of spaghetti on the floor, you can’t in good conscience call the room “clean.”

Put differently: being busy isn’t the same as being productive.

That’s why we’re fans of the “Three Things” rule when it comes to being productive. In fact, we’re not sure there’s a rule that’s better or easier. What is it? This:

Every morning, before you start working, write down Three Things you want to get done today. Then start doing them.

That’s it! Do it every single day. Three things.

Why is this such a good rule? Let’s review.

1. It forces you to prioritize, keeping you focused on what really matters, instead of spinning your wheels and later finding valuable time wasted.
2. It’s easy enough that you’ll actually stick to it. Lots of productivity hacks impose complicated systems. Not this one!
3. It keeps you focused. When you lose track of what you should be working on, it provides a nice reminder.
4. It gives you a legitimate sense of accomplishment. When you finish your Three Things, you’ll know you’ve gotten significant work done.

Now, this doesn’t mean you can’t do other things during the day. Sometimes you need to take a break from your big three. In that case, fill in the gaps with all those little things you have to do: those 2-minute emails, that data entry, all that scheduling. Just don’t let these get in the way of your Three Things.

It also doesn’t mean you can’t change those things as your day goes along. Occasionally you’ll have to re-prioritize. But – and this is a big but – don’t use “re-prioritizing” as an excuse to not do your Three Things.

Sound good? Wait – there’s more!

If you really want to do this thing like you’re supposed to, there are two other important practices to adopt:

• Every Monday, write down Three Things you want to get done this week.
• Once a year, write down Three Things you want to get done this year.

The once a year practice can be especially useful, even if like New Year’s Resolutions, your Three Things aren’t always accomplished the way you imagine they’ll be. Either way, it’s a fantastic way to help you figure out what really matters to you, and how to organize your year. Consider it part of your long term goals. It also gives you a simple, easy litmus test for evaluating big decisions: if the answer to “does this choice help me accomplish my three goals for the year?” isn’t “Yes,” then choose the other option.

We are also, we might note, leaving out one more crucial element of this strategy: you have to actually do the things you write down. The “Three Things” rule doesn’t get you out of doing work; it just ensures that the amount of time you spend working on any task at hand is actually accomplishing the carefully set goals that matter.

If these time management tips sound too easy, we say: try it. For a week. See if your days get easier, filled with lower stress levels, and just more productive. (See? Three things right there!)