My super simple task management hack
3 tasks per day keeps me productive
I’m a big fan of to-do lists.
My enthusiasm for them however, has often played against me.
My issue has always been that I try to complete everything, rather than narrowing down to the most important work.
I’ve found that other solofounders face similar issues:
Not knowing what to focus on
Always being busy but never making progress
Jumping around between different tasks
A simple solution I’ve found is to pick just 3 tasks per day and complete them.
It’s simple, less stressful and tends to lead to faster progress.
Lets jump in!
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Step 1: Write down your big goal
Before you touch any task list, write down the ONE big thing you’re trying to achieve right now. This could be your goal for the entire year, or maybe just a project you’re working on.
For example, it might be “get 500 new newsletter subscribers” or “launch the new product feature.”
Keep it specific and make it visible (write it down somewhere you always see it). This becomes your filter for everything else.
Step 2: Brain dump everything
Open up your task manager (I use Things, but any app works) and create a project for your business if you don’t have one already.
Dump every single task you can think of into that project. Don’t organize them yet. Just get it all out of your head.
When new tasks pop up throughout the week, add them to this same project immediately. Don’t let them live in your head or on random sticky notes.
Step 3: Prioritize ruthlessly
Once a week (or daily if you prefer), review your entire task list.
Ask yourself: “Does this task directly move me toward my big goal?”
If yes, it stays. If no (and it’s not essential admin work) it gets delayed.
You can use different layers of priority if you want. It doesn’t really matter. The main thing is that you’re only working on the top-priority tasks…the ones moving you towards the goal.
This is the hardest step. You’ll feel the pull to keep tasks that feel productive but aren’t actually important. Don’t do it.
Step 4: Pick your daily three
Each day, choose exactly 3 meaningful tasks from your prioritized list.
These should be tasks that will move the needle on your big goal. If you complete these three things, the day was a success.
Step 5: Schedule in advance
Don’t pick your tasks on the day you plan to do them.
Either schedule the night before, or do what I do – plan your entire week on Friday afternoon, at the end of your day.
This works because of something psychologists call “temporal distance”. When you plan in advance, you think more strategically and less emotionally. You’re not influenced by how you feel in the moment. For me, the impact of planning the night or week before vs on the day is massive.
Step 6: Time block everything
Open your calendar and add each of your 3 tasks as calendar events.
Estimate how long each will take, then make it longer. Things always take longer than you think. Multiplying by 1.5 is a good rule.
Use 1-3 hour blocks. Anything shorter gets interrupted. Anything longer becomes overwhelming.
Treat these like real meetings. They are meetings with your most important work.
The Result?
You’ll end up with a completely full calendar and roughly 15 meaningful tasks completed each week.
More importantly, every single thing you do will push you closer to your big goal instead of just keeping you busy.
This system really helps tie your goals and your daily work tightly together.
Three tasks per day forces you to focus on what matters.
Scheduling in advance prevents indecisiveness.
Time blocking creates accountability.
Most productivity advice tries to help you do more things and squeeze every minute out of your day. This helps you do the right things. Less task-completion, but more progress.