1:2:3 Productivity
Bullshit
Trying to dig a hole in a sand dune and getting mad at the sand for filling in the hole each time you shovel is dumb, but that's exactly what I was doing. And just like sand causally rolling into my hole, the more crappy work I did, the more bullshit work people gave me. "Since you've done a great job of wasting your time, Garrett, we will reward you with more things to waste your time."
That wasn't the point!
Now, contending with even MORE crap than before. I really was not happy about that. I didn't ask for a promotion to chief shit shoveler. So I tried doing the opposite, i.e., avoiding tasks I didn't care about and focusing on what I wanted. This worked better; for a while, I was doing less bullshit, but it wasn't that great either because after a while, my boss started wondering why I hadn't answered any emails in the last month.
Switching Tactics
Initially, I categorized my to-dos by importance, but that wasn't good enough. I started categorizing by how energy-intensive a task was, my emotional resistance towards starting it, and how important it was to my long-term vision.
This shifted the system from prioritizing my to-do list to prioritizing my focus and energy throughout the day. This lets me plan how I would feel throughout the day. The better I feel, the more alert and productive I am. We're optimizing for endurance, not speed, here.
How it works
First, imagine starting the day with a fixed energy budget and an even smaller focus budget each day. Start by ranking the tasks for the day against two criteria: energy consumption and importance, and consider the entirety of your day. Now, write down the top six and prioritize them like this:
#1 (Priority One): The most important task of the day.
This is the …you guessed it, the #1 priority of the day. If you can only pick one task today before a Lexus plows through you during your morning run and subsequently is invited to a sex dungeon by your Uber driver on the way to the hospital…this is it (she wasn't attractive, unfortunately).
#2 (Priority Two): This is an important, but not that important, but still pretty important task of the day (x2).
These are two high-energy or high-friction tasks for the day. To-dos you've been putting off for a week or activities that will take effort to finish. These are the essential tasks that keep life moving forward.
#3 (Priority Three): The rest of the best (x3).
These are the things we don't want to do but should. You should be able to start quickly, but it takes enough effort to be worth accounting for in your energy budget. These items you bump to tomorrow if you can't make it through your list.
In summary: 1x heavy lift, 2x medium lift, and 3x lightweight tasks to categorize your day.
Example of my list:
1. Writing
2. Coaching homework
2. Working on Product Vision Doc
3. Day job (sorry, not sorry)
3. Cycling + Running
3. Random task that needs attention
End
This strategy has been the most effective system for preserving my energy throughout the day (and managing burnout). It also fits easily into other To-Do-List systems. The 1:2:3 strategy permits me to fuck-off once my priorities are complete, and who doesn't like guilt-free relaxation at the end of a fulfilling day?
