Here’s What I Think About the 1-3-5 Method for Daily Planning

As a kid, I had a lot of adult responsibilities growing up in a single parent household. That’s when I started using a tiny spiral notebook to keep track of things I needed to get done each day. I was a teacher’s dream student as I used this process all through grade school, junior high and high school.

When I started college, I graduated to a daily planner, one of those no-frills versions (choice of black or red cover) sold at my campus bookstore. Remember those? That served me well through four years of college and early on in my career.

As I progressed in my career and life, my list of daily to do’s grew even longer (can you relate?) and I started to keep a large spiral bound notebook to track everything. Each morning (sometimes the night before) I reviewed the list and identified what needed to be done that day. I also kept a paper calendar to mark deadlines and other important deliverables or events.

When I moved to MN, I worked for a company that was big into the Franklin Planner (now Franklin-Covey) and I used that process for years. That’s when I honed my a-b-c process for prioritizing my to-do’s.

I was quick to transition to online calendaring when that became available but still found the need to track my list of to do’s. At that time, I simply printed out that day’s calendar and listed and prioritized my task list. I still use Outlook and now also use Notes (an app on my iPhone) to track them but still create a daily, prioritized to do list.

Then I read about the 1-3-5 Method. With this method, each day you identify one big mission, three medium tasks and five small things you want to get done.

I spent some time trying it out. What I like about this method is how easy it is to remember and to use to prioritize your day. Here’s a recent example of one day of priorities using this method.

One Big:

• Review and revise Executive Women’s Retreat contract

Three Medium:

• Finalize Executive Women’s Retreat pricing
• Schedule contractor regarding patio door water leak
• Write blog post

Five Small:

• Schedule lunch with Gerry
• Request x-rays to be sent to primary care physician
• Arrange to pick up sponsor materials for Networking Social
• Research physical therapists
• Finalize menu items for Networking Social

Plus, I have since discovered there’s even a 135list App. For most of us, it doesn’t get better than this.

But what’s the real key for getting things done? It’s not having some magical method or process. The key is to HAVE a process that you actually USE. That’s how you accomplish those things that matter.

What process works for you? Share your comments here.

Speaker. Coach. Consultant.
“Dream Big. Take Action. Make It Happen.”