Appreciation post: Starting my day with a 15-minute task list instead of diving into emails

I used to roll into work at 8am and check my inbox right away. For like 2 years I did that and it always set me up for a reactive day where I was just answering other people's stuff. Last month I switched to writing down 3 things I need to get done before I even open my email. The difference is huge, I actually get my priority work done before lunch now. Has anyone else found a morning routine that changed how your whole day goes?

3 comments

3 Comments

dakotawood1mo ago

hold up though, you say 15 minutes but then you said you write down 3 things. That takes like 2 minutes max. I think what you really mean is you spend 15 minutes planning your whole approach and breaking those tasks down. That's what actually works - not just jotting down 3 things but actually figuring out the steps for each one. Also I gotta say, you're right that checking email first thing is a trap but it's not just about doing your stuff before lunch. It's about training your brain to not be reactive from the moment you wake up. That whole "protect your morning" thing is legit science. Anyway good on you for figuring it out before you burned out like half the people I know.

jessica_hall491mo ago

Actually you're not quite right about the 15 minutes to just write down 3 things. The first time you do it, maybe. But then you gotta think through each one, break it into steps, figure out what order makes sense, and sometimes you realize one task depends on another. That's where the real time goes. The planning part is way more important than the list itself. And I think you're onto something big about training your brain not to be reactive. That's the part most people miss. They just do the method without understanding why it works.

fiona_young18d ago

My neighbor Bob tried that 3 things method but he just scribbled down "emails, report, call boss" and called it a day. Called me three weeks later saying it wasn't working. Had to explain the whole planning part, just like @dakotawood said about breaking tasks down.