Operations Personal productivity method

Ivy Lee Method

Orders at most six important tasks for the next day and directs attention by that sequence.

At the end of a workday, at most six important tasks are listed and strictly ordered for the next day. Work begins with number one the following day and follows the order; unfinished work is reprioritised in the evening.

Core question

Which at most six tasks deserve my attention tomorrow and in what order?

Plan Method guide

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Participants: 1 participants
Time: 5–10 minutes evening planning; execution the next day

Select at most six
Select at most six
The previous evening, select at most six important tasks with concrete completion points for tomorrow.
Rank unambiguously
Rank unambiguously
Rank tasks by importance from one to at most six, without ties.
One at a time
One at a time
Next day, start with number one and take up the next task only after completion.
Decide again in the evening
Decide again in the evening
Mark completed items and compare unfinished tasks with new demands.

Select and rank again each evening; deliberately reconsider unfinished tasks rather than appending them automatically.

A good fit when

For personal prioritisation with many open tasks and frequent switching.

Ideal for

Daily Planning
Solo Execution
Focus Recovery

Not good for

Complex dependency planning
Large team backlogs

Outputs

Prioritised six-slot list
Ordered daily list with at most six concrete tasks and an evening decision on unfinished work.
New prioritised daily list
The new daily list ranks at most six selected tasks for the following day.

Ivy Lee Method· worksheet

Fictional example

1 · Highest priority

Which task comes first and how is completion recognised?

Fictional: hand the proposal draft to Lea for review.

2 · Next task

Which task follows completion of number one?

Correct the invoice address and confirm the change.

3 · Third task

Which further result takes priority over the following ones?

Complete the export test record.

4 · Fourth task

Which task follows if time and capacity allow?

Confirm two interview appointments.

5 · Fifth task

Which additional important task still fits the day? Leave blank if unnecessary.

Add the new registration question to the support FAQ.

6 · Sixth task

Which final task is included? At most six; fewer are allowed.

Check the workshop materials list.

Evening review

What is complete and what rank will open tasks receive tomorrow?

1–3 complete. Interview appointments become rank 1 tomorrow; FAQ rank 3. Materials review returns to the task pool after reassessment.

All example details are fictional and illustrate the application.

James Clear: The Ivy Lee Method

First step

Review commitments, deadlines and tomorrow’s available time; select only concrete, executable tasks.

Open the method guide

Good to do first

Paper notes move from an inbox to action, project and calendar collections.

Operations

Getting Things Done

Supplies the captured task pool the six tasks are chosen from.

Where to go next?

A paper tomato timer connects a focus task, short breaks and a work record.

Operations

Pomodoro Technique

Works the chosen six tasks in focused intervals.

Operations

Weekly Review

Compares the daily six-task list against new demands in the weekly review.

Deep dive

Purpose

With a restless workday full of too many open items, the method creates radical simplicity. It directs attention to a short sequence instead of a broad, still-open field.

How it works

In the short list, only the order counts, not the number of alternatives. Every completed task is replaced by the next one, so decision load stays small. The limited frame prevents overload and keeps the focus on actual completion.

In detail

The Ivy Lee Method reduces day planning to a strict order of a few tasks. The list is chosen the evening before and worked through the next day one after another without new prioritizing. Focus emerges from cutting down, as decision fatigue drops and the first important result starts sooner.

Facilitation

Write the six items down the evening before in genuine priority order, so the next morning starts without sorting work. Effect emerges when the order isn't immediately overturned by new stimuli. Close the day by deliberately carrying over unfinished items and creating a new list of six for tomorrow.

The method guide walks execution through 4 phases, timing, 4 pitfalls, and clear stop criteria.

Open method guide

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Sources and topics

Topics

Prioritization Productivity Execution

Sources

James Clear: The Ivy Lee Methodjamesclear.comReviewed account of the common six-task practice; secondary source, not contemporary evidence for the origin story.

Artifact templates

Ivy Lee Method: WorksheetReview commitments, deadlines and tomorrow’s available time; select only concrete, executable tasks.

markdown

ivy-lee-method-working-template.md

Review commitments, deadlines and tomorrow’s available time; select only concrete, executable tasks.

Ivy Lee Method: Worksheet

Question

To be confirmed

Desired outcome

To be confirmed

Scope

Complete cycle Time: 5–10 minutes evening planning; execution the next day

Complete this worksheet on paper or in your own document during the work.

Preparation for this scope

Method setup

Materials: A numbered list with at most six slots, task pool and calendar for checking capacity.
Roles: Person prioritising their own work; responsible requesters when commitments conflict.
Advance information: Review commitments, deadlines and tomorrow’s available time; select only concrete, executable tasks.
Overall time needed: 5–10 minutes evening planning; execution the next day
Setup: Place an empty list with six numbered slots beside the task pool and calendar; do not carry over tasks automatically.