Form
One card or page per day with date, six numbered tasks, status for each task (done, partial, moved), short daily review and carryover for next day.
RunsheetOperations
Ivy Lee Method
ComplexityLow
Time5-10 min täglich
Participants1
FormatAsync
MaturityEstablished
01
Preparation
What needs to be ready before start
Materials
Notebook, index card, or simple app; pen; evening routine slot of 5-10 min; no digital overhead.
People / roles
Solo practice. Optional accountability buddy for the first weeks.
Pre-read
Current open topics; weekly goals or accountabilities; known deferred tasks.
Time needed
5-10 min daily
Setup
One card or page per day. Format: date on top, six numbered lines underneath. Evening ritual after finishing work, before end-of-day transition.
02
Core question
The one question this method answers
Which six tasks tomorrow, in what order, will secure the largest daily progress?
03
Flow
Marker: Minute
| Step | Duration | Action | Hint |
|---|---|---|---|
1Evening, 0-3 min | 3 min | Write down up to six tasks for tomorrow. Each task must be concrete in 25 min to 3 h. Topics are not tasks. | More than six encourages multitasking. Discipline: do not add tasks, choose six from a list of 15. |
2Evening, 3-7 min | 4 min | Sort by importance for the next day. Position 1 is the top-priority task for tomorrow. | Sort by importance for the weekly goal, not by desire or urgency. The act of sorting improves clarity on priorities. |
3Morning, 0-1 min | 1 min | Read the card and start with task 1. No new choice, no re-prioritization. | Sorting happens the evening before; no swaps in the morning. Reorganizing replaces clarity with busyness. |
4During the day | continuous | Complete tasks in strict sequence. Finish task 1, then 2, then 3. If blocked at task X, move on only after clear documentation. | Sequential execution is the core. Working in parallel destroys the effect. If completion is impossible, redefine today’s task. |
5Evening, 7-10 min | 3 min | Review day: what was completed, what remains, what was learned for tomorrow. Carry unfinished tasks to tomorrow’s list or shift them intentionally. | Do not automatically carry everything forward; honestly decide if tomorrow’s top 6 should still include an unfinished task. |
04
Artifact
What comes out at the end
Versioning / ownership
Cards or daily pages are archived. Optional weekly review: how often task 1 is completed, which tasks move. Patterns indicate poor selection or overload.
Tool alternatives
- Index cards or small notebook
- Things 3 or Todoist with Top-6 tag
- Bullet Journal with daily log
- Plain-text file with date as header
ivy-lee-method-working-template.md
Compact working template for Ivy Lee Method with context, input, output artifacts, and next step.
Ivy Lee Method Working Template
Goal
Reduces daily planning to six prioritized tasks in a fixed order.
Context
When and for what do we use this method?
Input
Which data, observations, decisions, or materials are available?
Execution
Short notes along the runsheet.
Output artifacts
- Daily Priority List:
- Completion Notes:
Assumptions and open questions
- ...
Decision / Next step
Owner, date, and success signal.
05
Example output
Concrete filled scenario, fictional example
ivy-lee-method-beispiel.md
Concrete filled scenario, fictional example
Ivy Lee — Sabine, daily list 19.05.2026
- Complete annual VAT return for client Berger (deadline 22.05.) — done 09:50
- Final revision of fee agreement 2027 — done 10:40
- Call client Meyer, tax office reviewer — done 11:15
- Payroll for client Klein — in progress, blocked on data from client, moved to 20.05. position 1
- Complete DATEV training module 3 — moved to 21.05.
- LinkedIn post "Onboarding checklist for tax clients" — done 16:00
Daily review: 4/6 completed. Task 4 should have been prioritized before 5. Task 5 was too large (3 h), split it for tomorrow.
Daily list 20.05.2026 (evening prep)
- Payroll for client Klein (data received today)
- Payroll for client Schwarz
- Draft section 1 of client onboarding documentation
- Client calls (3 callbacks)
- DATEV training module 3 part A (60 min)
- Submit own travel receipts for April
06
Pitfalls
Recognize symptoms and steer against them
Trap
More than six tasks
Symptom
List expands to 9-12 tasks and the method loses filtering power.
What to do
Keep exactly six. If more are needed, there is an unresolved prioritization problem or tasks are too granular. Bundle tasks or consciously omit some.
Trap
Order ignored
Symptom
Tasks are done in random order and top tasks remain for the end of the day.
What to do
Keep sequence strictly. Document blockers and continue, not 'just do easy tasks first'. Discipline is the method.
Trap
Topics instead of tasks
Symptom
Entries such as "marketing" or "docs" end unfinished by day’s end.
What to do
Make each entry a concrete action, completable in 25 min to 3 h. Convert topics into three actions or remove them.
Trap
Carry over without reflection
Symptom
Task 5 has moved for eight days and nobody asks why.
What to do
Carryover is a decision, not reflection. If a task is carried three+ times, analyze it: too large, wrong timing, avoidance, or wrong assumption.
Trap
Method mixed with other lists
Symptom
Ivy Lee + GTD + Eisenhower run in parallel, list becomes theater and no one works honestly.
What to do
Choose one primary method. Ivy Lee is a daily list; sources like GTD backlog can feed it, but the daily list remains six points.
07
Stop criteria
Done signals checkable in under a minute
Work is primarily schedule-driven, with few self-chosen tasks; the method has no leverage.
The person needs high contextual flexibility (e.g., a manager with constant escalations); fixed ordering does not fit.
Daily horizon is not planable due to reactive responsibility, such as support or crisis management.
The method is used instead of missing weekly planning; the daily list is isolated.
The person uses the method as self-punishment; success signals are missing.
Tasks are more complex than 3 h (research, writing), requiring Pomodoro splits or deep-work blocks.
Finished the runsheet?
Go to the profile for purpose, similar methods, and sources or continue to the next method in the catalog.