The “Ivy Lee” Method for Prioritizing Your Daily Tasks

In the world of productivity, we are often sold a myth. The myth is that to achieve more, we need more: more apps, more complex systems, more heroic, caffeine-fueled all-nighters. We chase elaborate digital workflows and color-coded calendars, believing that the perfect system will unlock a secret level of performance. But what if the opposite were true? What if the most profound productivity gains come not from adding complexity, but from embracing radical simplicity?

Heroic effort is brittle. It shatters under the pressure of a single bad night’s sleep, an unexpected crisis, or simple burnout. Sustainable success is built on a foundation of small, repeatable, low-friction habits. It’s about creating a system so simple that you can execute it even on your worst day. This is the core philosophy we champion at TheFocusedMethod.com, and no technique embodies it better than a century-old method born from a conversation between a steel magnate and one of the world’s first productivity consultants.

This is the story of the Ivy Lee Method, a deceptively simple technique for prioritizing your daily tasks that requires nothing more than a piece of paper and five minutes of your time. It’s a powerful antidote to the chaos of the modern workday, helping you replace overwhelming distraction with calm, focused action. Forget the complex apps for a moment. Let’s explore a system that has endured for over 100 years for one simple reason: it works.

The $25,000 Idea: The Origin of the Ivy Lee Method

The legend is a cornerstone of productivity lore. Around 1918, Charles M. Schwab was one of the richest men in the world. As the president of Bethlehem Steel, he was obsessed with efficiency and output. He summoned a highly-respected productivity consultant named Ivy Lee to his office and issued a challenge: show me a way to get more things done.

Schwab told Lee he was willing to pay anything for a good idea, as long as it worked. Lee, in turn, said he could give Schwab a method that would increase his company’s efficiency in just 15 minutes. He wouldn’t charge a fee upfront. Instead, he told Schwab to try the method for three months. After that, Schwab could send him a check for whatever he felt the idea was worth.

Ivy Lee then laid out his remarkably simple system. He didn’t unveil a complex flowchart or a new piece of technology. He handed Schwab a blank piece of paper and gave him six simple instructions. Three months later, Lee received a check in the mail from Charles M. Schwab for $25,000. In today’s money, that’s the equivalent of over $400,000. So, what was this multi-thousand-dollar piece of advice?

The Six Steps of the Ivy Lee Productivity Technique

The beauty of the Ivy Lee method explained is its sheer, unadorned simplicity. It is a ritual to be performed, not a system to be managed. Here are the steps, which you can adopt this very evening.

First: At the end of each workday, take a moment before you disconnect. On a blank sheet of paper or a simple notecard, write down the six most important things you need to accomplish tomorrow. And only six.

Second: Review that list of six items. Now, prioritize them in order of their true importance. Not what’s easiest, not what’s fastest, but what is most critical to moving your goals forward. Number them from 1 to 6.

Third: The next morning, when you arrive at your desk, look only at your list. Do not open your email. Do not check your notifications. Start immediately on task number one.

Fourth: Work on task number one, and only task number one, until it is complete. Give it your full, undivided attention. This is the principle of single-tasking in its purest form.

Fifth: Once you’ve completed the first task, move on to task number two. Approach it with the same singular focus. Continue down your list in this manner, completing one task before moving to the next.

Sixth: At the end of the day, you may have unfinished items. That’s okay. Any tasks that remain are simply transferred to your new list of six for the following day. Repeat this process every single working day.

That’s it. That is the entire method. There are no apps to download, no subscriptions to pay, no complex tutorials to watch. Its power lies not in its features, but in the psychological principles it masterfully employs.

Why This Simple Prioritization Method Works

The Ivy Lee Method feels almost too simple for our hyper-connected world, but its effectiveness is rooted in how it addresses the core bottlenecks of modern knowledge work. It systematically dismantles the barriers that keep us from doing our most important work.

First, it conquers decision fatigue. Throughout the day, we make hundreds of small decisions that deplete our mental energy. Deciding what to work on next is one of the most draining. By making this critical decision the night before, when the day’s context is fresh in your mind, you preserve your peak mental energy for the work itself. You wake up with a pre-made battle plan, ready for execution, not deliberation. For more on the cognitive costs of decision-making, you can review literature from organizations like the American Psychological Association.

Second, it forces ruthless prioritization. The constraint of choosing only six tasks is a feature, not a bug. It prevents you from creating an aspirational, and ultimately demoralizing, to-do list of 25 items. You are forced to confront the hard reality of your limited time and attention, making difficult choices about what truly matters. This act of culling the unimportant is one of the highest-leverage productivity activities you can perform.

Finally, it promotes deep, focused work. The modern workplace is an engine of distraction. The Ivy Lee Method is a shield against it. By mandating single-tasking—working on one item until completion—you create the conditions necessary for entering a state of flow. You stop switching contexts, a process that incurs a significant cognitive cost, and instead immerse yourself fully in the task at hand, producing higher quality work in less time.

Supercharging the Ivy Lee Method with Modern Micro-Habits

While the core Ivy Lee technique is a powerful standalone system, we can amplify its effects by pairing it with other simple, low-friction habits. Think of these not as complications, but as supporting rituals that make the core method even more effective and sustainable. These are the small hinges that swing big doors.

The Evening Ritual: Setting the Stage for Success

The most crucial part of the Ivy Lee method happens the night before. You can enhance this planning phase by creating a brief “shutdown ritual” that clears your mind and your workspace, making it easier to dive into Task #1 the next morning.

Start with a 10-Minute Desk Reset. Before you write your list of six, take ten minutes to tidy your physical environment. Put away papers, wipe down the surface, organize your pens, and close unnecessary items on your computer desktop. A cluttered space contributes to a cluttered mind. By creating physical order, you are sending a powerful signal to your brain that the day’s work is complete and you are preparing a clean slate for tomorrow. This small act of closure makes the transition from “work mode” to “home mode” more distinct and restful.

Next, perform a One-Screen Phone Tweak. Our phones are the number one enemy of focused work. Before you power down for the evening, proactively disarm tomorrow’s distractions. Drag all social media, news, and email apps off your main home screen and into a folder on a secondary screen. For an even more powerful effect, set your phone to grayscale mode through your accessibility settings. This makes the device significantly less appealing and neurologically stimulating. When you pick up your phone in the morning, you won’t be immediately pulled into a vortex of notifications. This simple tweak removes the friction to starting your real work.

The Daily Execution: Adding Structure and Clarity

With your list of six prepared and your environment primed, you can use a few simple techniques to help you execute the plan with precision and focus during the day.

Embrace Timeboxing. Timeboxing is the practice of allocating a fixed time period, or “timebox,” to a planned activity. Instead of just “working on Task #1,” you can decide to “work on Task #1 for an uninterrupted 90-minute block.” You set a timer and, for that period, you do nothing else. When the timer goes off, you take a mandatory break. This technique is incredibly effective for large or vaguely defined tasks. It converts an intimidating marathon into a series of manageable sprints. It also creates a sense of urgency and helps you fight perfectionism, as the goal is to make dedicated progress within the box, not necessarily to finish the entire task.

Use the 1-3-5 Rule for Selection. If you’re struggling to choose your six items, the 1-3-5 Rule can be a helpful mental model. The rule suggests that on any given day, you can realistically accomplish one “big” thing, three “medium” things, and five “small” things. You can use this framework to build your Ivy Lee list. Your Task #1 might be your one big thing. Tasks #2, #3, and #4 could be your three medium things. Tasks #5 and #6 could be two of your most important small things. This adds a layer of qualitative assessment to your prioritization process.

Incorporate Task Batching. Task batching is the practice of grouping similar, small tasks together and completing them in one dedicated session. Answering emails, making phone calls, or processing invoices are perfect examples. Instead of letting these small, reactive tasks pepper your day and break your focus, you can make one of your six Ivy Lee items a “batch.” For example, Task #4 could be: “Batch: Process all high-priority emails from 11:00 AM to 11:30 AM.” This contains the chaos and protects your deep work blocks for your most important tasks.

The Weekly Anchor: Learning and Adapting

A system is only as good as its feedback loop. To ensure the Ivy Lee Method continues to serve you, you need a moment to step back, review, and adjust. This is where a weekly review comes in.

Conduct a 15-Minute Weekly Review. Set aside 15 minutes at the end of your week, perhaps on a Friday afternoon. Gather your daily Ivy Lee lists from the past five days. Ask yourself a few simple questions: What did I consistently accomplish? What tasks kept getting pushed to the next day, and why? Was I being realistic about what could be done? This brief review provides invaluable data. You might realize you are consistently underestimating how long certain tasks take, or that you are letting “urgent” but unimportant work crowd out your true priorities. This insight allows you to make much smarter Ivy Lee lists for the week ahead.

For even deeper insight, try a Time Audit Snippet. For just one or two days, perform a simple time audit. Keep a piece of paper or a simple text file next to you and, every 30 minutes, write down what you were actually doing. The results are often shocking. You may think you spent the morning writing a report, but the audit reveals you actually spent 35 minutes on Slack, 20 minutes in your inbox, and only 45 minutes on the report itself. This dose of reality is the ultimate fuel for improving your focus and creating more effective daily plans. Understanding where your time truly goes is the first step to directing it more intentionally.

Tools for Simplicity: Less is More

In the spirit of Ivy Lee, the best tools for this method are the simplest ones. The goal is to reduce friction between you and the work, not to add another layer of digital administration to your day. You do not need a new app. In fact, you should actively resist the urge to find one.

The Analog Approach: Pen and Paper

The original, and for many the best, way to implement the Ivy Lee Method is with a physical tool. A simple 3×5 index card, a page in a dedicated notebook, or a sticky note are all you need.

There is a unique power in the physical act of writing. It forces you to slow down and think more deliberately about each item you add to your list. The constraints of the physical page naturally limit you, reinforcing the “six items only” rule. Crossing a completed item off a physical list provides a satisfying tactile and visual feedback loop that a digital checkmark can’t replicate. Keep your notecard or notebook on your desk, always visible, as a constant, non-intrusive reminder of your top priority.

The Minimalist Digital Approach

If you live and die by your screen, a digital tool can work, but only if you choose the most basic one possible. Avoid feature-rich to-do list apps with tags, projects, and due dates. These features invite complexity and procrastination.

Your best options are a plain text file (`.txt`) saved to your desktop or a simple, built-in notes application like Notepad (Windows) or TextEdit (Mac). Each night, create a new note titled with tomorrow’s date. Type your six items, number them, and save. The next day, you simply delete the line as you complete the task. The key is to use a tool that does nothing but hold text. It should not have notifications, sharing features, or formatting options that can distract you.

Supporting Tools: Calendars and Timers

While your list itself should be simple, you can use your existing digital calendar and a timer to support your execution.

Your Calendar as a Commitment Device: Once you have your Ivy Lee list, open your digital calendar. For your top 1-3 tasks, block out specific, realistic chunks of time to work on them. For example, if Task #1 is “Draft the project proposal,” create a calendar event from 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM called “DEEP WORK: Project Proposal Draft.” This does two things: it protects your time from being booked by others, and it serves as a powerful, public commitment to yourself about your priorities for the day.

A Simple Timer for Focus: When you begin a timeboxed work session, use a timer. This can be the timer on your phone (put it in Do Not Disturb mode), a simple kitchen timer, or a web-based timer. The act of starting a timer signals to your brain that it is time to focus. It’s a clear boundary. For the next 60, 75, or 90 minutes, your only job is to work on the task at hand. When the timer goes off, your job is to take a break. This rhythm prevents burnout and helps maintain high energy levels throughout the day. Studies on attentional resources, often supported by institutions like the National Institutes of Health, show that periodic breaks are essential for sustained cognitive performance.

Worked Examples: The Ivy Lee Method in the Real World

Theory is one thing; practice is another. Let’s see how this simple prioritization technique can be applied in two very different professional scenarios. Notice how the principles remain the same, even as the specific tasks change.

Scenario 1: The Busy Manager’s Schedule

Meet Sarah, a department head whose day is a minefield of meetings, interruptions, and team responsibilities. Her calendar is a wall of colored blocks. How can she possibly limit herself to six tasks? The key for Sarah is to define “task” correctly. A meeting isn’t just something that happens to her; preparing for it or leading it is a task. Her list, created the night before, might look like this:

1. Finalize and rehearse slides for the 2:00 PM quarterly review. This is her most important task. It requires deep focus and has the biggest consequence if done poorly. She will timebox 90 minutes for this first thing in the morning.

2. Approve the final draft of the team’s budget proposal. This is a high-importance review task. It requires careful attention to detail but is less creatively demanding than the presentation.

3. Conduct one-on-one coaching session with Mark. A crucial leadership responsibility. The “task” here is to be fully present and prepared for that conversation, not just to show up.

4. Draft the project brief for the new “Odyssey” initiative. This is important but not as urgent as the first two items. It involves creative thinking and planning for the future.

5. Batch: Review and respond to five critical emails from senior leadership. She defines a clear, contained batch of communication. This prevents her from living in her inbox. The other emails can wait.

6. Sign off on team vacation requests for the next month. A lower-priority administrative task that still needs to get done. It’s last on the list for a reason.

For Sarah, the Ivy Lee Method brings order to a potentially chaotic day. It forces her to distinguish between merely being “in meetings” and actively driving her most important work forward.

Scenario 2: The Solo Maker’s Schedule

Now consider David, a freelance web developer. His days are long stretches of “maker” time, with few meetings. His challenge isn’t managing interruptions, but rather structuring his time to make consistent progress on multiple large projects. His list helps him break down ambiguous goals into concrete daily actions.

1. Code the user authentication flow for the Client Alpha project. This is his top technical priority. It’s a complex task that requires several hours of uninterrupted concentration. He’ll tackle this during his peak energy window in the morning.

2. Fix the critical navigation bug reported in the Client Beta app. A high-priority, but less complex, task than #1. It’s important for client satisfaction.

3. Write 750 words for the marketing blog post on “Responsive Design Trends.” This is an important business development task. It uses a different part of his brain, making it a good activity for after a mentally taxing coding session.

4. Research and compare payment gateway APIs for the new e-commerce build. A research task that is crucial for a future project. It’s well-defined and can be timeboxed.

5. Design the initial wireframe for the “Contact Us” page on his own portfolio site. A personal project task that helps him move his own business forward, ensuring it doesn’t get perpetually ignored.

6. Batch: Send out weekly progress reports and invoices to all clients. He groups all his administrative communication into one efficient block, protecting his deep work time.

For David, the Ivy Lee Method provides the structure that a solo schedule often lacks. It ensures he makes balanced progress on client work, bug fixes, marketing, and his own business, preventing him from getting stuck on one thing at the expense of all others.

Guarding Against Over-Optimization and The Lure of Complexity

There’s a beautiful paradox at the heart of productivity: the most effective systems are often the ones you can’t optimize any further. The Ivy Lee Method is a perfect example. Its power is in its constraints and its simplicity. As you adopt it, you will inevitably be tempted to “improve” it. This is a trap you must actively avoid.

Chaining Habits: The Right Way to Build

The correct way to build upon the Ivy Lee Method is not by adding features to the method itself, but by chaining other simple, supportive habits around it. This creates a powerful, compounding effect where one good habit cues the next.

The chain looks like this: The 10-Minute Desk Reset at the end of the day naturally flows into the Ivy Lee list creation, because your mind is clear and your space is tidy. That well-crafted list makes it effortless to begin your first Timeboxed deep work session the next morning. The success of that session builds momentum for the rest of the day. Finally, the 15-Minute Weekly Review looks back at your lists, providing the data to make your next week’s planning even more effective. Each habit supports the others, creating a virtuous cycle of focus and accomplishment.

The Danger of “Productivity Procrastination”

The trap is when you start tinkering with the core system. You might think, “What if I add priority tags? Or color-coding? Maybe I can link my six items to a project management app and add sub-tasks.” This is “productivity procrastination.” It’s the act of spending more time organizing the work than actually doing the work.

The moment your system for choosing your six tasks takes more than five or ten minutes, it has become too complex. The moment you need a user manual to operate your to-do list, it has failed. The six-item limit is there to force hard choices. The single-tasking rule is there to build focus. The end-of-day planning is there to reduce friction. Every “improvement” you add risks diluting these core benefits. Resist the urge to fiddle. Trust in the profound power of its original, unadorned simplicity.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Ivy Lee Method

As you begin to apply this method, practical questions will naturally arise. Here are answers to some of the most common queries we see at TheFocusedMethod.com.

What if I get interrupted and can’t finish my first task?

This is a reality of the modern workplace. The Ivy Lee Method is a guide, not a rigid prison. If an urgent and important interruption arises (e.g., your boss needs you for a crisis, a critical system goes down), you handle it. The key is to distinguish between a true, external emergency and a self-generated distraction (like the urge to check email). Once the emergency is resolved, the goal is to return to your #1 task as quickly as possible. The list is your default setting, your anchor in a sea of potential distractions. Don’t abandon the plan for the day; simply return to it.

Why only six tasks? I have way more than six things to do.

Everyone has more than six things they could do. The constraint is the entire point of the exercise. It’s a tool that forces you to separate the truly important from the merely urgent. If you consistently feel you have more than six *critical* tasks each day, it may be a sign of a deeper issue. You might be overcommitted, need to delegate more effectively, or are struggling to say “no.” The list of six isn’t meant to capture everything; it’s meant to guarantee that you make progress on the things that matter most.

Is it better to use a digital tool or pen and paper?

There is no single right answer, but we strongly recommend starting with pen and paper. The physical act of writing slows down your thinking and can lead to more thoughtful prioritization. The constraints of a notecard are also beneficial. However, the best system is ultimately the one you will use consistently. If a simple digital text file is less friction for you and you can resist the temptation to over-complicate it or get distracted by the device it’s on, then it is a perfectly acceptable choice.

How is the Ivy Lee Method different from a standard to-do list?

A standard to-do list is often a “brain dump”—a long, unprioritized collection of everything you need to do. It can quickly become overwhelming and a source of anxiety. The Ivy Lee Method is fundamentally different in three ways. First, the constraint of six items forces prioritization upfront. Second, the forced ranking (numbering 1-6) tells you exactly what to work on next, eliminating in-the-moment decision fatigue. Third, the methodology of single-tasking until completion is a core instruction, not just a suggestion. A to-do list is a menu of options; an Ivy Lee list is a battle plan.

How long should I try a new productivity hack before quitting?

Give any new, simple habit like this an honest effort for at least two full weeks. The first few days can feel awkward as you break old patterns. You need time for the new routine to become more automatic. After two weeks, perform a quick evaluation. Is it reducing your stress? Are you getting more important work done? If it’s consistently causing more friction than it’s removing, or if you find yourself dreading the process, it may not be the right fit for your personality or workflow. The goal is to find a system that supports you, not one that you have to fight to maintain.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical, financial, or legal advice. Please consult with a qualified professional for advice tailored to your specific situation. The effects of sleep, focus, and stress management can be complex, and information from resources like the Sleep Foundation may be beneficial for a holistic understanding.

Conclusion: Your First Step Starts Tonight

The relentless pursuit of productivity can often lead us down a rabbit hole of complexity, leaving us with more systems to manage and less time for the actual work. The Ivy Lee Method is a powerful reminder that clarity, focus, and momentum are born from simplicity. It’s not about finding a magic app or a secret workflow; it’s about building a single, powerful keystone habit that anchors your entire day.

By deciding your priorities the night before, you reclaim your morning focus. By limiting your choices, you defeat decision fatigue. By committing to single-tasking, you unlock the state of deep work where your best efforts live. This isn’t just a to-do list; it’s a daily ritual for intentionality.

You don’t need to wait for a new week, a new month, or a new role to begin. You can start today. Here are your action items:

1. Find Your Tool. Before you finish your work today, find a notecard, a sticky note, or open a blank text file. Keep it simple.

2. List Your Six. Take five minutes. Brainstorm and then write down the six most important things you need to accomplish tomorrow.

3. Rank Them. Review the list and number the items from 1 to 6, based on their true, honest-to-goodness importance.

4. Execute Tomorrow. When you start your workday tomorrow, ignore everything else until you have started working on Task #1. See how it feels.

That’s it. Take this small step tonight. It might just be the most valuable five minutes of your day, setting the stage for a calmer, more focused, and profoundly more productive tomorrow.