The 4D System in Action: Two Real-World Scenarios
Theory is useful, but seeing the 4D method of time management applied to a real to-do list makes it click. Let’s walk through two common scenarios: a busy manager juggling meetings and a solo creator trying to make progress on big projects.
Scenario 1: The Manager’s Monday Morning
Amina, a marketing manager, arrives at her desk to an inbox of 20 emails and a mental list of tasks. Here’s her raw to-do list:
– Finalize Q4 budget proposal
– Email from CEO about new project idea
– HR reminder about performance reviews
– LinkedIn connection request
– Team member asks for feedback on a draft
– Weekly industry newsletter
– Sales team asks for updated presentation deck
Instead of panicking, Amina applies the 4D filter:
Delete: The LinkedIn request and the industry newsletter are deleted immediately. They are not aligned with her core priorities for the day. This instantly shortens the list and reduces noise.
Delegate: The request for the updated presentation deck is a perfect task for her senior marketing specialist. She forwards the email with a clear request: “Hi Ben, can you update this deck with the latest Q3 numbers and send it to Sales by EOD Wednesday? Thanks!”
Do: The team member’s request for feedback is important and, since the draft is short, she can do it now. She spends 10 minutes reading it and sends back her comments. The HR reminder just requires her to book a meeting with her direct report, which takes one minute. She does it on the spot.
Defer: The two big items remain. “Finalize Q4 budget proposal” is her most important task. She blocks out a two-hour deep work session on her calendar from 10 AM to 12 PM. The CEO’s email about a new project idea is also important but requires thought. She schedules a 30-minute block at 3 PM to “Brainstorm initial thoughts on CEO’s project.”
In 15 minutes, Amina has transformed a chaotic list into a clear, actionable plan for her day, all organized neatly on her calendar.
Scenario 2: The Solo Maker’s Schedule
Javier is a freelance writer and course creator. His to-do list is a mix of client work, business building, and administrative tasks. He structures his day using a framework called the 1-3-5 rule: each day, he aims to accomplish 1 big thing, 3 medium things, and 5 small things. He uses the 4Ds to populate this structure.
His raw list looks like this:
– Write Chapter 3 of new course
– Invoice client A
– Research topics for next month’s blog posts
– Respond to 5 student comments in the course portal
– Follow up with a lead from last week
– Update website plugins
– Read an article about marketing funnels
– Post on social media
Here’s how Javier applies the 4Ds to build his 1-3-5 list for the day:
His 1 Big Thing is a “Defer” task: “Write Chapter 3 of new course.” He timeboxes a three-hour session in the morning for this, his most creative time.
His 3 Medium Things are a mix of “Defer” and “Do” (batched). “Research blog topics” and “Update website plugins” are deferred to two separate 45-minute blocks in the afternoon. He decides to “Do” his social media posting by batching it with responding to student comments in a single 30-minute block.
His 5 Small Things are mostly “Do” tasks. “Invoice client A” (2 mins), “Follow up with lead” (2 mins), and he’ll handle a few other quick emails that come in. He “Deletes” the idea of reading the marketing article for now, saving it to a “read later” app to avoid distraction. He has a clear, prioritized plan that balances deep work with essential administration.
