Putting It All Together: Two Sample Days
Theory is useful, but seeing a system in action is where it truly clicks. Let’s walk through how two very different professionals might apply the 1-3-5 rule and its supporting techniques to structure their day. One is a manager whose schedule is often dictated by meetings, and the other is a solo creator with large blocks of self-directed time.
Scenario 1: The Busy Manager
Aisha is a marketing manager. Her calendar is a patchwork of team meetings, one-on-ones, and cross-departmental syncs. Her biggest challenge is carving out time for strategic work amidst the constant communication.
At the end of the previous day, Aisha takes ten minutes to draft her 1-3-5 list for today.
Her 1 Big Task: Finalize and submit the Q3 budget proposal. This requires two hours of focused spreadsheet analysis and writing, and the deadline is tomorrow.
Her 3 Medium Tasks:
1. Prepare the agenda and slides for her weekly team meeting.
2. Review a junior team member’s campaign brief and provide constructive feedback.
3. Review the project management dashboard and send a brief status update email to stakeholders.
Her 5 Small Tasks:
1. Approve two expense reports in the HR system.
2. Schedule a 30-minute 1:1 with a new hire for next week.
3. Respond to an urgent IT ticket about software access.
4. Book a conference room for the end-of-quarter review.
5. Send a quick follow-up email to a vendor from yesterday’s call.
How she executes it: Aisha knows her most productive time is early morning. She has a meeting at 11 AM. She immediately timeboxes 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM on her calendar as “DO NOT DISTURB – Budget Work.” She informs her team she will be offline during this time. After her deep work session, she uses the 30 minutes before her 11 AM meeting to complete her second medium task: reviewing the campaign brief. After a block of afternoon meetings, she timeboxes another 45 minutes to prepare for her team meeting. She then notices a 20-minute gap later in the day and creates a calendar event called “Admin Batch.” During that time, she knocks out all five of her small tasks in one go. Even with a packed meeting schedule, the 1-3-5 list ensures she makes progress on her most critical deliverable and stays on top of her other responsibilities.
Scenario 2: The Solo Creator
Ben is a freelance writer and content creator. His days are largely unstructured, which can be both a blessing and a curse. His challenge is maintaining focus and momentum without external deadlines or a boss looking over his shoulder.
Ben plans his day every morning with a cup of coffee.
His 1 Big Task: Write 1,500 words of a new long-form blog article. This is his core value-producing activity and requires deep creative focus.
His 3 Medium Tasks:
1. Research keywords and competitors for his next article topic.
2. Create a set of three social media graphics to promote his most recently published post.
3. Outline the script for an upcoming YouTube video.
His 5 Small Tasks:
1. Reply to five comments on his blog.
2. Update a plugin on his website.
3. Draft and schedule his weekly email newsletter.
4. Send an invoice to a client for a completed project.
5. Check his affiliate sales dashboard and record the numbers.
How he executes it: Ben knows his creative energy is highest before noon. He timeboxes a three-hour block from 9 AM to 12 PM for his “1” big task of writing. He uses a timer, working in 50-minute sprints with 10-minute breaks. After lunch, when his energy for deep work is lower, he shifts to his medium tasks. He spends an hour on keyword research, then 45 minutes on the social media graphics. He saves the video script outline for late afternoon. He batches all five of his small, administrative tasks into a single 30-minute block at the end of his day, which he calls his “business shutdown” routine. The 1-3-5 framework gives his flexible schedule the structure it needs, ensuring he balances high-value creative work with the necessary tasks of running his business.
