One Positive Action

Use the 2-3-1 Rule:

You know that feeling when you’re sorting out your to-do list and it’s starting to look overwhelming? A million things on your list, all urgent, half of them needed to be done yesterday. By halfway through the week you've done maybe three things and feel overwhelmed and behind an ever growing task list. This is a problem that I get stuck with all the time, what happens is your executive function gets overwhelmed trying to figure out what to do first, so you end up doing nothing or just the easy stuff that doesn't really matter.

The 2-3-1 rule fixes this by making a manageable framework. Every day, you pick 2 small tasks (stuff that takes 15-30 minutes), 3 medium tasks (things that need an hour or two), and 1 big task (your main focus for the day). That's it. Six things total. The small tasks are your quick wins, you can bang these out to get your momentum going. The medium tasks are your steady progress items, work on a project, prep for a meeting, tackle some paperwork. The big task is your main focus, the thing that you really need to get done in work or life.

What's great about this system is that it matches how your brain actually works. You get those dopamine hits from checking off the small stuff, you make real progress on medium priorities, and you don't feel guilty about only tackling one big thing because that's actually realistic. Your executive function loves this structure because it doesn't have to constantly decide what's important, you've already decided, so there’s no friction, no exhaustion. Plus, when you finish your six things, you're done. No guilt about the seventeen other things you "should" be doing.

Look at your current to-do list (or if it’s a jumble in your head, write it down first) and pick your 2-3-1 for tomorrow. Write them down somewhere you'll see them first thing in the morning. Two small tasks that'll give you quick wins, three medium tasks that'll make real progress, and one big task that really matters. Don't cheat and make everything "medium", be honest about what actually takes how long. Start your day with one of the small tasks to build momentum, then tackle your big task when your brain is fresh. You'll be amazed how much more you actually accomplish when you stop trying to do everything.