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It is based on the understanding that we are unlikely to be able to achieve all the goals set for the day, but we will definitely be able to achieve at least one. Therefore, first you need to include this one big goal in the plan, and then add three medium and five small ones to it.
At the same time, the definitions of "large", "medium" and "small" refer not only to the scale of the goal, but also to its importance. That is, medium—sized goals should be significant, but not urgent or critical, small ones should be pleasant to accomplish, but not mandatory. If suddenly there is no time left for them, this should not create problems.
Thus, the 1-3-5 rule helps to gradually achieve success and not blame yourself if you fail to achieve absolutely all daily goals. It is a tool that sets a clear direction in personal and professional life and leads step by step to progress. And regular use of such a tool turns planning into a pleasant habit and increases the chances of success.
Long to-do lists almost always make us nervous, because there are so many tasks and so little time. With the 1-3-5 rule, everything is much simpler — you only need to do one big thing in a whole day.
At the same time, you should not worry that productivity will decrease. Think about the cumulative effect: in a year you will have time to do 365 important things, not counting 1,095 medium and 1,825 small ones. Quite effective.
Planning for the year ahead and even more so for life is a serious matter. And the plan for one day? Nonsense! So you can start using the 1-3-5 rule at any time. Try to plan a day, then move on to a week, a month, and even a year.
Research proves Neuroscience Explains Why You Need To Write Down Your Goals If You Actually Want To Achieve Them / Forbes that our chances of realizing our plans increase significantly when we write down goals.
The method of "dumping goals" will help to structure them — recording all the desires that come to mind. To do this, you will need to create a table on your computer or divide a piece of paper into two columns. The first will be called "Tasks", the second — "Goals". You need to list all your dreams and desires in the "Goals" column, and then break them down into specific steps in the "Tasks" column. This way you will have several cases at once that you can use for planning according to the 1-3-5 rule.
Researchers have long linked How Checklists Train Your Brain To Be More Productive And Goal‑Oriented / Trello planning with an emotional boost. It's all about the production of dopamine, which is often called the hormone of happiness. Crossing completed tasks off the to-do list lifts your mood and gives you a sense of success and productivity.
Start with your "dump of goals" and highlight the most important tasks that you would like to complete. Then start planning. There are three ways to do this.
The first is to use the rule as usual, first daily and then weekly.
The second is to choose one large goal, three medium and five small ones, but for the whole year.
The third is to split the cases in the same way for the next three and five years. At the same time, your goals from different periods are likely to overlap with each other. Be prepared for this if you decide to use this method.
Remember that the trick of the 1-3-5 rule is its simplicity. It facilitates the planning process itself and makes it easier to achieve results. So if you want to make the next day, month, or year truly productive, try this method right now. The results will definitely surprise you.
