If you’re like me, you are reliant on list-making to map our your daily tasks and action items each day.

And while I’ve developed quite a few systems for making an effective to-do list, and increasing your productivity, I always struggled with those low-priority items at the end of my list. I took comfort in knowing that I was working on my highest priority tasks, and making the biggest impact where it mattered, but day-in and day-out, the same tasks would get rolled over to the next day, when (hopefully) I would have more time to knock them out.

The problem with these tasks is because they are low priority and non-urgent, they are allowed to get pushed and de-prioritized.

So how to we find the time to get them done? As we know, time is our most valuable resource – it is finite, and as much as we try, we can’t get more of it each day. But we can use it more effectively to get more done with the right system.

And so, “3-Day Rule” was born.

What is the “3-Day Rule?”

It’s simple: a low-priority task is only allowed to get pushed and de-prioritized to a later date for three days. On the third day, you have to do it – no matter what.

The beauty of this system is it creates some comfort for our anxious brains. Pushing tasks and delaying them makes us a little nervous… because as soon as we push a task one time, it enters the scary no-man’s task-land of “I hope I get to this someday.”

The “3-Day Rule” makes someday finite. It applies a much needed deadline to these low priority tasks, but it still gives you enough flexibility that you know you have time to push them around.

So, if you’re struggling with an out of control task list and endless de-prioritization – give the 3 Day Rule a try!

Interested in learning more about how to maximize the effectiveness of your to-do list? Check out this blog post on how to make a to-do list the right way.