Hey there! 👋

Can I be honest with you? I just looked at my to-do list from last Monday and I've checked off exactly 3 items. Three. Out of 23.

But here's the plot twist - those 3 items were the ones that actually mattered. The other 20? They were just noise pretending to be important.

This is the trap we all fall into: we confuse a long to-do list with productivity. 

We think if we just write down everything, we'll somehow get it all done. Instead, we end up with an overwhelming mess that makes us feel like failures before we even start.

So let's talk about what actually works.

Your to-do list isn't broken because you're bad at managing tasks. It's broken because you're treating every task like it has equal weight.

"Send invoice to client" sits next to "reorganize entire content archive from 2019" like they're both just casual Tuesday activities. They're not.

One takes 5 minutes and keeps your business running. The other is a 6-hour project you've been avoiding for 8 months.

Here's what changed everything for me: I stopped trying to do everything and started focusing on three tasks per day.

Not three categories. Not three types of work. Three actual tasks that matter.

Every morning, I ask myself: "If I only get three things done today, what should they be?"

Those three things go on a sticky note on my monitor. Everything else goes on a "later" list that I don't look at until tomorrow.

(In the event you’re grooving, start a list with 3 more)

How do you choose your three tasks? I use this filter:

Revenue-generating - Does this directly make money or keep money flowing? 

Reliance - Am I blocking anyone from their next task by not doing this?

Relationship-building - Does this strengthen client or community connections?

System-building - Does this make future work easier?

If a task doesn't fit one of these categories, it doesn't make the daily three.

Everything else - the random ideas, the "wouldn't it be cool if" projects, the organizational tasks that feel productive but aren't - those go on a "someday/maybe" list that I review once a month.

I used to think time blocking was just another productivity hack that worked for other people but not for me.

Then I realized I was doing it wrong.

I was trying to block every 30-minute chunk of my day. That's exhausting and impossible.

Now I block three types of time:

That's it. The rest of the time is buffer for the inevitable chaos that happens when you run a business.

I batch everything I possibly can:

This isn't about efficiency for efficiency's sake. It's about keeping my brain in one mode at a time instead of constantly switching contexts.

Context switching is the productivity killer nobody talks about. Every time you shift from creative work to admin work to client work, your brain needs 15-20 minutes to fully adjust.

Batching eliminates most of that switching.

You don't need fancy project management software. You need a system you'll actually use.

I use Todoist because I can customize it to match how my brain works. But honestly? A Google Doc works just as well.

The tool doesn't matter. What matters is having one place where you track everything so you're not scrambling through six different apps trying to remember what you're supposed to be doing.

My recommendation, master a Google Doc system and then level up to a tool.

Here's what nobody tells you: you're allowed to have unfinished tasks at the end of the day.

You're allowed to move things to tomorrow.

You're allowed to delete tasks that seemed important last week but aren't anymore.

Your to-do list is a tool to support your work, not a judge of your worth.

Task management isn't about getting everything done. It's about getting the right things done.

Focus on your three tasks per day. Batch similar work. Use a system you'll actually maintain. And give yourself permission to let the rest go.

Your business will move forward faster with three important tasks completed than with 23 random tasks half-finished.

What's currently sitting on your to-do list that you know you're never actually going to do? Mine is "organize my desktop folders" from 4 months ago 😅

💜 Tara

& now a word from our sponsors

Ready to transform artificial intelligence from a buzzword into your personal revenue generator?

HubSpot’s groundbreaking guide "200+ AI-Powered Income Ideas" is your gateway to financial innovation in the digital age.

Inside you'll discover:

Download your guide today and unlock a future where artificial intelligence powers your success. Your next income stream is waiting.

Get Your Guide