A good productivity method can mean the difference between a disorganized, unfulfilling day and one during which you get a lot done and feel great about it. That tradeoff is why so many of these methods, techniques, and hacks exist.

That said, not every productivity method will work for every person. To find the one that works best for you, take a look through this guide to seven of my favorites. Try one that sounds like a strong match for how you think and work (or try to avoid work).

The “Action Method” of productivity

This method is one of my favorites for keeping on task when I’m juggling multiple projects. It calls on you to organize your tasks into three categories: Action steps, references, and back-burners. Once you’ve done that, you put it all into a spreadsheet with those three categories as the column headers. You slot tasks into each column alongside notes, supplemental material, and whatever else you need—and move them around as they change their designations, as what is a back-burner today might be an action step tomorrow. Organizing it all this way helps you keep on top of the most pressing needs.

Here’s a full explanation of how to employ the Action Method. (The “ABC” method is very similar, with “A” tasks being must-do and high-priority, “B” tasks being should-do activities, and “C” tasks being low-priority ones.)

The 3-3-3 productivity method

Using this technique, you aim to plan your day in threes: Spend your first three hours engaging in deep work on your most important project, then complete three other urgent tasks that require less time, and then do three “maintenance” tasks, like answering emails or scheduling other work. This method works because you do your deep, focused work up-front, which gets you in the zone and gives you a sense of accomplishment, which makes tackling the stuff afterward easier.

Here’s a guide to planning your day in threes.

The “Eat the Frog” productivity method

Similar to 3-3-3, the “Eat the Frog” method invites you to tackle work on your biggest, scariest, wartiest task first thing in the morning. Whatever time-intensive task that has kept you up at night is, that’s what you should do first. After that, everything else should be easy. Some proponents argue you should “eat the frog” as soon as you wake up, but this method can work on any schedule as long as you commit to jumping into the hard thing early, enthusiastically, and without hesitation, thus freeing up the rest of your day for other work and lowering your overall stress level.

Here’s a guide to eating your first frog, so to speak.

The Kanban productivity method

Kanban is similar to the Action Method but requires you to label your tasks as to-do, doing, and done. It works best when managed in a spreadsheet or even on a big board with sticky notes, but you need the three columns so you can move whatever is completed into your “done” pile and anything that still needs doing into “to-do.” If you’re a visual person, this is going to be a game-changer, as it helps you easily see what needs to be done, and gives you some satisfaction when you see what you’ve already accomplished piling up under “done.”

Here’s a guide to implementing the Kanban productivity method.

The timeboxing productivity method

Another trick for the visually inclined and motivated, timeboxing requires you to schedule your entire day. Every activity, from answering emails, to working on a big project, to eating a snack, should go on your calendar. It’s much easier to use a digital calendar, like Google Calendar, for this, since so much of the average day is subject to change and it’s simpler to move things around there than in a physical planner, but try not to deviate from the schedule too much. The idea behind this method is that it allows you to plan to devote exactly as much time to each task as you need to complete it while still filling your entire day with activity.

Here’s a guide to getting started with timeboxing.

The Pomodoro productivity technique

This is an old standby that has withstood the test of time because it works so well: Work for 25 minutes on a task, take a short break of about five minutes, and work for 25 minutes again. Every time you complete four 25-minute cycles, take a longer break. This gets you into the groove of working hard in those 25-minute bursts, since you know a little reprieve is coming. The break recharges you and you get back at it, over and over again, until your job is complete. To maximize the benefits of Pomodoro, get a specialized timer so you don't have to set alarms on your phone and can work without glancing at it and all its distracting apps.

Here’s a guide to getting started with the Pomodoro method.

The Results Planning Method (RPM)

This technique comes from famed motivational speaker Tony Robbins, who outlined it in his Time of Your Life program and designed it to be motivational, fast, and efficient. Not only does does the acronym stand for Rapid Planning Method, but it can also serve as a guide to what your day should look like: Results-oriented, purpose-driven, and built around a "massive action plan."

Consistently—every morning or week—ask yourself these three questions:

1. What do I want?

2. What is my purpose?

3. What do I need to do/What is my massive action plan?

By doing this, you connect more to your mission and get more energized about getting to work right away on the answer to the third question, rather than spending a bunch of time deliberating about what you should or shouldn't be doing with your time.

How you store your cleaning supplies is important, not just for safety considerations, but also just in terms of keeping your home tidy. Not having a protocol in place when it comes to how you store your cleaning supplies will only lead to clutter—and that will defeat the purpose of cleaning.

But you also have to consider how easy it is to use the things you have stashed away. If it's too difficult to actually access and use your tools, you aren't as likely to do it. A cleaning cart that's been popular on TikTok... TK

The cleaning cart

When you're storing and organizing your things, one of the most important rules to keep in mind is that similar items should be categorized together. This usually means tossing all your Pine Sol, Windex, Clorox, and Mr. Clean under your sink, but that doesn't mean it's easy to get them all back out, let alone take them with you to other rooms that need cleaning. Try storing everything on a rolling cart instead, like this:

This slim, wheeled cart that's been popular on TikTok can fit into small spaces easily—but it's also mobile, which means you can take all your supplies with you around the house. My only additional recommendation would be to make sure you get a cart with a sturdy handle in case you have a lot of stairs in your home. The one in the video has two small handles on the sides, but one with a larger handle and slightly deeper shelves is perfect for tilting on an angle and dragging up the steps. Consider this one:

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I also like that one because the wheels are lockable, so whether it's in storage or next to you while you clean, it won't roll all over the place.

Making the most of a cleaning cart

The cart is great on its own, but it can be improved with a few little tweaks, depending on the tools you use for cleaning most frequently.

• A sponge holder ($9.99) affixed to the side of a shelf will keep your sponges from getting the cart and cleaning products wet, and it help your sponges dry after use.

• These multipurpose hooks (six for $10.75) can hold brushes, spray bottles, rags, and other implements off the side of the cart for easy access and drying.

• Some drawer organizers (25 pieces for $18.45) can also help you keep smaller pieces grouped together within the cart so nothing shifts around or gets lost.

As for what to put in the cart in terms of actual cleaning supplies, the short answer is "everything" and the longer answer is "it depends what you usually clean." In general, your cart should contain all of your cleaning essentials so, again, everything is located in one place. You could dedicate the top rack to kitchen cleaning supplies, the middle to the bathroom, and the bottom to everything else in general. If you have a ton of different cleaning supplies or a lot of rooms, you might even consider getting two carts and organizing them based on your different spaces.

If you need some cleaning products to stock up your cart once it arrives, you can't go wrong with these, which are my favorites:

• Pine-Sol multi-surface cleaner (two 60-ounce bottles for $27.71)

• A Mr. Clean Magic Eraser variety pack with Ultra Thick, Ultra Foamy, and Extra Durable options ($8.99)

• Windex, obviously ($3.48)

• 24 microfiber cloths ($9.98)

• Lysol disinfecting wipes (80 for $10.90)

Figuring out how to structure your days so they're as productive as possible is hard, not to mention sticking to such a routine going forward. This is where RPM can help. The Rapid Planning Method, or RPM, can help you streamline your daily planning process and get started working on your action steps sooner, making you more productive overall. And since RPM is fairly straightforward, you're more likely to stick with it.

What is the Rapid Planning Method (RPM)?

This technique comes from famed motivational speaker Tony Robbins, who outlined it in his Time of Your Life program. Robbins may have a slightly cheesy rep, but RPM has the goods: Not only does does the acronym stand for Rapid Planning Method, but it can also serve as a guide to what your day should look like: Results-oriented, purpose-driven, and featuring a massive action plan.

It starts with asking yourself three questions consistently—every morning, for instance, or every week:

1. What do I want?

2. What is my purpose?

3. What do I need to do/What is my massive action plan?

You can write down your answers or just keep them in mind, but they're intended to drive you forward into action that will be efficient and lead to accomplishing your ultimate goal. (For best results, I recommend writing the answers down in a planner, so you can stick your guiding principles somewhere you'll continually see them.)

How RPM makes you more productive

There are a whole lot of productivity methods out there—and the benefit of RPM is that it can be easily combined with many of them. For example, you can implement a 1-3-5 to-do list as part of your overall action plan. The defining feature of RPM is that it keeps your goals and desires front and center, giving you something to strive for. and organize your actions around. Just by keeping that central plan in mind, you can weed out what isn't important and highlight what you want to prioritize, all without a lot of time-wasting deliberation.

Like using SMART goals, using RPM infuses your daily tasks with a sense of purpose or a mission, helping you stay focused and engaged.

A major component of productivity is prioritizing your daily responsibilities, which is why to-do lists are so important. Usually, I suggest using the Eisenhower Matrix, which helps you visually sort tasks according to how urgent and important they are, but there is another way: The ABCDE method, which comes from Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time by Brian Tracy. Obviously, eating the frog—or doing your biggest, most demanding task first—is one way to tackle the day’s duties, but structuring out how you’ll do the rest is pretty important, too. Here’s how it works.

What is the ABCDE method of productivity?

The ABCDE method is a simple way to categorize whatever you need to do. Using it can be a solid first step to making your to-do list, especially if you’re following a model like the 1-3-5 list, which requires you to do one major task, three medium-sized ones, and five small ones every day. Figuring out the big, medium, and small tasks is actually a task in itself (but it doesn’t count as one of the five, sorry). 

When you are planning out your day, you’re going to give each task in front of you a grade. First, list out everything you need to do. This can be a list of your tasks for the day, week, or month—you’ll weed it all down eventually. Then, give them each a grade based on this outline:

• A is for the most important tasks, like anything that will have a consequence if it doesn’t get done. These are those “frog” tasks that will require resources and time, but they can also be something that doesn’t take a lot of time but does have a hefty associated punishment for failure, like paying a bill on time. 

• B tasks are ones that also need to get done, but won’t have such serious ramifications if they’re not done immediately. You know you need to do them at some point (lest they escalate to the urgency of an A task) but you have a little wiggle room.

• C tasks don’t have any consequences for not getting done, but are things it would be good to get taken care of. For me, a C task might be responding to a PR pitch to say I’m not interested in interviewing their client. I didn’t need to do it, but it’s a nice thing to do that keeps a professional relationship friendly. (Conversely, a B task would be responding to someone’s publicity agent right away when they’re trying to nail down a time for an interview. An A task would be doing the interview.)

• D tasks are anything that you can delegate to someone else. The person you give it to shouldn’t have any A or B tasks it will take away from; it should become a priority for them, even if it’s not major for you or simply something you trust they’ll get done right. 

• E tasks are ones you eliminate altogether. If they serve absolutely no purpose, have no consequences attached to them, or may even pull you off course or be a detriment, just don’t do them. This is a pretty relative grade, though: Say you wanted to go to the grocery store tonight but just don’t have time. You have enough food at home or could order takeout. It’s fine to eliminate it this time, but when you deplete all your food, the grocery store trip will roar back onto the list in a higher position. Other E tasks may never reappear; they’re just inconsequential. Ignore them to reduce pressure on yourself. 

Bear in mind this should be a little subjective. There are other, more intense ways of categorizing your daily tasks and if you're struggling with giving your responsibilities a grade, you might need to try something a little more data-focused. The goal here is to be quick and efficient so you can stop stressing about what needs to be done, prioritize it, and just start doing it.

Use the ABCDE grades to be more productive

Once every task has been assigned a grade, start planning out your day (and week and month). Here’s where that 1-3-5 to-do list comes in: The one big task should be an A task, something that is urgent and timely, and/or requires major resources and focus. The three medium-sized tasks might include a smaller A-level one, but will most likely be Bs. For the five smaller tasks, pick up any leftover B grades and, if you want, Cs. As for the D-level things, outsourcing and coordinating on them might still require enough work to qualify carrying out the delegation as one of your five smaller tasks, but it depends how much effort that really takes and what the rest of your day is looking like. Don’t shoot the messenger, but you might have to fall back on a C task to get the delegation taken care of. 

The E grades can just be crossed off. Go ahead and delete them or strike them out. It’ll feel good (and productive) to get that finality on them. 

Once you’ve organized which tasks are necessary for the day, look ahead at the week and make sure you keep any B-level responsibilities in mind and roll them over to a day that works for you if you don’t have time that particular day. Putting them off will turn them into As pretty quickly. 

As always, rely on timeboxing to schedule out the day from there. Allocate time for each task in your calendar, giving yourself the most time for major A-level duties and less and less time for B and C. Don’t multitask; instead, do each thing in order, starting by eating the frog and moving through the other things one at a time until they’re done. (The exception here is that if you’re delegating tasks, try to get it done early so the other person has time to complete what should be an A- or B-level job for them, too.)

Grading your responsibilities is an easy way to get perspective on them and enhance your sense of urgency around them, which compels you to be more productive. Getting it all into an ordered list gives you structure and direction, wastes less time throughout the day, and will give you a sense of accomplishment when you’re done, which itself is a productivity win.

You use your cleaning supplies to keep your home safe from germs, bugs, and mess, but that doesn't mean they're safe themselves. Whether you have kids or pets you don't want getting into harsh chemicals, or you just want to know the right ways to store your products without them going bad, it's important to have a strategy for organizing and storing everything you use to keep your home clean.

How to store cleaning chemicals

The labels on any chemicals you use should tell you the best conditions for their storage, but if the label gets damaged or if you are a fan of decanting your goods into prettier or more stackable vessels, you may not be able to check those. In general, chemicals should be stored in a cool, dry place, far from anything that gets too hot, like pipes or vents. As long as you keep everything in its own bottle or container, you don't run the risk of them mixing together, so you're good to store them all in one place, which you should be doing because it's a key part of maintaining an organized home.

If your concern is kids and their possible access to the products, you should store chemicals in places they can't easily reach. If your kitchen is big enough, dedicate one of your upper cabinets to cleaning products and pick up a set of child safety locks for the knobs. Use low baskets to keep them organized by type and prevent any leaks from getting onto the wood shelving. Better yet, if you have space in your storage room, get a free-standing, lockable storage shelf, like this:

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I'm not a big fan of putting everything under the sink because of the temperature variations that can come with all the pipes, but if that's your best option, make sure you're using a shelving unit that pulls out, so you're not having to crawl deep into the recesses of the cabinet to get to any infrequently used product. Try something like this:

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Store your most used products toward the front and your least used ones toward the back. No matter which kind of storage tool you choose, remember to keep everything cool and dry.

Storing your other cleaning supplies

Everything should be stored together, as mentioned above, but if you have kids or pets, remember to keep abrasive or dangerous items like hard brushes or steel wool somewhere high or locked up. Other than that, these tools will help you organize and store everything:

• These wall hooks (six for $14.99) are specially designed to hold spray bottle nozzles, so they're great for empty bottles you fill with diluted cleaner or even frequently used products, like Windex.

• This cleaning caddy ($14.99) has space for bottles, paper towels, and brushes, plus a handle so you can pull it out, fill it with what you need, and stay organized while you tackle the mess in any room, no matter how far it is from where you keep the products.

• This hanging rack ($16.97) for brooms and mops helps keep those bigger tools out of reach of kids and stops them from getting dirty on the floor. It also has some standard hooks for rags, brushes, and more, so everything you need is in one place.

The other day, I spotted a woman wearing the most beautiful Kendra Scott necklace. It sat right in the hollow under her neck—not quite a choker, but not exactly dangly either. I ordered one later that night, but when the necklace arrived, it didn't fit me the way it had fit her, even when I put the clasp on the smallest setting. It was slightly too long, and infuriatingly sat just below the hollow of my neck.

I subsequently spent a few days searching for ways to shorten a necklace, and found three methods that will work in most cases. Please, allow my misfortune to be your benefit.

Use an earring

First, I sought counsel on TikTok, where I saw a hack that seemed too good to be true: You shorten a necklace by folding the chain in the back, then jamming the post of a small stud earring through the fold, thereby shortening the chain. Alternately, you can shove the earring through both sides of the chain without folding it, skipping the clasp mechanism altogether, like this.

Obviously, this hack only works if you don't care how your necklace looks from the back (say, you have long hair that can cover it) but it seems an effective solution...provided it works for your chain. In my case, the chain links were too tiny to pass the post through. (What can I say, I love a dainty necklace.) Still, if your chain is big enough, this is a clear winner, since the earring back keeps the whole thing secure.

Use a small rubber band

Investigating TikTok for tips that would work for a smaller chain, I encountered videos of women using tiny rubber bands to shorten their necklaces, either by bunching up part of the chain to the side of the clasp or running it around both ends on either side of the clasp, creating a shorter look.

I tried this and it worked, but I'm hesitant to use it while out in public, as I'd be left hanging if the little rubber band broke. I also found my hair kept getting tangled in it, creating a mini disaster at the nape of my neck. (If your hair ever gets tangled in your jewelry, by the way, try using Nair to remove it.)

I also don't love using something so unreliable to twist up a chain. I work hard to keep my jewelry organized, tangle-free, and well maintained, so the idea of jumbling it up with elastic isn't really enticing. Still, if you have a cheap necklace or aren't offended by a low-rent solution, this one can work in a pinch.

Just buy a necklace shortener

Sometimes, a clever hack can take care of one of the little problems I encounter throughout the day. Other times, I just need to buy a specialty product to fix it. After striking out twice with the DIY methods—both of which worked, but not exactly how I wanted them to—I gave it and shopped for a necklace shortener.

I found one that is actually really pretty and effective, and looks good from the front and the back:

Necklace Shortener 2 Pc Set for Thin Chains

$35.00

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Effectively, a necklace shortener does the same thing as the earring and the rubber band, but in a prettier way. You run both sides of the back of the chain through the holes and clasp the necklace as usual. The shortener sits between the clasp and your neck, reducing the length of chain that actually wraps around. This particular shortener came in a set of two, so you can use them to layer a couple of chains, and comes in gold, silver, and rose gold, so you can choose the least obtrusive color.

If your chain's gauge is big enough to support the earring solution or you don't mind keeping a bunched-up rubber band behind your head, the inexpensive hacks work well, but if you want something effective for all sizes of chains and that looks a bit more elegant, a necklace shortener is the way to go.

Sometimes, determining which projects you should devote your time and energy to first takes energy you don’t have to spare (which is why we have tips for how to do it). But even when you know what tasks need to be done, you still need to figure out how to prioritize them. Try the 3-3-3 method.

What is the 3-3-3 method?

This technique comes from Oliver Burkeman, author of Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals ($13.99). He advocates planning each workday around a 3-3-3 model, first devoting three hours to deep work on your most important project. Next, complete three other urgent tasks that don’t require three hours of focus. Finally, do three “maintenance” tasks, like cleaning, answering emails, or scheduling other work.

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To figure out which tasks are which, I recommend using a prioritization method like the Eisenhower matrix, which involves using a quadrant system to divvy up your responsibilities by urgency and importance. You'll want to consider not only how timely the things you need to do are, as well as how many resources they'll consume.

Why the 3-3-3 method works

What distinguishes this method from other productivity hacks are those first three hours of deep work. Jumping into them first means you’ll be fresh, focused, and more likely to be able to jump into a task without getting distracted. Keep those three hours free of emails, texts, chit-chat, or other menial duties, to the best of your ability. (Check out a full guide to engaging in deep work here.)

Deep work yields major productivity, so you’ll get a lot accomplished if you commit to it, but you can’t stay in that mindset forever. You’ll top out after about three hours, so it’s best to have those three other, smaller tasks lined up and ready to go so you can stay productive even while downshifting into less demanding responsibilities.

Finally, your maintenance tasks give you a chance to get things done while giving your brain a rest. This technique is similar to “eating the frog”—or doing your hardest task first thing—as you’ll feel the same sense of relief when moving onto lesser tasks. Use your maintenance time to prepare for the following day’s work or put finishing touches on whatever you were working on during those three hours of intense focus.

When you want to be more productive, you should look to someone who has productivity down pat. Financial blogs are forever interviewing contemporary CEOs about their work habits, but those aren’t that inspirational; they’re always claiming that meditation and not answering emails are the keys to success, which isn’t really helpful to the average person who doesn’t have the time or resources to meditate or the luxury of an assistant to open the unanswered emails. For real inspo, you might want to try looking back in time: Ivy Lee, the founder of modern public relations, came up with a productivity method so good that it’s lived on for 100 years—and it still bears his name. Here’s how to try it.

What is the Ivy Lee method?

My dream in life is to do something so unique and awesome that my name gets attached to it for all eternity but my more short-term goals involve just getting my basic tasks done every day. Good old Ivy Lee somehow managed to do both. He came up with his productivity method in an effort to help big businesses in the 1920s get more done. It’s all about creating manageable, prioritized to-do lists and sticking with them until they’re complete. 

How do you use the Ivy Lee method?

The method itself is simple. At the end of every work day, write down six tasks you have to complete tomorrow. (If it’s Friday, write down what you need to do Monday. Don’t forget that taking breaks over the weekend is important for productivity, too.) Do not write down more than six. The goal here is for the list to be manageable, not never-ending, so use your immediate judgement to determine which six things are most important for the next day. Next, prioritize them. You can do this however you see fit, but consider using a method like the Eisenhower Matrix to figure out which tasks are the timeliest and most urgent. 

Hand-writing the to-do list is beneficial. You can do this in a digital note or doc, but writing by hand really sticks it in your brain, so you might consider using an old-fashioned planner, like this one:

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The next day, it’s time to start on the list. Begin with the first task in the morning and see it all the way through before jumping to the second one. Keep going until the end of the workday, tapping into your capacity for doing deep work by focusing on just one task or project at a time. When your day is over, anything that is incomplete should be moved to tomorrow’s list and new tasks should be added to it until you reach six. 

By rolling the tasks over, you ensure they’ll get done, but by being aware that you have the option to roll them over at all, you won’t feel overwhelmed. Do try to keep the tasks as granular as possible, though. Instead of writing “end-of-quarter report” as one list item, break it down. If pulling and analyzing the data is a step to writing the report, make it one task. If inputting it into a presentation is another, that’s one task, too. 

As mentioned, you can do this in a planner, a digital note, or even your calendar, but the most important elements are maintaining that low number of tasks, prioritizing them, and not abandoning them if they are unfinished. Be sure to prioritize whatever you roll over to the next day above any new tasks, so everything gets done. 

Sometimes, it's not the tasks on your to-do list that overwhelm you, but simply the act of sorting them out and figuring out where to start. Before you can prioritize your responsibilities and setting out a schedule for getting everything done (using strategies like "eating the frog" or creating a 1-3-5 to-do list), you have to identify what those big tasks are and what capacity you have to take them on. If you are the type of person that finds it helpful to visualize these things, I like to refer to a pair of strategies that both involve imagining tasks as rocks: The "pickle jar theory" and the "big rocks theory."

What is the pickle jar theory?

The pickle jar theory is an excellent mental exercise for anyone who thinks or processes things visually. It was conceptualized by Jeremy Wright in 2002, based on the idea that a pickle jar holds a finite amount of content. So, too, does your day. There is only so much you can do in a day, as there is only so much you can stuff into a pickle jar. 

When thinking of your day as a pickle jar, imagine it full of three things: Rocks, pebbles, and sand. These represent your daily responsibilities, but as you can see, they’re different sizes. You can fit more of the smaller stuff, like sand and pebbles, than you can rocks, but rocks can still take up half the jar. 

How does the pickle jar theory work?

To use this kind of thinking, you need to categorize your day’s tasks. Start by writing them all down, then prioritizing them using the Eisenhower Matrix, which is useful for figuring out which tasks are urgent and important, urgent and not important, not urgent but important, and not urgent and not important. 

Then, assign each task to a rock, pebble, or sand, like this: 

• Rocks are the big tasks that are important, necessary to get on right away, and/or will take up a major chunk of time. Studying for a test, finalizing a major project at work, or cleaning the house can be rock-sized tasks, for instance. 

• Pebbles are the things that are important to do, but not immediately necessary or massively time-consuming. You can fit quite a few of them in the jar, depending on how many rocks you have in there. 

• Sand represents the small things that you need to do to keep your day moving along or just want to do. It enters the jar last and fills up the gaps between the bigger items. Sand can be anything from answering emails, going to meetings, calling your mom, or relaxing. These aren’t necessarily urgent or time-consuming, but they’re still important to your work or mental wellbeing. 

Visualize yourself putting one to three rocks in the jar, three to five pebbles, and as much sand as can fit. Understanding that not every single thing you need to do can always fit in there, you can make decisions about which rocks, pebbles, and sand pieces to hold over for the next day’s jar. 

This works because it gives you a tangible example of your own capacity, but also reminds you that even when your day is full of “rocks” and “pebbles,” you still have room for “sand.” Don’t forget to let some of the sand be enjoyable, because breaks are integral to productivity. Don’t over-stuff your jar with rocks and pebbles to the point that you have no room for sand at all, and don’t forget that other people have their own jars that might not be as full. Consider delegating some “pebble” tasks to a teammate, whether it’s a coworker or your spouse, or eliminating the unnecessary tasks altogether. (On your Eisenhower Matrix, these will be the ones that are neither urgent nor important.)

What is the big rocks theory?

There is a simplified version of the idea above that can work for you, too, if you don't want to categorize your tasks into rocks, pebbles, and sand, but want something a little more streamlined.

You might be familiar with the concept of "big rocks" if you've read Stephen Covey's popular book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Essentially, as with the pickle-jar mindset, you should think of your time, energy, and resources like a big container and the things you need to do as rocks or gravel. You can't fit very many big rocks in there, but you can fit a few and still have room for the smaller tasks. The big ones take away from the space—your resources and time—so you have to be intentional about how many you really try to fit in.

Visualizing is important, but you still have to use that to make a plan and get things done. First, write down everything you need to do on one page, whether in a digital word processor or a physical notebook. Then, consider how much time, energy, and other resources each thing will take and mark it as either a rock or gravel. Unlike other task prioritization methods, like the Eisenhower matrix mentioned above, this can be pretty loose. Just put down your best guess about how much each task will drain you. (When you're short on time, opt for this big rocks approach over the pickle jar approach because of its relative simplicity.)

Once you have everything designated as a rock or gravel, schedule the rocks first. Here's where you can use timeboxing to clearly carve out dedicated time for each thing you have to do. Keep in mind that if you schedule and work on gravel activities—emails, phone calls, doing the dishes, whatever—without taking on the big rocks first, you'll never get around to the big rocks; the smaller tasks are usually pretty endless, so you need to prioritize the big ones. Go back to your visualization: If you put all the gravel into your vessel before the big rocks, you'd fill it up and leave no room, but if you put in the big rocks first, then add the gravel, the gravel will fall between the rocks and settle in where it can.

Identifying the resource-heavy, demanding tasks and prioritizing those ahead of the more menial stuff will allow you to actually make time to tackle it so you can fit the rest in where you can. But be a little judicious with that scheduling: Don't load a full day of big rocks into your schedule. You'll burn yourself out. Instead, choose only one or two per day, then allocate the rest of your time to those maintenance tasks.

No matter what kind of productivity goals you have and which techniques you plan to use to get it all done, you still probably start with a to-do list. Learning to formulate a solid to-do list is the key first step to being productive, since you need it to move on to other planning stages, like using the Eisenhower matrix to prioritize tasks or Kanban to organize them. Try using the 1-3-5 rule for a while and see how this to-do list system works for you. 

What is the 1-3-5 rule of productiity?

The 1-3-5 rule acknowledges that in a typical day, you just don’t have time to do it all. What you do reasonably have time for is one major task, three medium-sized tasks, and five little ones. 

These can be related or they can be separate. For instance, a big task might be going to your tax appointment, which is unrelated to your three mid-sized tasks: grocery shopping, preparing for a meeting at work, and picking up a gift for a friend’s birthday. Small tasks can be anything from answering emails to laying out your clothes for the week, depending on what you consider large, medium, and small. 

Conversely, the rule can also apply to major tasks and involve batching them into smaller groups. Say you’re planning a vacation. The 1-3-5 rule can help you break up everything you need to do. The big task can be booking flights and hotel accommodations. Three medium tasks might be getting tickets to whatever you’ll be doing while you’re at the destination, shopping for what you’ll need, and securing a pet sitter. Little tasks can be anything from setting an OOO to emailing your travel partners the itinerary. 

How to use the 1-3-5 rule to be productive

Start each day by making a to-do list, then go through and pull out anything especially timely. (Here’s where a knowledge of that Eisenhower matrix, which helps you prioritize responsibilities by urgency and importance, is going to be useful.) From that group, identify one big task, three medium ones, and five little ones. That’s your to-do list for the day. Acknowledging upfront that you can’t and won’t get it all done in a single day helps you stay focused on what you can and will do, rather than stressing about the remainder that you’re saving for tomorrow. It's helpful to see everything written out or represented visually, so try using a physical planner, like this one:

Daily Planner Undated, Asten To Do List

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Next, block out time in your calendar for each task, whether you do it in that planner or on a digital calendar. Use timeboxing, or the technique of giving every single thing you need to do in a day a designated time on your calendar, and consider giving yourself just a smidge less time than you think you need for everything, to defeat Parkinson’s law, which is the idea that you’ll waste time if you give yourself too long to do anything. Once you’ve laid out your day, start with that big task. Known as “eating the frog,” the big-task-first approach will give you a sense of accomplishment on completion, propelling you forward into those mid- and smaller-sized tasks. Plus, it stands to reason that the major responsibility will take the most time and resources, so knocking it out first ensures you have the time and resources to give it. 

Finally, be flexible. Unexpected assignments or duties crop up all the time and may not be easily categorized into the 1-3-5 boxes. You may also not finish one of your tasks for the day. The goal here isn’t to beat yourself up or be super strict. Rather, it’s to help you feel less overwhelmed by the sheer volume of things you need to do, prioritize them, and get a good amount done every day. If something doesn’t get taken care of, make sure to stick it back on the list the next day and keep going. 

If you live in a small space or simply have a lot of stuff, storage can be a nightmare. To stay organized and tidy, you absolutely must utilize storage boxes and spaces, but as someone who lives in a little apartment, I’ll be the first to admit it’s difficult to find places to keep bins, let alone keep all my stuff organized within them. That’s why I’m a big proponent of "storage as decoration"—items that double as both storage and furniture. 

Best hidden storage furniture

We’re going to start off with my current favorite thing: A full-length storage mirror. I have this one from Vlsrka ($139.99), which is a lighted mirror that swings open to reveal another lighted mirror, plus earring, necklace, and bracelet hooks, bins for makeup brushes, pockets, shelves, and a ring holder. This one can be hung on the wall, but there are others that are free-standing, like this one from Songmics ($179.98) that hides not only internal storage, but a few external shelves in the back. I love mine because the inner and outer mirror are so handy and my jewelry and makeup are out of the way until I need them. 

Vlsrka 63" x 18" Silver Full Length Floor Mirror

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By far one of the most convenient and inconspicuous hidden storage solutions is the faithful hollow ottoman. This one from Storagebud ($39.97) can fold flat when not in use, plus has smaller storage bins inside so you can keep everything you toss in there a little more organized. There are also small “foot rest” versions for much cheaper, like the Songmics cube ($23.79). 

The bench by your front door isn’t pulling its weight if you can’t stash stuff inside it. The Hoobro shoe storage bench ($73.14) hinges open at the top to allow you to store things under the seat, plus has exterior shelving that you can face toward the wall, so no one will ever know you have anything in there. 

You know what else isn't pulling its weight as much as it could be? Your lamp. Sure, it provides light, but it could also provide shelving:

RUNTOP Floor Lamp with Shelves

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Shelves in any form are great for extra storage, but shelves with hidden compartments inside are double great—and stop the top part from getting too cluttered. The Ikoppoi hidden storage wall shelf ($29.98) allows you to display some decorations while hiding other items away within its secret drawer. For example, think about displaying candles on the visible shelf, then hiding matches or a lighter inside.

Store larger items right in your living room with the Cozy Castle coffee table ($149.99), which not only has LED lighting and a high-gloss finish, but two big storage drawers hidden on the sides. It’s great for big blankets, the kids’ toys, or whatever else is cluttering up your space. 

If you feel like doing a little DIY around the house, try the Fox Hollow Furnishings recessed medicine cabinet ($399.99), which looks like a regular picture frame on the outside, but contains four rows of shelving on the inside. You do have to install it inside your wall, so it’s not as convenient as the other options here, but if you have anything sensitive or valuable to store, an innocuous “picture frame” is the perfect thing to put it all behind. Check out this video demo to see how it looks.

Decoration storage swaps

Furniture is one thing, but even the stuff you use to spruce up your space aesthetically or sentimentally can help provide some storage if you do it right.

When you're decorating on a flat space, you should use the rule of threes, meaning you have clusters of three items all over the place. This is why when you're in a home goods store and see those useless wicker balls that are meant to sit on your coffee table, they usually come in packs of three. But like I said, those are useless. Why not toss a few vases or canisters into the mix? You can still intersperse some statuettes or tchotchkes, but each cluster of three decorations should include some kind of vessel that can obscure your loose coins, writing utensils, receipts, or other unsightly items that don't have a designated home. Consider something like this:

Ceramic Vase, Small Vases for Decor, Set of 3

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Look at your shelves, too. Maybe you have some little decorations on your bookcase, like bookends or something. Why not swap them for some decorative baskets instead? You can get three for $25.99 and no one has to know what's in them.

Moving on, consider your picture frames. You can't really justify getting rid of the photos and memories that adorn your shelves and side tables, but what if you made the frames a little more useful? Pick up some shadow boxes and stick your photos to the front pane, using the back area for storage of things like documents, remotes, or whatever else you need access to in that room.

Shadow Box Display Case

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If you have a green thumb and a small place, you don’t have to choose between plants and storage. Sdstone makes a flower pot with a hidden safe in the bottom ($14.99). It’s meant for valuables, but you can toss whatever small items you want in there. As a bonus, it comes with a fireproof pouch for money and extra-important items. 

Finally, go old-school with a two pack of decorative “book” boxes ($23.95). On the outside, these look like classic old books and will blend in on your bookshelf easily. Inside, you’ll find storage space big enough for small items. 

Other sneaky storage ideas

One hack I’ve developed over years of living in small apartments is to store my winter coats in my luggage. When I travel, I just take them out and lay them on the couch. It doesn’t matter; I’m not home to see the mess anyway. This saves a bunch of space in my closet, which is dominated by the suitcases as it is. 

I also have shelving units all along my walls to make up for a lack of closet space. (I do have closets, but I just really like clothes.) The clothes I put on these can look kind of sloppy, so I use fabric storage cubes to create “drawers” on the shelves. When not in use, they fold up flat, but when they’re popped open, they give the illusion that the shelves are much more organized than they really are. Try a six pack from Amazon Basics ($19.68). 

Finally, I swapped out my hamper for a rolling cart last year. The cart is still bulky and ugly, so I keep it in the closet, but it’s less cumbersome than the hamper I had and it makes laundry day much easier, as I can just wheel the dirty laundry straight out the door and into the laundromat. Unfortunately for me, I have some tacky, fruit-patterned abomination from the dollar store, but fortunately for you, there’s a much prettier version from Songmics on Amazon for $50.83.

A lot of the storage and organizing hacks I write about are geared toward those living in a small space, but before I moved to New York City and began inhabiting miniature apartments, I was living comfortably in the Midwest, where houses are cheap and big—but hard to declutter and organize in their own way.

My parents' house had a room called the storage room, which I never realized I would one day consider a nostalgic luxury. That room held seasonal decorations, old furniture, mementos, and a big freezer full of extra food in case we got snowed in. (That's part of the reason it's so cheap to live out there, by the way.) My parents kept this thing in tip-top organizational shape, making it a super-useful space, but if it had fallen into disorder it would have become a major burden instead.

Whether you have a dedicated storage room, an attic, a space in the garage, or a storage unit, you need to keep it organized so when you do have occasion to use the things within it, you actually know where they are.

Shelves and bins

First, you need shelves. You need a lot of shelves and, ideally, they should be big. When you're organizing, it's important to remember that everything you own needs to have a designated spot for storage, so shelves on their own aren't ideal, since they can get cluttered themselves. However, they are perfect for holding containers, which is what you'll need after you get the shelves situated. My storage room had shelves built into the walls all the way around the perimeter, but more importantly, they were all uniformly and evenly spaced. Fill a wall with sturdy shelving and try to make sure all the units are the same so it's relatively seamless.

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As mentioned, you're going to need storage boxes. I recommend using sturdy, plastic bins instead of cardboard, since basements, attics, garages, and unfinished rooms can get a little damp. Again, these should be uniform so all the boxes can stack nicely on the shelves and on top of each other. You can get a six pack of 54-quart clear bins for $89.99, but avoid getting the kind with wheels if you're going to put them on the shelf. That's just asking for a catastrophe.

On the other hand, wheels are handy for things like Christmas decorations, so you can easily take the entire bin out into your home when you're decorating for the season. A solid option in situations like that is this set of three stacking bins where the bottom one has wheels.

JONYJ Storage Bins with Lids 23Qt, 3 Packs

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How to actually organize the storage room

My recommendations for what kinds of shelves and bins you need will only take you so far. You also need to declutter and organize the space. If you need some motivation, consider the concept of Swedish death cleaning: Imagine what a burden this room is going to be for your descendants when you die. It's macabre, but it works.

As for the best cleaning and decluttering technique to follow in a room overflowing with old stuff, I recommend pro organizer Andrew Mellen's Organizational Triangle, which follows three basic principles: Every item needs a home, keep like with like, and use a something-in, something-out approach. Start by removing everything from the space. You can do this when you're ready to start using your new shelving and bins. Sort through all the stuff, categorizing it into piles based on similarities, but also being judicious about throwing away anything you don't need to hold onto anymore. For example, Thanksgiving decorations go in one pile, barbecue tools go in another, bike accessories in another, etc. If you have any duplicates, get rid of all but one right away. Then, put every distinct pile into its own bin. Again, everything needs a home—a bin—and everything should be stored with similar items, so you know exactly where to look for whatever you need when you need it.

Finally, you're going to need a labeling system. Even if you're using clear bins, it can be hard to figure out what's in there. Grab a big label maker, like the Brother QL-600 ($79.99), which supports labels up to 2.4 inches in size, and use it to clearly define what's in each box.

For an extra decluttering boost, any time you open one of the bins, go through it using the decluttering method of your choice, gradually paring down the amount of stuff you actually keep in there so you can stay on top of your organization even more.

When you have a lot of work to do, a short attention span can be disastrous to your productivity. But instead of fighting it, you can use it to your advantage by working in “sprints” rather than trying for a marathon session. Like the Pomodoro technique, the sprints method has you work in a series of shorter bursts, so you can get your tasks done without your attention or productivity lagging.

What is the sprints method?

When using the sprints method, you’ll be doing short bursts of work with breaks in between. That’s really all it is, but since taking breaks is fundamental to being truly productive, it’s effective.

Though, as noted, the sprints method has some elements in common with the popular Pomodoro method—which sees you work in tightly timed bursts interspersed with breaks that are also tightly timed—this one is a little more fluid. With the Pomodoro method, you work for 25 minutes, then take a five-minute break. After four cycles, you take a longer break. When you’re doing sprints, however, you determine beforehand how long you need to (or are able to) focus, and set your timer based on that.

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The trick to using sprints rather than the more rigid Pomodoro method is goal-setting: You should set a longer-term goal, like completing a big work project by the end of the week, and sprint to get there, using however many sprints that takes you. Each sprint should get you to a smaller goal, like finishing a chunk of the project, and you should time it to encompass exactly the amount of time that smaller goal will likely take. By modifying the timing instead of relying on the 25-minute rule, you won’t be interrupted by your timer before you’re done with the mini task. You’ll stay in focus mode until the task is complete, while remaining fully aware that a break is coming.

If you’ve having a hard time figuring out how much time will be necessary for each task chunk, consider forgoing the timer altogether and instead committing to just working in a sprint until the task is complete. One of the most important elements of this approach is staying in deep focus for the amount of time it’ll take you to get the task done—so keep your phone away from you and shut out any other distractions. Then buckle down and concentrate, whether the task takes you 10 minutes or 30.

Things to keep in mind when using productivity sprints

Since your goal isn’t just to work for a predefined amount of time, but to get a specific task accomplished, you can (and should) work as hard as you can without focusing too much on how long it's taking you or if you're getting everything right. If you’re writing a paper, for instance, one sprint can be dedicated to getting the words you need down. After your break, the second sprint can be about editing for clarity.

Getting full tasks done during your sprints will give you a feeling of accomplishment that you might miss if you rely more on the timing than the output. Besides, getting interrupted by a timer in the middle of a major focus is a drag, while sprints allow you to be more task-focused.

Breaks should be half as long as sprints

Don’t skimp on the breaks—however long a mini task takes you, give yourself about half that time to recover before moving on to the next one. If it takes 30 minutes to get the words on the page, pause for 15 before editing. These are sprints, not a marathon, so prioritize the bursts and the recovery periods.

When it comes to decluttering and getting rid of meaningful items, there are two schools of thought: You can acknowledge you're not using them and that they have no purpose, then chuck them; or you can get pretty emotional and make excuses for holding onto them. I'm a big proponent of getting rid of stuff, but I get that it can be hard. Here are a few ways to let go of meaningful stuff while giving yourself space to get in your feelings.

Cull your sentimental items respectfully

I like this advice from Be More With Less, since these three ideas give you room to cherish, respect, and say goodbye to the mementos you want to part with.

First, build up to the big stuff. I've been on a major decluttering mission for a few months now and I didn't start on day one by tossing out my stack of old birthday cards. It's easier to throw out receipts, garbage, broken items, and junk—so do that. You can follow a technique like the calendar method, giving yourself a certain amount of items to throw out every day, working up to throwing away anything with emotional value. In this case, think of your brain as a muscle; it needs to be trained to get rid of things. You have to work up to this, not dive in right away.

Next—and I really like this one—express how the items make you feel. Take pictures of them. Write about them. Invite a friend over to help you and tell that friend the story of the item, why you held onto it, and what it's meant to you. Holding space for the item (and maybe even making new memories in the process) is a good way to honor it, even if you know it needs to go. When I'm getting rid of old photographs, I snap quick pics of ones that mean a lot to me but I know I'll never really go digging through a physical album to see again. Let the item live on through a story or photo, so you can let go of the real thing.

Finally, for anything you're really having a hard time letting go of, use it one final time. If it's cookware from your grandmother or a nice necklace your ex gave you, use it. But do it intentionally. Enjoy the item, be mindful while you use it, and recognize this will be the last time you do so, so you'd better make it count. Give it a little sendoff and be grateful for all you got out of it.

Of course, if any of these items are in good condition, you can donate them, too. There can be a sense of joy that comes with knowing that even if you can't use or store something, it can live on with someone else who might really love it.

Why taking time to throw sentimental items works

There are a lot of techniques out there that suggest you make snap decisions about throwing things away when you're decluttering and I tend to agree with them. The longer you deliberate over something and the more meaning you drag out to attach to it, the less likely you are to get rid of it—and since you can't live in the past and that doesn't help you in the present, you're not doing yourself any favors.

Still, that can be hard. It's not fun to let go of old macaroni drawings, not because you want to display them, but because it means accepting your children have grown up, you know? Giving each thing a sendoff and an intentional goodbye could be the answer you're looking for when "just get rid of it" doesn't cut it.

Organizing your accessories, like shoes, bags, and belts, is an important part of keeping your home manageable and your appearance on point, but the way you keep your jewelry stored might be most important of all. Whether you need access to a certain piece you only wear on special occasions or you have a ton of interchangeable pieces you mix and match daily, you need it all to be somewhere accessible and safe. Here are my favorite storage solutions for all kinds of jewelry.

The best jewelry storage solutions

First: A storage mirror. I've recommended these things at least twice before and I'll keep recommending them because they're just that good. A few months ago, I got this lighted mirror that opens up to reveal shelving, pockets, hooks, and more—and I really am obsessed with it. There are designated spaces for stud earrings, dangling earrings, bracelets, necklaces, and rings, plus other shelves and pockets that I use for hair products and accessories. I also use one of the clear pockets for body piercing jewelry, since I haven't found a jewelry box or storage container that has a convenient solution for those.

Vlsrka Mirror Jewelry Cabinet with LED

$139.99

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I love this and am thrilled with the purchase, even though I found it a little spendy. The lights can be made cooler, warmer, dimmer, and brighter, so it's the perfect multi-function tool for getting ready. Before I got this, I had a hanging rack for my earrings. I still use it for overflow from the storage mirror. What I like about this one is that, unlike some earring holders, I don't have to remove the backs of my earrings and reattach them behind the rack to make them stay; there are large holes with grooves that allow me to set the earring in with its back on. The one I got six years ago isn't available anymore, but it's like this:

handrong Earring Organizer

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When looking for storage solutions, keep those little annoyances in mind. I know myself and if I got one that required me to fiddle around attaching the earring and its back, I wouldn't use it often. I'd just set my earrings down on a table and probably lose them. Convenience is important with storage. For other options, try these:

• This storage tool ($19.98) hangs in your closet, keeping it out of sight, but still has space for earrings and dangling jewelry, like bracelets and necklaces, so they don't get tangled.

• I'm not a big proponent of stacking your jewelry in boxes or drawers, since it could get tangled, but if space is a concern for you, this acrylic jewelry box ($26.99) has five drawers and is still compact.

• For a bit more, you could get a taller jewelry box ($39.99) that has not only vertically stacked drawers, but wings on the side that open to reveal hanging storage. These can keep your necklaces in order without compromising space on your shelves.

• Finally, if you're traveling, your jewelry should still be as safe as possible, so a hard-sided box like this ($9.99) with space for hanging pieces, rings, and earrings, is perfect.

No matter where you place your storage tools, make sure the jewelry is in a cool and dry place with little exposure to sunlight. Stuff a few silica gel packets alongside anything that is in a pocket to make sure extra moisture is pulled out.

Cleaning grout is a chore few enjoy, but if you’ve got tile in your home, you know it’s got to be done. Depending on the tools and cleaners you’ve got on hand, there are a few effective methods to try. Here are three of the best ways to clean grout, plus what you need to do it.

How to clean grout

• Scrub it with bleach: One of the easiest methods for cleaning grout is to scrub it away with bleach and a regular old sponge. This is especially useful when you’re dealing with mold, but is good for disinfecting no matter what. Mix one part of bleach with 10 parts of water, put that in a spray bottle, and soak the area. After it has sat for about five minutes, you can scrub at it with a sponge or an old toothbrush. What you want is something a little sturdy and abrasive, so anything rougher than a cloth will do. If the smell of bleach makes your stomach turn, try a lightly scented one like this:

Clorox Splash-Less Bleach, Lavender Scent, 40 Ounce Bottle - Pack of 2

$19.99

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• Use a melamine sponge: If you’re dealing with regular old scum or dirt and don’t think you need the disinfecting power of bleach, a Magic Eraser (or melamine sponge) will whiten it up nicely without compromising the integrity of the material. Just dampen it slightly and scrub over the grout for some near-instant freshening. If you want some real power behind the scrub, I recommend my favorite, the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Ultra Foamy.

Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Ultra Foamy Multi Purpose Cleaner

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• Use hydrogen peroxide and baking soda: Another great method is a simple DIY: Mix two parts baking soda with one part hydrogen peroxide to form a paste, slather it on your grout, give it five minutes to sit, and then get after it with your sponge or old toothbrush.

Don’t use toilet bowl cleaner to clean grout

There is a hack floating around that involves using toilet bowl cleaner on dirty grout—but that’s actually not a great idea. Ceramics and tiles are safe from the harshness of these chemicals, but the sealant on the tiles and the grout itself are susceptible to degradation, so avoid this and stick with the tips above instead.

Slowly but surely, I'm going to revolutionize your closet. From shoes to bags, there are so many accessories to collect and flaunt, but they really do take up a ton of space, so finding solutions for storing every kind of adornment should be a priority for anyone living a fashion forward lifestyle.

But even if you're not, and you don't have a closet overflowing with purses and footwear, you almost certainly have a small (or not so small) collection of belts. Here's a good way to organize it.

How to roll your belts for storage so they won't come undone

Until I saw the following technique floating around TikTok, I was storing my belts by hanging them over the handle on my closet door. This is wrong. They were always falling off, dragged down by the weight of the buckle on one end—and the weight of said buckle can actually stretch and damage more delicate belts over time. You could get some hooks and hang all your belts up somewhere by the buckle, but that takes up wall space. Instead,you should be rolling your belts to help them maintain their shape.

But it's hard to keep belts rolled up, right? They just keep coming undone, right? Not if you try this method that's been trending on social media:

Using the buckle for stability, you thread the belt backward through it and pull it almost all the way through, creating a small hole. Then, start rolling up the belt from the other side, and stuff the resulting spiral into the hole you made. I tried this method out and found it to be easy to execute and effective at keeping my belts all wound up in an easy-to-stack shape. But why stop there?

Before (bad) vs. after (good) Credit: Lindsey Ellefson

How to store all your belts

You can tuck your newly-miniaturized belts in a stack on a shelf, in a drawer, or in a box—I recommend a small one that will help keep them organized and secure, like this one:

AARAINBOW 2 Packs Underwear Socks Ties Storage Organizer with Lids

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But I prefer another method I recently encountered, because I think there's value in making it easy to see all your options when you're picking out what to wear. So instead, stack your belts on a paper towel holder, like this one:

Paper Towel Holder Black

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The little arm that's supposed to secure the paper towels to the roll will hold the belts in place and keep them rolled up, and stacking them this way will give you a better sense of what you've got, and save you from digging through a box looking for that one specific belt.

For as much energy as you put into creating the perfect to-do list and being productive, it’s just a fact that you also need to prioritize downtime and joy. You can schedule breaks using the Pomodoro technique and prioritize your tasks based on how long they’ll take and how many results they’ll yield, but you know what? Some of those tasks can just be eliminated, not based on data, calculations, or how many you can get done in your allotted time—but based on you just not wanting to do them. Hear me out: You should try to KonMari your to-do list just like you do when you declutter your home.

How does Marie Kondo's approach apply to to-do lists?

Everyone knows about organizational guru Marie Kondo, whether from her books or her popular show, which focus on “tidying up” your living space—but her KonMari methodology can be adapted and applied to other areas of your life, too. She even has a book on tidying up your workspace, but we need to think bigger. You should tidy up your work, period. 

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing

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At their most basic, Kondo’s cleaning recommendations call on you to chuck out any items that don’t “spark joy.” Why limit this thinking to physical clutter? Your to-do list is cluttered, too, with unnecessary and unfulfilling tasks. 

How to KonMari your to-do list

To apply this organizational method to your responsibilities and tasks, familiarize yourself with Kondo’s six main principles:

1. Envision your ideal home and lifestyle

2. Commit to tidying up completely

3. Let go and organize

4. Tidy up by category

5. Follow the correct order

6. Only keep what sparks joy

To start, write down everything you have to do. Don’t leave a single task or responsibility out. Now, work on step one, envisioning your ideal lifestyle, or, in this case, work day. What would you do and focus on in your ideal day? It probably wouldn’t be menial tasks, other people’s responsibilities, or things outside of the scope of your job; it probably would include your core responsibilities and interests.

Next, commit to “tidying up” completely, or eliminating the tasks that get in the way of that ideal work day.

The third step is letting go and then moving onto organizing. Assess that exhaustive to-do list you wrote down. Do you see anything that you could just completely eliminate, like a wasteful call or a task that could be handled by someone else in your organization? You’ve already committed to tidying up. Now, all you need to do is cross those out, either forgetting them completely or delegating them to someone more appropriate. 

Now you’re left with tasks and functions that align more with the scope of your job description and the things you are interested in doing. Categorize them. The categories won’t be as clear-cut as they are when using KonMari for cleaning, when you sort your items into clothes, books, papers, etc. Instead, they’ll be subjective, related to your daily activities. Try sorting by job responsibilities, like sales, communication, and data collection and analysis. Or, try sorting by office tasks, household tasks, and personal tasks.

Whatever your to-do list is, you should see the patterns emerging that enable you to categorize the things you need to do. Once you’ve got them all sorted, rank them by importance. Maybe work tasks are more important than household tasks, which are more important than personal ones. Maybe sales are more important than data collection, but you need the data to effectively communicate with your team or clients, so you arrange those categories in that order. Tackle each category in order, working through the most important things first before moving on to less important ones. 

That’s how you’ll ultimately break through step six, which is keeping the things that “spark joy.” When you use the KonMari method to clean, you’re not focusing on what you want to get rid of; you’re focusing on what you really want to keep. By doing this with your to-do list, you clear space for the most important tasks, but you also keep the less-important, joy-sparking ones on the list. Don't forget, joy can be sparked by producing results and being productive, but also by engaging in activities you just really like. Make sure you schedule time to do those fulfilling activities, because the point here is that you should be making time for happiness. Productivity requires breaks, but even fulfilling responsibilities—like grabbing coffee with a friend or helping your kid with homework—can be productive and spark joy. By tossing out the truly unnecessary garbage in your to-do list, you’ll have time for all of it.