The Three Things That Matter Each Day
Three things matter today. Everything else is maintenance.
Most of what you do every day doesn't matter. Three things do. Find them and protect them with everything you have.
If you did nothing today except your three most important tasks, the day would be a success. Everything else — the emails, the errands, the meetings, the admin — is maintenance. It keeps things running. But the three things are what move your life forward.
The problem is that the maintenance is louder than the building. Email demands a response. The meeting is on the calendar. The errand has a deadline. The three things? They sit there quietly, waiting for you to get to them. And most days, you don't.
How to Find Your Three Things
Ask one question every morning: "If I could only accomplish three things today, what would they be?"
The answer changes daily but the framework is constant. The three things should be the tasks that, if completed, make today a day that moved the needle. Not maintained the status quo — moved the needle.
They might be work tasks. They might be personal. They might be one of each plus one for the business you're building on the side. The categories don't matter. The impact does.
How to Protect Them
Do them first. Before email. Before meetings. Before anyone else's agenda. The first and best hours of your day go to your three things.
Say no to everything that competes. If someone asks for your time during your three-things block, the answer is no. Not "let me check my schedule" — no. The three things were decided this morning. They don't get moved by someone else's priorities.
Let everything else wait. The email will still be there at 11 AM. The meeting can be moved. The errand can happen after the three things are done. The world will not end because you spent two hours on your priorities instead of everyone else's.
The Bottom Line
Find the three things. Do them first. Protect them from everything that wants to replace them with something less important.
Read the Focus pillar: On Noise, Focus, and the Speed Between Them
This article is one of eight Selfmade principles.
Every Friday I send one email applying one principle to wealth, power, and success. No filler. No borrowed quotes.
Every Friday. Free forever. Unsubscribe anytime.