The Ivy Lee Method: 6 Tasks a Day for Higher Productivity
✦ Key takeaways
- Each evening write only your 6 most important tasks for tomorrow, in priority order.
- Start with task one and do not move on until it is done.
- The cap of 6 forces you to choose what truly matters.
- Anything unfinished rolls over to tomorrow's list.
In 1918, the industrialist Charles Schwab hired a consultant named Ivy Lee to raise his team's productivity. Lee offered no complex system — just a five-step method that later took his name and is still used more than a century on, because it tackles productivity's biggest enemies: distraction and too many choices.
The five steps
At the end of each workday, write down only the 6 most important tasks you want to accomplish tomorrow. Rank them by real priority. The next day, start with task one and do not move to the second until the first is done. Work the list in order, and at day's end move anything unfinished to tomorrow's list, then write 6 new tasks.
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Its power lies in the constraint: why only 6? Because the cap forces a hard decision — what truly deserves your time? Long lists give a false sense of achievement while burying the important among the trivial.
| Principle | What it achieves |
|---|---|
| Max 6 tasks | Forces focus on what matters most |
| Ranked by priority | Starts your day with the heaviest task (Eat the Frog) |
| One task at a time | Cuts context-switching cost |
| Prepared the night before | You begin the morning with clarity, not hesitation |
Why "one task at a time"? Because multitasking is a costly illusion; the brain does not truly parallelize but switches rapidly, and every switch drains energy and focus. Finishing one task before starting another preserves momentum and reduces errors.
Compare it to other methods: the Eisenhower Matrix is great for sorting tasks, and the Pomodoro Technique excels at managing time within a task, while Ivy Lee shines at settling priorities and reducing decisions. Try it for a week: five minutes in the evening may reshape your entire day.