The 1-3-5 method: a day you can actually finish
eudy is based on the 1-3-5 method: 1 big task, 3 medium, and 5 small. The idea is to base your day on what you're finishing, not how long you're working. And then to actually be able to call it a day and feel that sense of accomplishment.
The method isn't mine: it was created by Alexandra Cavoulacos, co-founder of The Muse, who introduced it in 2013 and later laid it out in her book The New Rules of Work (2017).
How do you decide what a big task is?
Well, for me, it depends. Some days, it's a priority item that I need to knock off first thing in the morning. Other times, it's the last thing I want to do in the day because I know it's open-ended and I want to be able to get lost in it. Sometimes, it's just the one with the biggest mental toll.
What about medium and small tasks?
For medium tasks, I tend to do things that require solid focus for a period of time (drafting a meaty email or working out a bug). Small tasks are things that need to be knocked off, but don't take a mental toll (a quick follow-up email or laundry).
But what about my very small tasks?
eudy has Recurring Reminders, and I keep them running for things like watering the plants, taking vitamins, and the like. These are the things that only take 30 seconds but you can't forget. They live off the grid, so they never eat a task slot.
How I plan my week
First, I use my Regular Schedule for the standing obligations (e.g. gym on certain days, work requirements on others, my food prep day). You set your Regular Schedule once and it's done.
My days start on Monday, so every Sunday night eudy's built-in planning prompt asks me to plan my week, and I fill in what I can, usually from the Bin, where I've been stashing my ideas over the week. I try to leave a few blank spots in case things come up. And that's it.
Stay honest
The most important thing in the 1-3-5 method is staying honest with yourself. Don't try to cheat in more than the day allows. If you're honest with yourself, and the tasks, eudy will force the discipline by not allowing you to add more than you can handle. And if you miss something, you just postpone it to the next day or drop it back in the Bin. You don't need eudy to run the 1-3-5 method, but eudy offers discipline, organization, and focus that a sticky note can't.
Why I needed this
I tried every planner and strategy I could before I found the 1-3-5 method. To-do lists would just become infinite voids of "things I didn't want to forget." My days would drift as the to-do list method didn't keep me focused. I tried block scheduling apps and found I would either think "I have two hours to do this" and waste time, or something would run long, and it cascaded and broke the entire day.
From my personal perspective, I was trying to balance being self-employed with a variety of side projects. And I was failing. My days would drift and I would find I was working until 10pm and still not finishing everything I set out to do. The old joke is that when you become self-employed you trade in your 9 to 5 for a 24/7.
eudy is intentionally designed to keep your day from drifting, so you can keep your free time. It's free, with no time limit, and you can start planning at eudy.app/start.