Productivity guide
The Ivy Lee Method: A Simple Daily Productivity System
Published Updated
A 100-year-old routine for getting the important things done — six tasks, ranked, one at a time.
Short answer: the Ivy Lee method is a daily routine of six tasks. Each evening, write down the six most important things to do tomorrow, rank them, and the next day work on #1 until it is finished before moving to #2. Unfinished tasks move to the next day's list of six. You can download a free printable 6-task template below.
In 1918, productivity consultant Ivy Lee gave the president of Bethlehem Steel a deceptively simple daily routine. Charles Schwab reportedly paid him $25,000 (over $400,000 today) for it. A century later, the Ivy Lee Method is still one of the cleanest ways to end decision fatigue and actually finish what matters.
No apps required. No color-coded matrices. Just a piece of paper, six lines, and one rule.
The Ivy Lee Method in 5 steps
- At the end of each workday, write down the six most important things you need to do tomorrow. No more than six.
- Rank them in order of true importance.
- Tomorrow, start with task #1. Work only on that task until it's finished before moving on.
- Do the same for the rest of the list. Any unfinished tasks roll over to tomorrow's six.
- Repeat every working day.
Free printable Ivy Lee template (6 tasks)
One page per day: six numbered lines, a “first step” prompt under each task so #1 is easy to start, a checkbox to tick, and a box for the tasks that did not make the cut. Print a stack and write tomorrow's six before you finish work.
Ivy Lee method: 6 tasks daily sheet
Six numbered task lines with a "first step" prompt and a checkbox, the four Ivy Lee rules at the top, and space for parked tasks.
Why it works
Most productivity systems fail because they add complexity to an already complex day. The Ivy Lee Method removes complexity:
- It forces prioritization. Only six slots means you have to choose.
- It kills task-switching. One task at a time, start to finish.
- It ends the day cleanly. Writing tomorrow's list tonight lets you stop thinking about work.
- It compounds. Six meaningful tasks a day is 30 a week — more than most people finish.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Writing more than six tasks. The whole point is the constraint. If it doesn't make the list, it doesn't get done today.
- Ranking by urgency instead of importance. Urgent-but-unimportant work will always find you. Rank by what actually matters.
- Jumping to task #3 because it's easier. If you can't focus on #1, break it into a smaller version — don't skip it.
- Writing the list in the morning. Write it the night before so tomorrow starts with momentum, not planning.
Ivy Lee vs. modern productivity systems
Compared to systems like GTD or the Eisenhower Matrix, the Ivy Lee Method has almost no overhead. There's no inbox, no context tags, no weekly review. It's built for people who want to do the work, not manage a to-do system.
That simplicity is also its limit: if your job involves hundreds of small tasks, use Ivy Lee for the six that matter and manage the rest separately. If your days mix one deep task with lots of small errands, the 1-3-5 rule (one big, three medium, five small) may fit better.
Ivy Lee also combines well with the methods around it. Our guide to time blocking shows how to give your top two or three tasks a fixed slot, and you can try it in the free time-blocking planner. A weekly work plan decides which day each big task lands on, and a 15-minute Sunday reset is the natural moment to write it.
Ivy Lee Method + Weeklane
Weeklane is built for exactly this kind of workflow. Each day is a clean list — no projects, no tags, no clutter. Tonight, put tomorrow's six tasks on tomorrow's day, drag them into rank order, and tick them off top-down. Move anything left over to the next day and re-rank it there.
The Home Screen widget puts your six tasks right where you'll see them, so the first thing you open your phone to is the top of the list — not a feed.
Lock the feed until the six are done
Ivy Lee's rule is to finish task one before touching task two. Weeklane Task Lock (new in Weeklane 2.5, part of Weeklane Pro on iPhone and iPad) adds a modern version: the apps you choose stay locked until today's list is checked off, then unlock on their own.
How Task Lock works →Frequently asked
Why exactly six tasks in the Ivy Lee Method?
Six is small enough to force real prioritization, large enough to be a full day of meaningful work. It's the number Ivy Lee originally recommended in 1918.
Can I combine Ivy Lee with time-blocking?
Yes. Rank your six tasks, then block time for the first two or three on your calendar — see our guide to time blocking. Ivy Lee decides what; time-blocking decides when.
What if I don't finish all six tasks?
Move unfinished items to tomorrow's list — but re-rank them. If a task keeps rolling over, it's usually too big and needs to be broken down.
Is there a printable Ivy Lee method template?
Yes. The free Ivy Lee 6-task sheet is a one-page PDF in A4 and US Letter with six numbered task lines, a first-step prompt and a checkbox for each task, and the four rules at the top. No email or sign-up needed.
Use the Ivy Lee Method in Weeklane
Six tasks a day on a clean weekly list. Free to plan; Pro adds reminders, recurring tasks and Task Lock (iPhone and iPad), with a 7-day free trial.
Scan to download
Related guides
- Weekly Planner App: How to Plan Your Week in 5 Minutes — the routine that decides which tasks land on which day.
- ADHD Weekly Planner — the small-list format of Ivy Lee suits ADHD brains well.
- The Time Blocking Method — assign each of your six tasks a specific block of time.
- Free Time Blocking Templates (PDF) — printable daily and weekly time blocking pages.
- Weekly Work Plan: Free Template — plan the five working days your six tasks come from.
- The 1-3-5 Rule: Free Template — nine tasks sorted by size instead of six ranked ones.
- Phone Planner — run this system straight from your Home Screen.
- The Sunday Reset — the weekly reset that feeds your daily six tasks.
- To-Do List Widget for iPhone — keep today's six tasks on the Home Screen.
- All productivity guides