This article discusses my understanding and execution of planning. Here, planning refers to a broad concept, including what tasks to accomplish within a certain period, how to do them, how much to do, and what goals to achieve within (or by) that period.

I advocate against making long-term plans, with the furthest being no more than a month ahead. "Not making long-term plans" does not equate to "not being long-term oriented," because often, long-term plans are more about desires than actual intentions. For example, "I want to reach an MRR of $1,000 in three months."

Moreover, even if tasks are set for long-term execution, they are often interrupted. Naturally, we think about "breaking down big tasks into smaller ones," which essentially turns long-term plans into short-term ones.

The "Five-Minute Rule" Saves a Lot of Planning

The Five-Minute Rule states: for tasks that can be completed in five minutes or less, do them now instead of making a list.

Keep your list as short as possible, but this doesn't mean you should reduce the number of tasks you do; rather, it allows you to truly focus on what is important. One consequence of information overload is attention fatigue. As the day comes to a close, self-control is depleted, making it difficult to complete even simple tasks, let alone tackle a long list.

The "Three Things a Week" Method

Let me introduce the "Three Things a Week" method that I have been practicing for a long time.

Every weekend evening, I create a list for the upcoming week: this list always contains only three items. Even if there are many high-priority demands, I must identify the three most important ones.

Over time, you will find that even writing down just three items can often lead to an overwhelming amount of work. Not to mention, completing the top three tasks is already quite challenging. Finishing three tasks each week brings a sense of accomplishment that far outweighs the frustration of realizing "I didn't complete my list again this week."

This method doesn't require any apps; a single sheet of paper each week or a sticky note will suffice, listing only three items. If you use Apple Notes, you can even set up a shortcut to create your weekly list automatically.

"Daily Progress" Surpasses Long-Term Goals

Goals, especially long-term ones, are often difficult to quantify. The longer the planning period, the greater the uncertainty and the higher the likelihood of giving up midway. Instead, consider: what can I do each day to work towards this goal?

I don't tell myself, "I will achieve xx monthly income in a year," but rather, I write a bit of code every day, update a product daily, no matter how small;

I don't say, "I will read xx books in a year," but I commit to opening a book and reading a few pages every day;

I don't set a goal of "losing xx pounds in a month," but I go to the gym when I need to and control my diet when necessary.

This isn't about breaking down big goals into smaller ones; it's about not setting specific goals but rather defining a direction. Because it's hard to predict where you will end up, there's no need to stress or rejoice over a specific number. I call this "daily progress." Planning should focus on how to make "daily progress."

Conclusion

Avoid ineffective, lengthy lists, and steer clear of vague and changeable goals; focus your attention on the actions themselves. Often, being busy is just an illusion; it’s not us who are busy, but our overloaded brains.

In fact, the three methods mentioned above fundamentally aim to reduce the burden on attention without truly decreasing the tasks you need to accomplish. When your mindset shifts, you can effectively mitigate the risks of uncertain planning and approach your tasks with the best mindset to achieve the most.