Zahariades suggests a "Rule of 3" or a strictly capped list. If you have 20 items, you’ve already failed. Success is finishing a small list of high-value tasks.
In The To-Do List Formula , Damon Zahariades argues that most people fail at productivity not because they are lazy, but because they treat their to-do lists like "wish lists" rather than execution plans. He presents a systematic approach to reclaiming your time by moving away from cluttered, infinite lists toward a lean, action-oriented system. The Core Problem: The "Kitchen Sink" Approach To-Do List Formula by Damon Zahariades EPUB
Group tasks by location, tools needed, or energy levels (e.g., "Calls," "Computer Work," or "Errands"). This prevents the mental "switching cost" of jumping between different types of work. Zahariades suggests a "Rule of 3" or a strictly capped list
Be honest about how long a task takes. This prevents you from over-scheduling your day and helps you slot tasks into small gaps of free time. In The To-Do List Formula , Damon Zahariades
Only give a task a deadline if it actually has one. Artificial deadlines create unnecessary stress and lead to "deadline desensitization."
A goal is an outcome (e.g., "Launch a website"); a task is a concrete action (e.g., "Draft the 'About Us' copy"). Your list should only contain tasks.