Optimize work productivity with the Ivy Lee method

Many people prefer a handwritten to-do list to a complicated to-do list app, but there’s still room for innovation. When many people hear about the Ivy Lee Method, they think it’s worth a try. Here’s why!

• 7 effective time management methods to optimize work productivity

Table of Contents

• What is the Ivy Lee Method?
• ​Testing the Ivy Lee Method with Samsung Notes
• Try to form a routine before going to bed.
• How useful is the Ivy Lee method?
• This method is not for everyone.

What is the Ivy Lee Method?

The method takes its name from Ivy Lee, a consultant who shared the method with a group of business executives at Bethlehem Steel Corporation in Pennsylvania in 1918.

Instead of managing a long to-do list that you can't hope to complete in a day, the Ivy Lee Method tasks you with prioritizing six things that you can realistically hope to complete.

The premise is simple. Pick 6 tasks and rank them from most important to least important. Then, work your way down the list.

​Testing the Ivy Lee Method with Samsung Notes

People always have their phones close by and sometimes work on their phones instead of their computers, so this makes sense. Your lists will always be accessible.

For example, I used the Samsung Notes app. I hand-wrote notes and used a to-do list-style template. That way, I could check a box next to an item when it was done.

Try to form a routine before going to bed.

The Ivy Lee method recommends writing down six tasks the night before so you know what you'll do the next day. In a professional setting, this means pausing at the end of the workday to write down six tasks you'll do when you return to the office the next day.

Many people do not use this method exclusively for work purposes. In some cases, work-related tasks may overlap with important family and household tasks that need to be addressed.

Many people’s evenings tend to be extremely busy with kids, so they don’t sit down to write down their tasks until right before bed. Now, they just pull out their S Pen, grab their phone, and think of six possible things they can do that day.

How useful is the Ivy Lee method?

The great thing about the Ivy Lee method is its simplicity. Here are some of the strengths that people really appreciate about it:

• Fast . Writing 6 tasks doesn't take long, especially if some of the tasks are left over from the day before.
• This method helps you focus on deciding what is most important . Important tasks tend to fall to the bottom of your to-do list. The Ivy Lee method requires you to ask yourself every day which tasks should be moved to the top.
• This method reveals important tasks that you may be missing. Some tasks may seem small, but if you keep adding the same uncompleted task to your list, it becomes clear that the task is important to you, even if you didn't initially prioritize it in your regular to-do list app.
• It feels like journaling . Reflecting on your day is a good habit to get into. Creating a to-do list doesn't actually help you express your thoughts, but it can serve as a companion to other forms of journaling, like freewriting or listing things you're grateful for.

Trying the Ivy Lee method is a worthwhile experiment, but many people don't think they'll stick with it.

This method is not for everyone.

Ultimately, the Ivy Lee method is still a to-do list, and it comes with the same core drawback as other to-do lists. Namely, you can’t complete everything on your list every day. That makes the list look like a catalog of all the things you haven’t done yet.

In some ways, the Ivy Lee method can actually make you more discouraged. Cutting the list down to six items makes the task seem simple. That only makes you more discouraged when the week is over and half of your list on Friday is the same as it was on Monday.

Let’s say you have young children and work from home. No matter what your to-do list is, your children always come first, forcing you to change your plans unexpectedly. Plus, for some people, the idea of ​​tracking monthly goals instead of daily tasks seems more logical. It allows more space for reflection, keeping an eye on the big picture, and being more realistic.

There's no denying the benefits of the Ivy Lee method. If you're really willing to put in the effort, here are some tips to get the most out of it.