The 1-3-5 Method: How Ordinary People Are Getting Extraordinary Results

Ever found yourself staring at a to-do list longer than the queue at Greggs on a Monday morning? You're not alone, my friend. Between work deadlines, family commitments, and the pipe dream of maintaining a social life, most of us are drowning in tasks while the clock ticks mercilessly on.

But what if I told you there's a beautifully simple way to tame this chaos? Enter the 1-3-5 Method – the productivity approach that's changing how real people manage their days across Britain and beyond.

The Beautiful Simplicity of 1-3-5

At its heart, the 1-3-5 Method is refreshingly straightforward:

• 1 big, important task

• 3 medium-sized tasks

• 5 small, quick tasks

That's your day. Nine carefully chosen items, not the fifty-seven you've been trying to squeeze in.

Real People, Real Results: Meet the 1-3-5 Brigade

Let's peek into how different people are using this method to transform their productivity.

Sarah: The Overwhelmed Marketing Manager

Sarah leads a digital marketing team in Manchester and used to start each day with a to-do list that would make your eyes water.

Before 1-3-5: Sarah's typical day involved juggling client calls, reviewing campaigns, managing team issues, and putting out the inevitable fires. She'd write down 20+ tasks and feel utterly deflated when she'd only cross off seven by day's end.

After 1-3-5: Sarah now plans her day like this:

1 Big Thing:

• Complete the quarterly marketing strategy presentation

3 Medium Things:

• Review the social media analytics report

• Provide feedback on the new landing page designs

• Prepare talking points for tomorrow's client meeting

5 Small Things:

• Respond to urgent emails (time-boxed to 30 minutes)

• Approve team member's time off request

• Schedule interviews for the new content writer position

• Update project tracker

• Send invoice reminders to accounting

'The difference has been night and day,' Sarah says. 'I still have a master list of everything that needs doing, but each morning I pull out just nine items. The clarity is incredible – I know exactly what success looks like today.'

Kevin: The Time-Pressed Software Developer

Kevin works at a fintech startup in Birmingham and was constantly context-switching between coding, meetings, and urgent bug fixes.

Before 1-3-5: Kevin's days were fragmented chaos. He'd start working on a feature, get pulled into a production issue, attend three stand-ups, and end the day having made minimal progress on what actually mattered. His GitHub contributions graph looked like a sad game of Connect One.

After 1-3-5: Kevin restructured his approach:

1 Big Thing:

• Complete the payment processing API integration (with tests)

3 Medium Things:

• Code review for team members' pull requests

• Refactor authentication module

• Prepare tech spec for next sprint's database migration

5 Small Things:

• Respond to Slack messages (time-boxed to 20 minutes)

• Update Jira tickets with progress

• Fix that small CSS bug everyone's complaining about

• Set up the new debugging tool

• 15-minute pair programming session with the junior dev

'Blocking time for deep work on my one big thing was transformative,' Kevin explains. 'I now get more meaningful coding done in one focused three-hour block than I used to accomplish in two full days of interrupted work. And including mentorship as one of my small tasks ensures I'm contributing to the team beyond just pushing code.'

Emma: The Work-from-Home Freelancer

Emma is a freelance graphic designer in Edinburgh who struggled with the lack of structure when she left agency life.

Before 1-3-5: Emma's days had no boundaries. She'd flit between client work, admin, networking, and household chores, often working until midnight yet feeling like she'd accomplished little.

After 1-3-5: Emma's typical day now looks like:

1 Big Thing:

• Complete the branding package for the restaurant client

3 Medium Things:

• Create initial concepts for the new app interface project

• Update portfolio website with recent work

• Invoice processing and bookkeeping (90 minutes)

5 Small Things:

• Respond to new inquiry emails

• Post on LinkedIn

• Schedule social media content for the week

• Send follow-up notes to yesterday's networking meeting

• Back up current project files

'The 1-3-5 Method has given my day bones,' Emma says. 'I used to feel guilty taking breaks, but now I know if I've completed my nine tasks, I've truly earned my evening off.'

Dave: The Busy Parent and Part-Time Student

Dave juggles a warehouse job in Leeds with caring for two young children and studying for an accounting qualification.

Before 1-3-5: Dave was drowning. Between school runs, shift work, coursework, and family time, something was always falling through the cracks. He felt like he was failing at everything.

After 1-3-5: Dave's approach on his days off:

1 Big Thing:

• Complete 3-hour study session for upcoming exam

3 Medium Things:

• Help kids with homework projects

• Meal prep for the rest of the week

• Schedule appointments (dentist, parents' evening, car MOT)

5 Small Things:

• 15-minute garden tidy

• Pay monthly bills

• Call mum

• Quick workout

• Review study notes from yesterday

'What I love about this method is the balance,' Dave shares. 'I make progress on my long-term goals without neglecting day-to-day responsibilities. And seeing those nine items crossed off gives me a real sense of accomplishment.'

Why 1-3-5 Works When Other Methods Fail

The 1-3-5 Method succeeds because it acknowledges the harsh reality that our time and energy are finite resources.

Most productivity systems fail because they're overly complex or don't account for how work actually happens. We get interrupted. Emergencies crop up. Tasks take longer than expected.

By limiting yourself to just nine carefully chosen items, you:

1. Force meaningful prioritisation. That single 'big thing' slot makes you ruthlessly honest about what truly matters today.

2. Build in flexibility. With only nine items on your plate, there's room for the unexpected without your entire day collapsing.

3. End the day with a win. Even on chaotic days, you might still complete your one big thing and a few smaller tasks – that's success, not failure.

4. Reduce decision fatigue. You're not constantly revaluating a massive list, wondering what to tackle next.

Getting Started: Your First 1-3-5 Day

Ready to give it a go? Here's how to begin:

1. Take stock the night before. Spend 10 minutes planning tomorrow's 1-3-5 list. This gives your subconscious time to process and prepare.

2. Be realistic about your 'big thing.' It should be challenging but doable in 2-4 hours of focused work.

3. Batch similar medium and small tasks. Group emails, phone calls, or errands to minimise context-switching.

4. Include one self-care item. Like Kevin's pair programming session, this acknowledges that taking care of yourself and others is productive, not indulgent.

5. Review and celebrate. At day's end, acknowledge what you've accomplished rather than fixating on what's still undone.

When Life Gets Messy

Let's be honest – some days, the 1-3-5 plan will go straight out the window. Your child wakes up with a fever. The boiler packs up. Your biggest client has an emergency.

On these days, the method still helps. You know exactly what needs rescheduling, and you can quickly identify your new 'big thing' for the crisis day.

From Overwhelmed to In Control

Kate, a secondary school teacher from Cardiff, perhaps said it best: 'The 1-3-5 Method didn't give me more hours in the day, but it completely changed how I use the hours I have. For the first time in my career, I leave school feeling accomplished rather than defeated.'

And isn't that what we're all after? Not superhuman productivity, but the quiet satisfaction of having spent our day intentionally, making progress on what truly matters.

Take Your Productivity to the Next Level with Really Focus

If you're nodding along thinking, 'This makes perfect sense, but I need help sticking with it,' you're not alone. Building new habits takes support.

That's why we created Really Focus – the productivity app built specifically around the 1-3-5 Method.

Really Focus goes beyond basic to-do lists by helping you:

• Identify your ideal 1-3-5 tasks each morning

• Track completion rates to reveal your productivity patterns

• Integrate with your calendar to protect time for your 'big thing'

• Celebrate wins and build momentum

• Adjust seamlessly when priorities shift

Whether you're a busy professional like Sarah, a software developer like Kevin, a freelancer seeking structure like Emma, or juggling multiple roles like Dave, Really Focus adapts to your unique needs.

Ready to transform how you work? Sign up to Really Focus

No pushy sales tactics. Just a straightforward opportunity to test-drive a tool that's helping ordinary people achieve extraordinary results.

Because at the end of the day, productivity isn't about doing more things – it's about doing the right things. And the 1-3-5 Method helps you do exactly that.

What will your first 'big thing' be?