On November 30, 2020—exactly one year and one day ago— I pushed aside the complicated system of task lists and projects that I had been using and took the first step toward a simpler, more reliable system.
I took out a simple 3 x 5 index card and wrote down six things that were important for me to do that day. Then I put a number next to each one, representing their relative priority. At the end of the day, I tabulated my score, and recorded it, along with a few notes.
The rest, as they say, is history.
One year later, I couldn’t be happier with how that one simple decision has transformed my life. Within that one year, I have achieved a great deal. I’ve made significant progress in both my personal and professional life. I’ve developed the system into 4 levels, and introduced it to a bunch of people. I’m living in a more intentional way. It’s a great feeling.
The Today System has provided me with 4 things I wasn’t able to find in other systems:
- Prioritization – a way to decide what’s important for me to do each day, and lay it out in a way that clearly illustrates its importance.
- Focus – a way to ensure that no matter where my day takes me, I can go back to something concrete (the card) and be reminded of what I need to be aiming at.
- Motivation – a way to get energized, as the day drags on, to keep going—and to keep working on what’s important.
- Feedback – a way to numerically measure my performance—day to day and week to week—so that I can clearly see when I need to make changes.
Through The Today System community, I’ve also met a lot of truly great people—people who are as interested in productivity as I am. But also like me, they’ve found themselves overwhelmed and underserved by the other systems out there. And I’m humbled by the fact that many of them were able to use this system to get to where they had been looking to go.
The community is small, but welcoming. We share tips and tricks, motivational quotes, preferred routines, etc. We get into the weeds of productivity. And most importantly, we encourage each other. There’s a place to share your daily score, notes on your day, weekly reflections, and a picture of your card. It’s a great way to stay accountable, and use the system to keep you working on the important things in your life.
As I’ve said many times, no system will do the work for you. And no system is the system for everyone. The Today System is no exception. But I like to think that for that group of folks for whom existing productivity systems just didn’t work—The Today System provides what was lacking.
For those who have been using the system for a while, I hope you continue to find success with it. For those just learning about it, please, feel free to reach out to me. I love talking about it.
Here’s to one year in the bag. Thanks to all those who—during that year—have helped me make this system into what it is. And here’s to making the system even better, and helping a bunch more people live each day more intentionally.
And if you haven’t tried the system yet: Start today. Then head over to the community and tell us how it went.
