How to Use the Ivy Lee Productivity System

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In 1918, Charles M. Schwab brought successful businessman, Ivy Lee on board as a productivity consultant with the aim of improving the company’s performance.

Three months after Lee gave employees a free consultation, Schwab was so pleased with the results that he sent Lee a cheque for $25,000, the equivalent of $400,000 in today’s money.

The Ivy Lee method is enjoying somewhat of a resurgence, but what is it, and what is the secret of its popularity?

That’s what we’ll cover in the rest of this piece, as well as how you can use this method to boost your productivity.

Let’s dive in.

What Is the Ivy Lee Method and How Does It Work?

The Ivy Lee method is an old, tried-and-true way to help boost your productivity and get the most out of your workday.

It works by helping to reduce decision fatigue. Each night, write the six most critical tasks you must accomplish or work on the following day in order of priority. The following morning, you can begin working through them one by one.

Thus, you have fewer decisions to make, and by prioritising tasks before you start you can save time.

You should always start by tackling the most important thing first thing in the morning when your energy and focus are at their peak. If there are any uncompleted tasks at the end of the day, move them to the next day’s six-task list.

By using this method, you can reserve more time and energy to devote to meaningful work which will advance you further towards achieving goals that matter to you. You’ll also know exactly what the plan is when you wake, so won’t use valuable energy making work-related decisions.

The five steps of the Ivy Lee method are:

1. Create a list of tasks you want to accomplish the following day. This list should not exceed six tasks.
2. Rank the tasks on your list in order of importance, with one assigned to the task with the highest priority, and six to the one with the lowest.
3.  Next day, begin with the first task on your list. Attempt to minimise distractions, and don’t move on to another task on the list until you’ve completed the first one.
4. When you’ve finished a task, draw a line through it. This will give you a feeling of accomplishment and keep you motivated.
5. Transfer any unfinished tasks to the following day and add more tasks for the next workday. Then repeat the process over subsequent days.

You can follow this method for a few weeks to work out how many tasks you can manage in a day. It doesn’t matter if this ends up being three or the full six. Do what you feel comfortable with.

Why Does It Work?

The Ivy Lee method works because it forces you to make tough decisions about how important tasks are, which forces you to commit to working on what matters. When you fully commit to something, you are less likely to become distracted or procrastinate.

As we know, procrastination can have a devastating impact on productivity. Check out our post on 6 types of procrastinators here.

This productivity system also allows you to zero in on something and do deep work in a state of flow, which is a much more efficient way of working than attempting to multitask, or constantly jumping from one thing to another.

The Ivy Lee method also helps you get started. When you decide what your most vital task is the evening before, you rid yourself of indecision and can get right down to it without wasting time. This makes it more likely that you will be productive because you must start things if you want to succeed.

The simplicity of this method means that anyone can try it and see how it influences their productivity, even those unfamiliar or unused to productivity systems.

You can even keep track of tasks that do not make it onto your short to-do list using management software like Notion or Click Up.

• You can open a new page in Notion to park less important tasks.
• In Click Up, you can create a backlog for the same purpose.

This means you can focus on the tasks you are working on without being distracted by other tasks. You will not, however, be in danger of forgetting them.

Next, we’ll turn to the question of this method’s popularity.

Why Is the Ivy Lee Method Popular?

One of the chief reasons for its popularity is its simplicity. It is easy for anyone to follow. As it is simple, it is also easier to start things, so you don’t get stuck in a rut and are not plagued by indecision. If you do need help getting out of a rut, read our post on how to regain your mojo here.

The other principal reason this method is so popular is that you must decide what is and what is not important, which improves your focus. This, in turn, increases your productivity because you spend less time jumping between tasks.

What If the Ivy Lee Method Doesn’t Work for Me?

If this method doesn’t cut it for you, there is a fantastic alternative out there you can try. The brainchild of Warren Buffet, the 5 25 rule can help you prioritise and devote more of your time to what truly matters.

How the 5 25 rule works

The 5 25 rule can help you concentrate on goals that are most important to you so that you can engage in meaningful work.

It can be applied to any area of life to help you achieve what you wish, be it a goal you have in your professional or personal life.

It is like many other strategies designed to improve productivity in that it starts with making a list of goals.

 What makes Warren Buffet’s method unique is the brand of prioritisation he employs, selecting just a few more critical goals to focus on rather than splitting your attention between too many of them.

By committing to just 5 out of 25 goals, you have more chance of completing them in an effective and timely manner than would exist if you were to juggle many tasks at once.

We tend to assume that doing more is better, but that’s not always the case. In fact, focusing on doing less to a high standard is more logical because our brains are designed to zero in on one task at a time.

So, if you want to try out the 5 25 rule for yourself, write down 25 goals you wish to accomplish, then circle the five that are most important to you. By doing this, you eliminate 80% of your goals in a single stroke. These goals can be short or long-term ones.

You can choose your top 5 goals based on urgency, results, perceived value, or meaning.

This process helps you categorise each of your goals as ones you will execute, and ones you will not, thus freeing up time and mental energy because you won’t be worried about too many aspirations. Narrowing your focus helps you direct your attention and block out distractions.

It is necessary to learn how to minimise distractions if you are to manage your time effectively. Only when you can manage your time effectively can you hope to get more done in less time.

Tips for using the 5 25 rule

Still unsure how to implement Warren Buffet’s productivity system?

Here are some top tips.

• Work out why you are doing something. Each goal you strive for should have a purpose.
• Do your best to minimise interruptions and distractions.
• Consider using an online planner, instead of a notepad for improved organisation.
• Work on a single task until it’s done, and don’t be tempted to switch between them.
•  Use the opportunity to narrow your focus and direct your attention to what’s important.
• Maintaining a single-minded focus is tiring, so be sure to take regular breaks. It’s best to do something active like taking a short walk during these breaks to give yourself a rest from the screen.
• Don’t worry about things that didn’t make it into your list of top 5 goals.

Wrapping Up

Using a productivity system can help you achieve excellent results. Whether you decide to try the Ivy Lee method that proved so effective in the early 20^th century or follow in Warren Buffet’s footsteps and use the 5 25 rule, give productivity system’s a whirl, and see how you get on.

Personally, I prefer the Ivy Lee Method because it gives you a clearer daily agenda to follow that will help you move closer to achieving your goals. The 5 25 rule has its merits and is like the Ivy Lee method though, so if that sounds like more your thing, go for it!

Feel free to share your thoughts about productivity systems in the comments. Thanks for reading.