I Tried the 3-3-3 Method to Be More Productive at Work (and It Saved Me So Much Time)

In my experience, the biggest enemy of productivity is staring at a lengthy to-do list and not knowing where to start — or what’s called “analysis paralysis.” It means overthinking a decision because you have too many choices or too much information. I’ll either waste time deliberating about what to do first, or suddenly get the urge to organize a cabinet or do something else not on my list at all — in other words, I procrastinate.

Recently, while doing some procrastination cleaning, I found a notepad from a webinar I had attended on dealing with workplace stress. Among the recommended tips was something called the 3-3-3 Productivity Method. Below this title, I had drawn two vertical lines to make three columns, each containing a bulleted list of tasks.

I started reading up on this productivity method and discovered it was the brainchild of Oliver Burkeman, the same author who inspired me to start keeping a reverse to-do list, which involves making a list of your accomplishments rather than your need-to-dos.

Burkeman explains that it’s difficult to perform tasks requiring intense focus for more than three or four hours a day. So, the rationale behind the 3-3-3 method is to get challenging tasks out of the way when you’re most alert and productive. After consulting with a productivity expert, I decided to try the 3-3-3 method to see if it could help me overcome analysis paralysis and get more done throughout the day.

What Is the 3-3-3 Method?

The 3-3-3 Productivity Method involves breaking your workday into three parts, each lasting around three hours. First, you work on difficult tasks that need your undivided attention. “That way you can focus your energy on this task without having to do something mentally strenuous when you’re tired,” says Dr. Lienna Wilson, PsyD, licensed psychologist.

Next, you complete time-sensitive tasks that don’t require the same level of concentration, such as making a phone call. Lastly, you spend the remaining hours on routine tasks like responding to emails. The idea is to save the simplest tasks for later in the day.

The 3-3-3 method can “provide a morale boost if you recognize and give yourself credit for accomplishing three different types of tasks each day,” says Wilson. It can also help you manage perfectionism and feelings of “never being enough,” which are common among high-achieving individuals, she says. Here are some of her tips for how to use the 3-3-3 method.

• Choose your most difficult task the night before.

• Minimize distractions during the first block.

• Avoid checking email until the second block.

• Move non-urgent emails to the third block.

• Check off tasks as you complete them for positive reinforcement.

What Happened When I Tried the 3-3-3 Method

I tried the 3-3-3 method for five days, starting on Thursday and concluding the following Wednesday. I skipped the weekend to see how well this method stacked up against other productivity methods I’ve tried. In keeping with the 3-3-3 method, I split my day evenly into three-hour blocks from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., but you don’t have to be rigid about this if your workday is shorter or longer.

Here’s what my schedule looked like.

• 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. for important projects

• 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for time-sensitive tasks

• 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. for routine tasks

On Thursday, I spent the first three hours reviewing and providing feedback on a grant application which required intense focus and concentration. In the next block, I researched and prepared announcements for a newsletter. Then, I took an hour-long break to go for a walk and returned in time to eat and get ready for a 1 p.m. meeting. I set aside the final block for answering emails, entering data into a spreadsheet, and commuting home.

On Friday, I had planned to start my work-from-home day with a strategic planning exercise, but ended up needing to spend two hours responding to urgent emails instead. I managed to start the exercise at 10 a.m. but needed to continue working on it during the second block. During the third block, I answered non-urgent emails, watched a recording of a webinar, and wrote out a to-do list for the following week.

Similar to Friday, my first block on Monday and Tuesday was derailed by urgent email requests. On Wednesday, I completed another grant review in the first third of the day and worked on simpler tasks in the afternoon like reviewing meeting minutes. As non-urgent emails came in, I moved them to a folder to avoid seeing them in my inbox, which made me feel anxious about getting to them later.

Did the 3-3-3 Method Work?

I managed to really stick to the 3-3-3 method on Thursday and Wednesday. Similar to the 1-3-5 rule, which involves creating a hierarchy of tasks, using this method helped me prioritize tasks based on difficulty and urgency. It was a relief not to waste any time wondering what to do first, and I felt less anxious after getting the most taxing item off my to-do list.

As my energy and motivation declined throughout the day, so too did the difficulty level of the remaining tasks. Namely, I liked how the 3-3-3 method helped me optimize my energy and alertness, which tend to be higher in the morning and lower in the afternoon when a coffee nap can help.

Originally, I had intended to use the 3-3-3 method all five days, but urgent requests meant that I couldn’t always stick to the plan. On these days, it wasn’t realistic to save all my emails for the last block. Plus, this method didn’t factor in times when routine tasks become urgent priorities and prevent you from making progress on other goals.

All in all, I would use the 3-3-3 method again to carve out uninterrupted time to focus on an important task. On days when email dictates my schedule, it would help to give myself grace and start fresh the next day.

If you’re looking for a new productivity hack, consider trying the 3-3-3 method. A good place to start is figuring out when you’re at peak productivity and timing difficult tasks to fit within this window. For you, that might mean starting the day with simpler tasks and building up to more challenging tasks as your productivity increases, says Wilson. If you have difficulty concentrating, you may benefit from regular breaks rather than aiming for an uninterrupted block of time, or breaking big tasks up into smaller ones to stay motivated. 

Remember, the point is not to be too strict with your schedule — it’s to cut down on stress. Splitting your day up into thirds and making it work for you might just save you from feeling overwhelmed by your to-dos.

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