In short
- Choose three things for today: one that matters, and two small ones.
- Make each one small enough to start in five minutes.
- Put everything else away until the day you’ll start it.
- When the three are done, stop or add one more. Don’t refill the list.
Thirty things on a list doesn’t mean thirty things get done. It means you spend the morning deciding where to start, then feel behind all day. A Today plan is the opposite: a few cards chosen on purpose, and everything else out of sight.
This works for anyone with too much on: students, work, home, or all three at once.
Make today’s plan in five minutes
Look at what’s due
Check what’s due today and in the next few days. Anything due tomorrow probably belongs on today’s plan.
Pick one thing that matters
The task that would make today feel worthwhile if it were the only thing you did. Put it first.
Add two small things
Things that take under half an hour and keep other work moving: an email, a booking, ten minutes of reading.
Shrink anything too big
“Write essay” isn’t a task for today. “Write the first paragraph of section 2” is. If you can’t start it in five minutes, break it down.
Hide the rest
Everything not on the plan goes away until its day. It isn’t gone; it just isn’t asking for your attention.
An example
| On the board | Today’s plan |
|---|---|
| Essay due Friday, 2,000 words | Write the second section (about 500 words) |
| Book a dentist appointment | Book it (5 minutes) |
| Reply to Sam about the weekend | Reply (5 minutes) |
| Revise for the test in two weeks | Not today: put away until Monday |
| Sort out the spare room | Not today: put away until the weekend |
Three cards for today, and the others still safe. When the three are done, the day is a good one, whatever else happened.
Why three works
Every item on a list asks a small question: is it this one? A long list asks that question all day. Three cards answer it in the morning, so the rest of the day goes on doing, not choosing. Three is also few enough to finish, and finishing is what makes tomorrow’s plan easier to start.
Make the plan the evening before if mornings are hard. Five minutes at the end of the day, while you still remember what’s going on, saves twenty the next morning.
When it doesn’t go to plan
- You finished early. Add one more card, not five. Or stop: finishing early is allowed.
- You didn’t finish. Move what’s left to tomorrow and make it smaller. A plan that was too big is information, not failure.
- You can’t choose where to start. Start with the smallest card. Momentum makes the next one easier.
A calm day in KanBananza
- Everything is on the board at once, so nothing gets started. Snooze a card until the day you’ll start it, so today’s board stays calm, and Add to today’s plan for the cards you’ll do today (3 cards free, up to 10 with Full Bananza). Free
- You forget what’s due this week. A due date on any card, and Due soon in the bar at the top shows what’s due in the next three days, every time you open KanBananza. Free
- You can’t decide what to do first. Pick one for me suggests a single card to do next, and says why. Free
For you
Studying
On a study day, one card is the assignment step you planned for today; the other two keep the rest of life moving.
At work
Pick the one thing your week depends on, plus two quick replies or admin jobs. Meetings aren’t cards; plan around them.
On hard days
One card is enough. Make it small, do it, and count the day.
Questions
How many things should be on my to-do list for today?
Fewer than you think. Three is a good start: one important thing, and two smaller ones. If you finish them, add one more. A short list you finish beats a long one you don’t.
How do I choose what to do today?
Look at what’s due soonest, then at what matters most. Pick the one that would make today feel worthwhile, and add two small things that keep other work moving.
What do I do with everything else?
Put it away until the day you’ll start it, so it’s still safe but not in front of you. It will come back when it’s time.
Is a short daily plan good for ADHD?
Many people with ADHD find a short, visible plan easier than a long list, because there’s less to choose between. Everyone’s different, so try it for a week and adjust.
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