Make Time: How to focus on what matters every day

by Jake Knapp

I love the idea of JZ’s “Might-Do” framework, but I need something more detailed to help me choose and track the most important Highlights. My method is called the Burner List. It won’t track every detail of every project or help you juggle a million tasks. But that’s exactly the point. The Burner List is intentionally limited. It forces you to acknowledge that you can’t take on every project or task that comes your way. Like time and mental energy, the Burner List is limited, and so it forces you to say no when you need to and stay focused on your number one priority. Here’s how to make one: 1. Divide a sheet of paper into two columns. Get out a single blank sheet of paper and create two columns by drawing a line down the middle. The left-hand column is going to be your front burner, and the right-hand column your back burner. 2. Put your most important project on the front burner. You are allowed to have one and only one project, activity, or objective on the front burner. Not two, not three—just one. In the top left-hand corner, write the name of your most important project and underline it. Then list the to-dos for that top project. This should include any task you can do in the next few days to move the project forward.