Use the Should, Must, Want Method to Prioritize Your to-Do List.

Prioritizing your to-do list can be challenging , but with the right system in place, it can become much less stressful. If you’re tired of your to-do list feeling so heavy, try simplifying things and prioritizing your tasks using the “Should, Must, Want” technique.

What is the “need, need, want” technique?

This technique was developed by Jay Shirley about ten years ago. The blogger intended to increase not only people’s productivity, but also the enjoyment of their daily lives. Instead of prioritizing tasks based only on productivity or results, you also include some of the things you want to do to complete it all.

Like systems like AgileResults , the “should, need, want” approach requires you to spend a little time each morning planning your day. Taking a few minutes to create a plan for the day is a good way to get in the zone and stay on track, but you should remember to write down your goals to stay motivated and organized. In your planner (or the Notes app on your phone if you prefer), create three columns: “Should,” “Should,” and “Want.” In the “To Do” section, write down what you have to do on a given day, whether it’s a smaller part of a larger long-term project or a task that’s due in a few hours. “Should” tasks are those that you should complete in the future but haven’t completed yet, or those that won’t be amazing unless you complete them right now. Finally, “want” tasks are those that you simply would like to complete, regardless of whether they are related to your immediate responsibilities or not.

You complete each list in order. Doing the things you should and should do leaves room for what you want to do, and the reward that awaits can motivate you to take on tougher tasks.

When and how to use the “need, need, want” method

This works well for a general day plan that includes work and responsibilities with hobbies outside of work hours. But it’s also useful for specific projects because it changes every morning. Today’s “must” tasks may become tomorrow’s “musts,” so there’s room for variety and flexibility as long as you stick to the habit of reworking your lists every morning.

This is also useful for budgeting. Before you get paid or go shopping, make a list of what you need to buy, what you should buy, and what you want to buy. Even looking at this type of writing will help you make better purchasing decisions.

To keep this all doable and manageable, make it a goal to only include three or four things on each list on a given day. You will never get into the “want” column if you have nine “must” actions and seven “need” tasks, which defeats the purpose of technology. Be discerning and if something isn’t a “must have” don’t put pressure on yourself; just do it “should”. This approach is meant to add a little fun and reduce the stress of your typical to-do list, but it won’t work if you treat every task like it’s the end of the world.