How to Plan a Highly Productive Day in 6 Simple Steps

Feel like your to-do list is endless, yet you barely make progress on what matters most? 

You’re not alone—and there’s a smarter way to get things done.

Back in my corporate days, I started every morning with a 60+ item to-do list. I was busy all the time… but still falling behind. I wasn’t seeing the success I wanted—and my health suffered.

What changed everything? Daily planning.

Now my wife, Carey, and I run a 7-figure productivity business in just 20 hours a week – while traveling the world and raising three daughters. 

And in this article, I’ll share the exact daily planning method that helped us—and thousands of our clients—get more done.

Let’s dive in.

Who are we? We’re Demir and Carey Bentley, founders of Lifehack Method and authors of the WSJ bestseller Winning the Week. After burning out in high-pressure careers, we reinvented our lives and created a system that’s helped 50,000+ professionals at companies like Google, Uber, and PepsiCo work less and achieve more. Today, we teach others how to reclaim their time, boost productivity, and avoid burnout.

 

Key takeaways: 

• Daily success starts with weekly planning: By setting 1–3 priorities for the week first, you ensure your daily tasks align with long-term goals, preventing reactive busywork and scattered efforts.
• Use the 1:4:5 to-do list method: Limit yourself to 1 high-impact task, 4 mid-level tasks, and 5 quick wins per day to stay focused, avoid overwhelm, and actually finish what you start.
• Outsource, automate, or eliminate low-value tasks: Using the T.A.C.O. method helps free up 250+ hours a year, allowing you to focus on the work that truly moves the needle without burning out.

How to plan a productive day: 

1. Set one clear goal per day
2. Plan your week before you plan your day
3. Use the 1:4:5 rule to manage your to-do list
4. Start with the most important tasks
5. Make your tasks actionable
6. Decide which tasks to outsource, automate, or delete

Let’s start from the beginning…

What is daily planning? (And why it works)

Daily planning is the strategic practice of intentionally designing your day around high-impact tasks that move you toward your most important goals.

Instead of reactively responding to emails, messages, and distractions, you’re:

• Choosing the right actions that align with your biggest goals
• Organizing them in the most effective way to match your energy levels
• Executing them at the right time to minimize distractions and maximize focus

This strategy-based approach frees you from busywork—and helps you take control of your time.

The benefits of planning are clear. Time management has been linked to: 

• Lower stress
• Higher wellbeing
• Better work performance

Beyond the research, our thousands of clients report:

• Clearer focus on what truly matters
• More energy throughout the day
• Consistent progress on meaningful goals
• More time for family, health, and personal passions
• Reduced overwhelm and anxiety

Take my client Heather, for example. She owns a small cookie business and her days used to feel completely out of control. Since implementing these systems, she has been able to clear her schedule take time off, and reduce her work hours to 40-45 hours per week – all thanks to planning: 

Want similar results? Let’s break down exactly how to create this transformation for yourself.

How to plan your day: Our proven 6-step planning system

The difference between feeling perpetually behind and confidently in control of your day comes down to following the right steps. Here’s how to plan your workday to maximize productivity without burning out.

1. Set ONE achievable daily goal

Ever heard the saying, “If you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time”? 

It’s true. Without a clear target, any outcome feels unsatisfying.

Goal-setting research shows that specific, achievable goals boost motivation and performance by up to 25%. Why? Because your brain thrives on clarity.

When you know exactly what success looks like for today, you:

• Focus more easily on what matters
• Resist distractions more effectively
• Experience a dopamine boost with completion
• End your day with genuine satisfaction

Try this: Before bed each night, write down ONE specific goal for tomorrow. Not a vague aspiration like “make progress on the project,” but something concrete like “complete the first draft of the quarterly report” or “onboard two new clients.”

This simple 30-second habit dramatically increases your sense of accomplishment by day’s end.

2. Plan your week before you plan your day

Here’s what most people miss: If you want your days to count, they must connect to your bigger goals. 

Otherwise, you’re being reactive instead of proactive. 

That’s why weekly planning must come first.

Before thinking about daily tasks, zoom out and ask, “What’s my goal for this week?” Without this strategic perspective, your daily efforts will feel scattered and disconnected.

To plan an effective week, use our Winning the Week Formula:

• Review your past week (what worked, what didn’t)
• Set 1-3 priorities for the coming week
• Align your tasks with the time you actually have available
• Schedule buffer time for unexpected challenges

This 30-minute weekly planning ritual creates the foundation for truly productive days. We’ve seen such transformative results from this approach that we wrote our bestselling book to help others implement it.

Want a tool to help  you implement this formula right away? Grab our FREE Winning the Week worksheet to double your productivity: 

3. Create an effective to-do list

With your weekly plan in place, it’s time to craft a daily to-do list that actually works.

The secret? Ditch the endless list.

Instead, follow the 1:4:5 rule:

• 1 Super important task (The ONE thing that must get done today)
• 4 Mid-level tasks (Important, but manageable)
• 5 Low-priority, simple tasks (Quick and easy to knock out)

Anything beyond this? You’ll likely overcommit and feel defeated when you inevitably can’t finish everything.

You see, research from the American Psychological Association confirms that unfinished tasks increase stress—which is why limiting your list is crucial.

💡 Pro tip: Break big tasks down into bite-sized steps. They’re easier to start and finish. For example, instead of “Write presentation,” try “Outline key points for presentation” or “Draft slides 1-3.”

In this video, I share more advice on making your to-do lists work for you, instead of against you:

4. Start with your most important tasks (eat the frog!)

To-do lists are very effective, but they have a hidden flaw…

On paper, every task looks equal.

But in reality, some tasks are just busywork, while others are true game-changers.

Without intentional prioritization, your brain naturally gravitates toward quick wins rather than important work. 🧠

Psychologists call this the “completion bias“—your brain craves the dopamine hit from checking off easy tasks, even when they don’t move you forward.

To overcome this biological tendency:

• Identify when your energy peaks (morning for most people)
• Block this time exclusively for your Most Important Tasks (MITs)
• Turn off all notifications during this focus period
• Work on your MIT for at least 90 minutes before checking email

MITs are those needle movers you’ll feel proud of completing—the tasks that actually advance your career, grow your business, or improve your life.

Need help identifying your true priorities? Use the Eisenhower Matrix:

• Urgent and important: Do now
• Important but not urgent: Schedule time for
• Urgent but not important: Delegate if possible
• Not urgent and not important: Eliminate

This approach protects you from getting caught up in urgent but unimportant tasks that block impactful work.

As productivity expert Brian Tracy says, “Eat that frog!”—meaning, do your biggest, most important task first thing in the morning.

5.  Make your tasks actionable with strong verbs

Ever looked at your to-do list and thought, “What does that even mean?” 🤔

That’s the problem with vague tasks—they leave you guessing and procrastinating.

Compare these two lists:

Weak, non-actionable list:

• Groceries
• Dinner
• Taxes??
• Lifehack Bootcamp homework
• Outreach

Strong, actionable list:

• Create grocery list and shop at Whole Foods after work
• Make spaghetti for dinner tonight
• Organize tax docs into folders labeled “Income” and “Expenses”
• Complete Lifehack Bootcamp Module 3 exercises
• Send five tailored LinkedIn connection requests

See the difference?

The trick is to start each item with a strong action verb.

Why does this matter?

Because actionable tasks reduce the cognitive load needed to get started.

You’re not sitting there wondering, “What’s the first step?”

It’s already laid out for you. So, you know exactly what to do next.

Powerful action verbs to use:

• Create (for building something new)
• Analyze (for reviewing data or information)
• Contact (for reaching out to people)
• Draft (for starting written work)
• Finalize (for completing projects)
• Schedule (for planning events)

6. Decide which tasks you can outsource, automate, or delete

Here’s a liberating truth: You can’t do everything. 

And…you don’t have to! 🎉

Use the T.A.C.O. method to take control of your overwhelming workload:

• Terminate: Cut tasks that don’t align with your goals
• Automate: Use technology to handle repetitive tasks
• Consolidate: Batch similar tasks together to save time
• Outsource: Delegate certain tasks so you can focus on what only you can do

Take a moment now to review your to-do list:

• Which tasks could someone else handle?
• What could be automated with the right tool or system?
• Which tasks aren’t actually necessary for your success?

Eliminating, automating, or delegating just one hour of low-value work each day saves you 250+ hours per year—that’s over six weeks of full-time work reclaimed!

Next – how do you implement your daily plan? 

How to actually stick to your daily plan

Creating a plan is one thing. Following through when meetings run long, emergencies pop up, and energy fluctuates? That’s the real challenge.

Here are proven strategies to help you maintain consistency with your daily planning:

1. Audit your time to find hidden opportunities

Not sure where your day actually goes? Do a time audit.

For two weeks, track how you spend your day in 30-minute increments. (You can use a tool like Clockwise or Timely or even a simple spreadsheet.)

You’ll quickly identify:

• Time-wasting activities you didn’t realize were consuming hours
• Tasks that take longer than you thought
• Your natural productivity patterns
• Opportunities to batch similar activities

For example, our client Marge, an attorney, discovered during her time audit that she was spending nearly two hours daily reading news—time she could redirect to getting more done and spending more time with her husband.

Learn how to do a time audit in this video:

2. Take strategic breaks to maintain focus

Instead of pushing through fatigue, schedule regular breaks to maintain peak performance throughout the day.

Research from the University of Illinois demonstrates that brief breaks actually boost productivity by giving your brain time to recharge and make new neural connections.

The Pomodoro Technique provides a simple framework:

• Work with full focus for 25 minutes
• Take a 5-minute break (stand up, stretch, get water)
• Repeat four times, then take a longer 15-30 minute break

This method works because it:

• Creates a sense of urgency (can you finish before the timer?)
• Prevents burnout through regular rest
• Makes large tasks less intimidating

Try apps like Focus Booster or Forest to implement this technique.

3. Include flex time for the unexpected

It’s tempting to schedule every minute, but leaving flex time can save your day when unplanned tasks pop up. (And they always do…)

These unscheduled blocks act as a buffer for surprises like:

• Urgent client requests
• Technology issues
• Last-minute meetings
• Family emergencies

The bonus? If nothing unexpected arises, you can use your flex time for self-care, getting ahead on important projects, or simply ending your day early.

I explain how to use flex time in this video:

4. Review on a weekly basis

A big part of the Winning the Week Method is weekly reviews.

Every Sunday (or Friday afternoon), spend 20 minutes reflecting on what worked and what didn’t, then fine-tune your approach for the coming week.

Your weekly review checklist:

• What went well this week? 
• What didn’t go as planned?
• Did I achieve my weekly goals?
• What one change would make next week better?
• What are my priorities for next week? 

This continuous improvement cycle prevents you from repeating the same time management mistakes week after week.

Next up: What time management tools should you use for daily planning?

The 5 best daily planning apps

The right digital tool can transform your planning process, making it faster, more flexible, and more effective. Here are the five best daily planning apps to consider:

Daily Planning Apps Comparison

App	Best for
Asana	Teams, visual project management
Todoist	Simple, intuitive task tracking
TickTick	Habit + task tracking in one
Monday.com	Custom workflows and automations
Google Tasks	Gmail/Calendar integration

 

Asana

Asana is a complete task management system that lets you streamline your projects and life.

For daily planning, Asana is incredibly versatile.

You can:

• Create to-do lists with dependencies and subtasks
• Assign deadlines and set reminders
• View your work in Kanban boards, lists, or calendars
• Track time spent on tasks
• Integrate with 100+ other tools including Google Calendar and Slack

Pricing: Free plan available; paid plans start at $10.99/month per user

Best for: Visual thinkers who need to see the big picture and teams who collaborate on projects

Personally, I use Asana to organize my entire life. It’s been instrumental in helping me run our business while traveling the world. Here’s how I do it: 

Want to get the most out of Asana? Then take a look at our Asana course!

It’ll save you hours and make your life so much easier.

Todoist

Todoist is a minimalist’s dream.

It’s easy to use and keeps things simple while offering powerful features.

With natural language processing, adding tasks feels intuitive. Just type “Call mom Monday” or “Submit report tomorrow,” and Todoist automatically schedules it.

Key features:

• Tasks can be grouped into projects and subprojects
• Priority levels (P1-P4) help you focus on what matters
• Recurring tasks for habits and routines
• Karma system that gamifies productivity
• Clean, distraction-free interface

Tasks can also be:

• Grouped into projects
• Prioritized
• Set to repeat

The coolest feature? Karma, a gamified system that rewards you with points for finishing tasks and maintaining streaks.

Pricing: Free plan available; Premium at $4/month; Business at $6/month per user

Best for: Users who want a clean, simple system without complexity

TickTick

Want to manage both your daily tasks and long-term habits? TickTick excels at helping you build consistency across all areas of your life.

Key features:

• Built-in Pomodoro timer for focused work sessions
• Integrations with third-party calendars
• Habit tracker to monitor goals
• Eisenhower Matrix for prioritization
• Natural language processing for quick task entry

Pricing: Free plan available; Premium at $27.99/year

Best for: People who want to combine task management with habit tracking and time management

Monday.com

Monday.com is an open-ended tool that’s designed to fit your specific workflow.

Key features:

• Create custom fields for any information you need to track
• Build automations to reduce manual work
• Visualize progress with multiple views (Gantt, timeline, calendar)
• Integrate with tools like Gmail, Slack, and Zoom
• Team collaboration features

You can:

• Create custom fields for any information you need to track
• Build automations to reduce manual work
• Visualize progress with multiple views (Gantt, timeline, calendar)
• Integrate with tools like Gmail, Slack, and Zoom

The drag-and-drop interface makes planning simple, though getting it right takes some extra time.

However, this high customizability also means you can shape it to fit your exact needs.

Pricing: Starts at $8/month per user (billed annually)

Best for: Teams with unique workflows and those who need highly customized planning systems

Google Tasks

If you already live in Gmail or Google Calendar, Google Tasks offers seamless integration without learning a new system.

Key features:

• Add tasks directly from your email
• Convert emails into tasks with one click
• Block time on your calendar for specific tasks
• Access your tasks across all Google services
• Simple, minimal interface

Google Tasks lacks some advanced features like habit tracking and task prioritization. But it’s great for keeping things simple and staying organized within the Google ecosystem.

Pricing: Free with a Google account

Best for: Google Workspace users who want simple task management without switching platforms

Frequently asked questions about daily planning

How long should daily planning take?

Daily planning shouldn’t take long—keep it simple! Aim for 10-15 minutes each evening to plan the next day, and 30-60 minutes on Sunday to map out your week. Spending more than two hours weekly on planning likely means you’re overplanning instead of acting.

How long should a daily to-do list be?

Stick to the 1:4:5 rule: 1 major task, 4 medium tasks, and 5 small ones. More than 10 tasks can overwhelm you, while fewer might not be enough to get meaningful results.

When is the best time to plan your day?

Most productivity experts recommend planning your day the evening before, not the morning of. This gives your subconscious mind time to process and prepare overnight, reduces decision fatigue in the morning, and allows you to start your day with immediate action rather than planning.

What’s next?

Now that you know how to plan your workday effectively, it’s time to put this knowledge into action.

With our free Winning the Week Method PDF, you’ll unlock a proven system for mastering weekly and daily planning that has helped thousands of professionals reclaim their time and sanity.

With just 30 minutes of strategic planning each week, you’ll:

• Free up 5-10 hours of productive time
• Reduce stress and overwhelm significantly
• Make consistent progress on your most important goals
• Finally feel in control of your schedule

It’s the exact system we use to manage our 7-figure business in just 20 hours per week, giving us freedom to travel, spend time with family, and pursue our passions.

And now, we’re offering it to you for free!

Get it here: 

Read more:

• How to Work Less (Earn More & Get More Done)
• The Best Time Management Courses
• How CEOs and Executives Manage Their Time