The Ivy Lee Method
The $25,000 Productivity Secret That Built Industrial Empires
In 1918, Charles Schwab paid consultant Ivy Lee $25,000 (worth $400,000 today) for a 15-minute productivity method that transformed Bethlehem Steel into one of the largest corporations in the world. This simple 6-step system can revolutionize your daily productivity too.
The Problem
- Overwhelming to-do lists with 20+ daily tasks
- Constant task-switching and decision fatigue
- Working hard but not making meaningful progress
- Difficulty identifying what's truly important
The Ivy Lee Solution
"If you commit to nothing, you'll be distracted by everything. Getting started is just as important as succeeding at all."
The 6 Simple Steps
End of Workday
Write down the 6 most important tasks for tomorrow
Prioritize Ruthlessly
Order these 6 tasks by TRUE importance (not urgency)
Single-Task Focus
Start with #1 and work until completely finished
Sequential Progression
Only move to task #2 after finishing #1
Roll Over Unfinished
Move incomplete tasks to tomorrow's list
Daily Repetition
Repeat this process every workday
Real-Life Success Stories
Sarah, Senior Developer
Tech Startup in San Francisco
The Challenge:
Sarah was drowning in a 25+ item daily task list. She'd start her day with good intentions but constantly switched between urgent Slack messages, code reviews, and actual development work. By 6 PM, she'd barely completed 2-3 meaningful tasks and felt perpetually behind.
6Her Daily Six (Example Day):
Fix critical payment bug
Affecting 200+ customers - revenue impact
Complete auth code review
Team blocked waiting for approval
Write unit tests for API
New endpoint needs test coverage
How She Uses Your App:
Evening Setup (5:30 PM)
Creates "Ivy Lee Today" board → Adds 6 tasks → Orders by importance → Sets priorities (RED for #1, ORANGE for #2-3)
Morning Execution (9:00 AM)
Opens Task Board → Drags payment bug to "In Progress" → Ignores Slack/email → Works until bug is moved to "Done"
The Results:
- • 5.5/6 tasks completed daily (vs previous 2-3)
- • Critical bugs fixed first - no more customer complaints
- • Leaves office by 6 PM feeling accomplished
- • Team productivity improved - faster code reviews
"The app's drag-and-drop makes it so satisfying to move tasks to 'Done'. I actually look forward to checking my completion stats at the end of each day!"
James, Marketing Manager
E-commerce Company, $2M Annual Revenue
The Challenge:
Campaign launches were chaotic. James had brilliant strategic ideas but got bogged down in urgent, last-minute requests from sales, customer service, and executives. Important campaign prep work always got pushed to the next day, causing stressful all-nighters before launches.
Campaign Launch Week Strategy:
Monday's Big 3:
- 1. Get CFO approval on $50K Q2 budget
- 2. Final approval on creative designs
- 3. Write launch email for VIP customers
Tuesday's Big 3:
- 1. Write emails for segments B & C
- 2. Brief customer service team (rolled from Mon)
- 3. Set up landing page A/B tests
Tasks 4-6 include admin work, but the first 3 are always campaign-critical.
His App Workflow:
Sunday Evening Planning
Opens Eisenhower Matrix → Dumps all campaign tasks → Selects 3 from "Urgent+Important" → Copies to Task Board
Daily Rollover Magic
Incomplete tasks auto-tagged "rolled-over" → Automatically become high priority next day → Nothing gets forgotten
Campaign Success Rate:
- • 100% on-time launches in last 6 months
- • Always completes 1-3 critical tasks daily
- • No more all-nighters before campaign launches
- • Team confidence increased - everyone knows what's priority
"The rollover feature is a game-changer. I used to stress about forgetting important tasks, but now the app automatically carries them forward with the right priority level."
Maria, Business Owner
Boutique Consulting Firm, 15 Employees
The Challenge:
Maria was working 60+ hour weeks but revenue had plateaued for 2 years. She realized she was spending her mornings checking email instead of working on business growth. Her daily "task #1" was literally "check email" - no wonder she felt busy but unproductive!
Business Growth Daily Six:
$50K client proposal
Due today - biggest opportunity this quarter
Interview senior consultant
Need to hire to handle growth
The "Email Revelation":
Using the Eisenhower Matrix, Maria realized email belonged in "Not Urgent + Not Important." She moved it out of her daily six entirely!
3-Month Transformation:
Revenue Growth
$420K → $546K annually by focusing on proposals first
Team Expansion
Hired 2 senior consultants, expanded service offerings
Work-Life Balance
Started yoga classes, family dinners 5x/week
"The app's daily stats showed me I was completing 5-6 tasks consistently vs my previous 2-3. But the real magic was HOW I selected those tasks. The Eisenhower Matrix helped me stop confusing 'urgent' with 'important.'"
Adapt to Your Situation
📅 Meeting-Heavy Days
Emma, Product Manager with 6 hours of meetings
- • Includes fixed meetings in her 6 tasks
- • Uses time-based columns in Task Board
- • Pre-work goes in "Do First" quadrant
🚨 Emergency Interruptions
Kevin, IT Support Manager
- • Tasks 1-3: Mission-critical work
- • Tasks 4-6: Flexible important work
- • 90% completion of critical tasks achieved
📐 Multi-Day Projects
Linda, Architect on Complex Projects
- • Master board for weekly projects
- • Daily boards for progress chunks
- • Progress tracking in descriptions
Combine with Other Methods
+ Eisenhower Matrix
Patricia, CEO: Uses Matrix to select daily six - 3 from "Urgent + Important", 2 from "Important", 1 from "Delegate"
- • Brain dump all tasks into Matrix first
- • Copy selected tasks to Task Board
- • Strategic work gets done, not just firefighting
+ Time Blocking
Marcus, Financial Advisor: Assigns time blocks to each of his six tasks with dedicated columns
- • 8-10 AM: Task #1 (Deep work block)
- • Custom time-based columns in board
- • Visual progress tracking throughout day
Dramatic Transformations
What You'll Achieve
- Crystal-clear priorities every day
- Reduced overwhelm and decision fatigue
- More time for strategic, high-impact work
- Better work-life balance
- Consistent progress toward long-term goals
- 85% daily task completion rate
Your First Week Implementation
📋 Setup Sunday: Prepare Your App
- 1. Go to Task Board → New Board → "Ivy Lee Today"
- 2. Rename columns to "Current", "Queue (2-6)", "Done Today"
- 3. Visit Eisenhower Matrix to understand quadrants
- 4. Create 3 test tasks to get familiar with interface
Monday - Start Simple
Write tomorrow's 6 tasks. Set priorities: 1-2 HIGH (red), 3-4 MEDIUM (yellow), 5-6 LOW (green)
Wednesday - Adjust
Check completion stats. Were tasks too big? Edit descriptions to be more specific.
Friday - Reflect
Review board stats for the week. Look at completed tasks. Plan Monday's six.
Tuesday - Execute
Move first task to "in progress". No email until task #1 is "Done Today".
Thursday - Focus
Hide other tabs during task #1. Use quick-add (+) for interruptions without stopping.
Weekend - Rest
Don't open the task board. Let your productivity system rest and reset.
Avoid These Common Pitfalls
❌ What NOT to Do
✅ What TO Do
Using Your Daily Success Planner
Task Board
- • Create "Ivy Lee Today" board
- • 3 columns: Current, Queue (2-6), Done
- • Drag tasks between columns
- • Track daily completion stats
- • Use priority colors (High/Medium/Low)
Eisenhower Matrix
- • Pre-filter tasks by importance/urgency
- • Select 3 from "Do First" quadrant
- • Select 2-3 from "Schedule" quadrant
- • Copy selected tasks to Task Board
- • Ignore "Eliminate" quadrant completely
Daily Journal
- • Evening reflection on completed tasks
- • Plan tomorrow's six during review
- • Track weekly completion patterns
- • Note what tasks commonly roll over
- • Celebrate daily wins and progress
Ready to Transform Your Productivity?
Join thousands who've revolutionized their daily work with the same method that built industrial empires. Start focusing on what truly matters and watch your productivity soar.
"Do the most important thing first each day. It's the only productivity trick you need."