Create A "Daily Three" Practice
It's a productivity hack, let me explain
Welcome to T&P’s weekly newsletter! Become more intentional and productive in work and love. Subscribe to our weekly podcast here.
Good morning!
You may have noticed Theory & Practice content to be a little more productivity-focused over the past couple of months… It seems this type of content is resonating well in the interwebs.
And to be honest with you, I’m thrilled. This is one of my favorite topics to talk about!
So let’s lean in.
If you feel overwhelmed, anxious, angry and you constantly use the excuse “I don’t have enough time in the day”. Let me help you. You do have enough time. It’s just a matter of 1) knowing your priorities and 2) acting on them. I wrote about this in a past newsletter:
But today, we’re taking a step further. The easiest and most productive way to make the most of your time is with a practice I call “The Daily Three.”
The Daily Three is simple: write down just three daily to-dos for each area of your life—work, personal, and side hustle, for example— to help you focus on what truly matters.
That’s it. That’s all it is. See, simple enough?
To begin your Daily Three practice:
Identify the different areas of your life.
Prioritize the top 3-4 areas.
Write down the daily top 3 ‘must-dos’ for each of area.
Do this in the morning (or the night before).
As a twenty-something juggling multiple roles and responsibilities, it’s easy to feel like there’s never enough time to get everything done. But by narrowing your focus to three key tasks per area, you can set clear, achievable goals for the day without feeling stretched too thin. This forces you to prioritize the most important actions that will move the needle forward, helping you stay intentional about where you direct your time AND energy.
The Daily Three is a practice I do every morning (or the night before). It has helped me become more productive, feel more balanced and truly feel like I am making the most of my day.
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I’d love to hear what you think! Give it a try and let me know in the comments, DM me, etc.
Become More Productive and Intentional
2 Tips for Work:
Create an Odyssey Plan: Last week’s episode touched on the value of an Odyssey Plan. If you haven’t heard of this, it’s framework to help you envision and map out multiple possible career paths, enabling you to make intentional, informed decisions about your future. It allows you to visualize different paths you could take and understand the trade-offs of each one, so you can make intentional decisions that align with your passions, values, and goals. Credits to the Stanford Design Lab!
Think about the long-term: Thinking long-term about your career is like planting seeds for a future you can grow into. While it’s easy to get caught up in the hustle of short-term goals and day-to-day tasks, having a long-term vision helps you stay focused on what really matters and avoid getting distracted. What do you want to achieve in your career? What skills do you want to develop? Who do you want to become known for? Set the foundation now for the life and work you envision. P.S. I made an episode on this.
2 Tips for Love:
Embrace an “Us” mindset: If you’re in a relationship, I highly recommend reading US: Getting Past You and Me to Build a More Loving Relationship by Terry Real. An “Us” mindset shifts from seeing things as “you & me” to viewing the partnership as a team effort where both people’s needs, dreams, and growth are valued equally. This mindset helps build a stronger, more balanced connection. Relationships thrive when both people invest in each other’s success, happiness, and well-being, not just their own. It’s about growing together, not apart.
Embrace the relational field: I learned this concept from author & couples therapist, Alicia Muñoz. Embracing the relational field created in a relationship means recognizing that the connection between two people is more than just the sum of their individual selves—it’s a unique space where both can grow, evolve, and support each other in meaningful ways. Pay attention to the energy and dynamics that emerge between you and your partner.
This Week’s Podcast Episode
This week’s episode gives you the tools & strategies to move through the thick of the messy middle, the in-between phase when you’ve embarked on something new, where progress feels slow, difficult, and often frustrating.
Episode Notes:
What the messy middle is
How to identify whether you're in it
The mindset shifts to notice, accept and embrace the messy middle
The benefits of being in it
What I’m Reading | Listening | Recommending
Reading: I started reading Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb last week. A few days later, I’m almost done with the book. It’s so good! In this (hilarious and touching) memoir, Gottlieb, a therapist, highlights the power of therapy by inviting the reader into her world as both clinician and patient.
Listening: This episode from Almost 30, “Rewire Your Brain + Manifest Faster with This Tool.” If you’re into manifestation/woo-woo/create your future self kind of stuff, then listen to this.
Recommending: US: Getting Past You and Me to Build a More Loving Relationship by couples therapist, Terry Real.
Question for You (new!)
How do I handle failure, and what can I learn from setbacks to grow stronger?
Learn More From Theory & Practice
I strongly believe in an evening routine to transition out of your 9-5 mindset and into your side hustle / personal life mindset. Check out my evening routine (wfh edition):
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