Regardless of work or study, people always want to increase their productivity to make their efforts more rewarding. Sometimes, changing the order of completing established tasks, doing the most difficult and important tasks when your mind is at its best can significantly boost productivity, and this is the essence of the “3-3-3 method”.
According to a report from the website “Lifehacker,” the “3-3-3 method” originated from the book “Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals” by the British writer Oliver Burkeman.
The four thousand weeks mentioned here refer to a person’s lifetime. If you live to be 80 years old, you will have over four thousand weeks in your lifetime.
Burkeman advocates for structuring each workday according to the 3-3-3 ratio. Start by spending 3 hours on deep work, completing the most important tasks. Then, dedicate another 3 hours to completing other urgent but less attention-demanding tasks. Finally, use the remaining 3 hours for “maintenance” tasks such as cleaning, responding to emails, or planning future work.
Compared to other productivity enhancement methods, the unique aspect of this method lies in the first 3 hours of deep work. This means that you perform the most critical tasks when your mind is clearest and most able to concentrate at the start of the day, less prone to distractions from emails or idle chatter, allowing you to fully utilize your abilities.
Deep work results in high productivity, so if you focus on deep work, you will achieve a lot but you cannot sustain this state indefinitely; approximately 3 hours later, you will reach your peak. Therefore, it’s best to organize smaller tasks and prepare for the next 3 hours ahead.
The “3-3-3 method” is similar to the concept of “eating the frog,” which means tackling the most challenging task first. After completing the toughest tasks and moving on to handle smaller ones, you will feel a sense of ease.
You can use the final 3 hours of “maintenance” time to prepare for the next day’s work, or put the finishing touches on what you accomplished during the highly concentrated first 3 hours.