The Ivy Lee Method Is Great at Planning. Here's What's Missing…

The Ivy Lee method has a reputation for being one of the simplest ways to plan a workday, and that simplicity is exactly why people still use it. But most of us don’t struggle with choosing priorities – instead, we grapple with fully understanding how our workday pans out. Given the overarching meetings and the oodles of emails, suddenly, even a carefully ranked Ivy Lee method to‑do list can be left half finished. While the method helps you decide what to do next, it doesn’t show whether your plan was realistic to begin with or what silently nibbled away at your time.

So, join me as we look at how best to use the Ivy Lee method for productivity in real workplaces, not ideal ones where you’re left in a perma-state of flow with no pesky distractions scuppering your day. We’ll have a gander at what the Ivy Lee method is, how people use it, real‑life Ivy Lee method examples, what makes the method successful, and – most importantly – what the Ivy Lee method misses in the absence of a feedback loop.

Key Takeaways

• The Ivy Lee method simplifies daily planning by limiting you to six ranked tasks, creating a clear starting point without complex systems or time blocks.
• Prioritization becomes more intentional because the six‑item cap forces trade‑offs, helping you focus on work that genuinely matters instead of carrying an endless backlog.
• The method succeeds by reducing decision fatigue, giving you a defined next step even when your day gets disrupted.
• The Ivy Lee method lacks a feedback loop, which is why tools like Memtime help fill the gap by showing how your time was truly spent so tomorrow’s plan is based on evidence, not assumptions.

What is the Ivy Lee method?

The Ivy Lee method is a simple planning routine based around one daily habit: pick six tasks, rank them, and execute them. The method itself dates back to Ivy Ledbetter Lee, who introduced the six‑task routine while advising executives at Bethlehem Steel in the early 1900s. It’s intentionally minimal, so that means no time blocks or elaborate systems or frameworks, just a short to-do list that forces you to identify what’s the most pressing items on your tasklist.
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This simplicity is why the Ivy Lee method has remained popular for over a century; it gives people a clear starting point and lowers the friction of deciding what to tackle next. The method also speaks to a larger truth about productivity: prioritization is most effective when it’s this darn simple. 

By limiting your list to no more than six items, the method nudges you to make trade‑offs instead of carrying an endless backlog into the next day. It’s a direct way to help you focus, especially in irksome workplaces where repeated interruptions and the resulting attention residue are pretty much constant.

How to use the Ivy Lee method for productivity

Using the Ivy Lee method for productivity is straightforward. In theory, all you have to do is this:

1. At the end of your working day, pick six tasks
2. Then, you need to rank those tasks by importance
3. Tomorrow, do those tasks in your specified order

Again, the list itself doesn’t have any inherent value; rather, it’s employing the discipline of determining what requires room in that beautiful, buzzing brain of yours. What has the right to take up space in your day? The average person knows what their day-to-day priorities look like and, theoretically, the Ivy Lee method can help you to commit to fewer of them.

Where the method becomes useful in real workplaces is in how it reduces the time you spend on the friction that accompanies decision‑making. When you start your morning with a pre‑ranked to‑do list, you’re more likely to avoid the usual drill of email checking, perpetual Slack scanning, platform hopping, or reacting to whatever "feels" urgent. 

The method works best when those six tasks are viewed as a realistic short list, not an aspirational or verbose one. And that means thinking about the shape of each day – Zooms, admin, possible training hours, recurring responsibilities – before you decide what makes your list for the subsequent day.

To clarify, the Ivy Lee method isn’t about packing more into your day; it’s about protecting your time for prioritized work from all the things that will naturally vie for and siphon your attention.

Building a real-life Ivy Lee method to-do list

A real-life Ivy Lee method to‑do list starts with acknowledging the day you’re actually waking up to, not the one you wish you had. Given the majority of us don't get six uninterrupted blocks of time with which to complete anything, a practical Ivy Lee method list should really reflect the erratic nature of your typical working day.

A realistic example might look like this for someone with a meeting‑heavy day ahead of them:

1. Draft Q3 report (main task that needs protected time)
2. Prepare talking points for 2 pm meeting
3. Review vendor contract
4. Send project updates
5. Approve design assets
6. Clear your priority emails

Another example for someone in product management might be something like this:

1. Finalize sprint priorities
2. Draft two user stories
3. Review any/outstanding bug tickets
4. Prep agenda for impending stand‑up meeting
5. Respond to stakeholder questions
6. Update those roadmap notes you've been busy avoiding

These examples show the real purpose of the Ivy Lee method, that being choosing the work that deserves protection, not pretending the rest of the day won’t happen.

What makes this method successful

The Ivy Lee method works because it provides people with a clear starting point. Instead of opening your laptop and drifting between your email, different tools, and whatever is pinging most, you already know the first task on your deck. That tiny yet pivotal shift from starting your day by reacting to whatever is happening to starting it with a direct intention is what makes the method feel doable.

The six‑item limit also plays a major part in its successful implementation. When you’re forced to whittle things down to only a handful of tasks, you’re forced to separate more meaningful work from the other stuff. After all, it’s almost easier to allow yourself to stagnate and take on an impossible to-do list. Why? Because there’s a familiarity, almost a comfort in knowing that you have an impossible task ahead instead of something actually achievable.

Ultimately, the method works because it doesn’t try to manage every hour you have; instead, it protects the work you’ve already decided needs doing ASAP.

What the Ivy Lee method misses in everyday work

To the drawbacks… the glaringly obvious one is that when you select your six tasks, you’re assuming your day will go the way you expect it to. In practice, you know that’s rarely the case. 

People often think they have a good idea of how they spend their time, but when you look at actual activity, a different pattern emerges. Meetings, emails, quick follow-ups, and the never-ending juggle between tools and tasks eat up a big chunk of the day. The well-ordered list can fall asunder by lunchtime because of those quiet drains.

In the Ivy Lee method, there is no way to compare intention and reality. Without that feedback, you plan tomorrow the same way you planned today – based on blue-sky thinking, not proper cold, hard data-driven evidence.

This is where Memtime changes the game (seamless segue, I know). Memtime runs in the background and silently records what you worked on, not to mention aaaaaaaalll the time you spent offline when you recall working… 

It also keeps track of the apps you used, the documents you opened, the meetings you joined, and the time you wasted switching contexts. 

At the end of the day, you can clearly see where your time was spent without any timers or manual tracking. That automatic review is your missing feedback loop. It allows you to create an Ivy Lee method to-do list that reflects your real capacity, not the rosy version you created for yourself the night before.

So, if you'd like to give Memtime a try so you can start to reclaim your time for more productive endeavors, then have we got a 14-day free trial for you.
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This simple level of visibility, which requires zero input from you in the form of logging time or setting timers, makes it easier to plan from real data, not the rough estimate in your head. As En Vogue once famously sang, “Free your mind, and the rest will follow.”

FAQs

Is the Ivy Lee method effective for unpredictable workdays?  

Yes. The method works as long as the six tasks are chosen with variability in mind. On your more hectic or fluid days, the list should include one or two protected tasks alongside several more flexible, low‑friction items that can be completed between interruptions. This structure will still provide you with an anchor without assuming your day will run smoothly.

How long should an Ivy Lee task ideally take?

The ideal task length isn’t a fixed duration; it’s a scope you can complete without splitting your attention. If you foresee a task requiring multiple stages, approvals, or deeper research, consider breaking it into smaller steps so each item on the list has a defined endpoint. The goal is to make every task executable. How will you know how long a task will take? Well, that’s why you’re thinking about giving Memtime’s 14-day free trial a whirl 🙂

Can the Ivy Lee method be paired with time blocking or other planning systems?  

Yes. The six‑item list can sit on top of other systems. Time blocking can reserve space for the highest‑ranked task, while frameworks like Pomodoro or weekly reviews can support execution and reflection. The method acts as the prioritization layer; other tools handle scheduling or pacing.

What’s the best way to handle unfinished Ivy Lee tasks?  

Unfinished tasks should be examined, not automatically rolled over. If the task was oversized, break it down. If it was deprioritized during the day, re‑rank it. If it consistently goes unfinished, it may not belong in the top six. The goal is to refine the list, not accumulate carry‑overs.

Is the Ivy Lee method suitable for collaborative or team‑based work?

It can be – with adjustments. Shared work should be represented as discrete, individual actions you can complete independently. Dependencies, approvals, and cross‑functional tasks need to be broken into steps you directly control. The method supports personal contribution within a team, not team‑wide planning.

How do you choose the right six tasks when everything feels important?  

Again, use your time tracking data to start identifying the work that moves something forward: a project, a deadline, a stakeholder, or a deliverable. Then remove tasks that are reactive, optional, or easily deferred. If the list is still crowded, choose the six items with the clearest consequences if left undone.