The Two-List System for Planning Your Week
One list for outcomes, one for tasks. Most planning fails by mixing them.
By Tom Ashcroft · 5 min read
Why long lists stall
A single list treats 'reply to Sam' and 'launch the new pricing page' as equals. Your brain picks the easy one, and the important thing rolls forward another week.
Separating outcomes from actions restores the difference between motion and progress.
How it works
On Sunday, write three outcomes for the week — things that will be visibly done. Then write the tasks, and for each one ask which outcome it serves. Anything serving none goes to a holding list.
Each morning, choose one task per outcome first. The rest of the day can be reactive without damage.
The Friday review
Spend ten minutes checking which outcomes landed and why the others did not. Patterns show up fast: too many outcomes, unclear definitions, or work that was never really yours.
Three honest outcomes a week is over 150 meaningful things a year.