Could Do Pad Guide

You have your Could Do Pad and you are ready to use it. Here is exactly how.

Step 1: One big

Write down the most important task for the day — the one you prioritise above all others. It may also be the most time-consuming. Remember: this is something you could do, not something you must.

Step 2: Three medium

Write down three medium-sized tasks. These could take 30 minutes to an hour, or they might be shorter but more urgent or important than the five smaller tasks.

Step 3: Five small

Write down five small tasks. We recommend including wellbeing tasks here too — if you focus only on work and neglect recovery, your output will suffer over time. The key to sustained performance is building rest into the plan, not bolting it on afterwards.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the benefit of the 1-3-5 system?

The 1-3-5 system helps you make a deliberate call on what matters most before the day starts, rather than reacting to whatever arrives first. By committing to one big task, three medium, and five small, you reduce decision fatigue and give yourself a realistic plan — not a wish list. It is especially useful if you have many competing demands and find prioritisation difficult.

How do I decide which tasks to prioritise?

Consider urgency and importance separately. Urgent tasks require immediate attention; important tasks have significant impact on your goals. The 1-3-5 system in the Could Do Pad helps you apply this thinking daily. If you need a more structured urgency-importance framework, the Priority Pad maps tasks across four quadrants to help you decide what to do first, what to schedule, and what to delete.

Who created the 1-3-5 method?

The 1-3-5 system is a productivity technique that has been in use for many years and is not attributed to a single originator. Its value lies in its simplicity: it forces a meaningful distinction between different levels of priority rather than treating all tasks as equal.

The tool that helps

The Could Do Pad gives you a clear daily structure built around what actually matters — without the overwhelm of an unranked to-do list. See the Could Do Pad.