I used to buy every planner app and habit tracker on the app store. None of it stuck past week two.

What actually worked was embarrassingly simple — a system I now call the 3-3-1:

3 must-dos — every night, I write down exactly 3 tasks for tomorrow. Not 10. Not a vague to-do list. Three things that, if I did nothing else, would make the day a win.

3 time blocks — I split my day into 3 blocks (morning/afternoon/evening) and assign each must-do to ONE block. No multitasking across blocks. If it doesn't fit, it gets cut, not crammed.

1 review — 5 minutes before bed, I check what got done and move anything unfinished to tomorrow's list. That's it. No elaborate journaling.

The reason this beats most productivity advice: it has almost zero setup cost. You can start tonight with a sticky note. Most systems fail because they demand a new app, a new habit, and willpower all at once. This only asks for 3 minutes.

I've been writing about systems like this every week over at Systemize — mostly for students and early-career people drowning in tasks. If that's you, come hang out.