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1-2-3 Get It Done: The Priority Filter That Removes 41 Percent of Your To Do List
sent by Joaquín Kosegarten | April 21, 2026
Every second counts, so let’s get right to it. 1 idea, 2 ways it saves you time, and 3 steps to Get It Done:
1 Idea
Cut your to do list by asking one simple question for every task: Does this truly move me forward, or is it just noise?
2 Ways it saves you time
1. Most lists are packed with low value tasks that look productive but add nothing meaningful. Filtering them out frees your time and energy for the work that actually changes your results.
2. A smaller, cleaner list reduces decision fatigue. When you stop juggling twenty items at once, you focus faster, finish more, and feel less overwhelmed.
3 Steps to Get It Done:
1. Look at your current to do list and highlight the tasks that directly support your goals or responsibilities.
2. For every remaining task, ask the question: If I ignored this, would anything important fall apart?
3. Delete, defer, or delegate everything that fails the test, and keep only the tasks that truly matter.
Conclusion
Your productivity does not improve by adding more tasks, it improves by removing the ones that do not matter. A good filter can save you hours and protect your focus every day.
“But everything is important!”
It feels that way only because the tasks are written down together. When you ask the filter question, most items reveal themselves as noise. Important tasks move you forward. The rest just keep you busy. The moment you separate the two, the list gets lighter and your results get stronger.
As promised — 1 minute that can save you hours
Yours in Getting It Done,
Joaquin Kosegarten
Author of Get It Done
Creator of the 1-2-3 Get It Done Newsletter
P.S. Fun fact, Harvard research shows the average professional loses up to 41 percent of their workday to tasks that add little or no value. Filtering your list is not optional, it is how you get your time back.
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The Priority Filter That Removes 41 Percent of Your To Do List
About the Newsletter
1-2-3 Get It Done is a weekly 1-minute read trusted by busy professionals who want to achieve more in less time without burning out.
Each issue gives you 1 idea, 2 ways it saves you time, and 3 steps to put it into action immediately.