What 'must-do' to choose

• Create three columns on a board where you can use magnets or post-it notes. Label the columns: Options, Doing, and Done.
• Write your individual tasks down on separate cards. Post all of these cards in the "Options" column.
• From that column, choose no more than three to move into the middle "Doing" column. This is your work in progress.
• When a task is complete, move it into the "Done" column, and choose a new option to pull into "Doing."

Starting but not completing too many projects puts people at risk of the Zeigarnik effect, which states that people are better at remembering unfinished tasks than completed ones.

A list of tasks you simply don't do: You delete them, delegate them, outsource them or simply say no when they try to find their way on your to-do list:

• Things you want to say no
• Distractions from being productive
• Regular tasks you can delete, delegate, or outsource
• Other people's responsibility
• Small projects that get way on bigger projects
• Emotionally draining tasks
• Bad habits
• Stuff that doesn't need to be done
• Things that are out of control
• Everything else that you can systematically eliminate and bring a bigger margin into your life.

When people ask you personally or via email something that you are struggling to decline, use templates. Templates are standard response you use to everyone. With the use of these, you refuse them politely without offending them. Also,  it saves you time and there's less emotional pressure compared to writing a decline every time.

The Decision Matrix on how to approach tasks has 4 quadrants:

• Quadrant 1: The Urgent Problems which are important.
• Quadrant 2: Not Urgent but important tasks
• Quadrant 3: Urgent but not really important
• Quadrant  4: Distractions and time-wasting tasks. 

Prioritize the important (Quadrant 2) to attain maximum benefit from your work.