# The 3-Strike System: How to Prioritize Your to-Do List  ## About - Author: Mihir Patkar - Title: The 3-Strike System: How to Prioritize Your to-Do List - Tags: #articles #shortlist - URL: https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/3-strike-system-prioritize-list/ ## Highlights Productivity blogger Belle Beth Cooper [distils the entire process of prioritization](https://zapier.com/blog/prioritize-task-list-methods/) down to one question: > If you absolutely had to stop working after doing just one task, which would you do? It sounds simplistic, but it's actually a tough question to answer. It is based on the Pareto Principle, which says that 20% of your work often gives 80% of your result, so it's all about identifying the 20% task. You can use the aforementioned techniques to cut down your list to important items, and then when you have to figure the next thing to do, Cooper's question can give you the answer. --- Here's the secret to task list prioritization that no one talks about: You have to keep changing it up. Productivity isn't a constant, we all go through ups and downs. What works for you when you're focused and motivated might not work when you're struggling to keep running. ... **I now have a three-strike system.** When I don't achieve my to-do list's important items three times with one system, I dump it and start a new one. Surprisingly, this is the one system that works for me. The change in "how I get things done" often gets me out of a rut and brings me back to the purpose of productivity: actually getting things done. ---