Unlocking Peak Productivity with the Ivy Lee Method

Recently, I came across the Ivy Lee Method, a timeless productivity strategy that has transformed businesses and lives. This method, devised by the highly respected productivity expert and public relations pioneer Ivy Lee, was famously introduced to Charles Schwab, a prominent business magnate of the early 20th century. Schwab, who was seeking to improve the productivity of his company, Bethlehem Steel, asked Lee for his advice. Lee's proposal was simple: he would spend 15 minutes with each of Schwab’s executives, and after three months, Schwab could pay him whatever he felt the advice was worth.

Schwab agreed, and here's the 6-step method that Ivy Lee recommended for achieving peak performance and high productivity on a daily basis:

1. Define Your Vision and Goals: Clearly outline your objectives for life, business, health, etc. This step is crucial as it sets the foundation for all your tasks and ensures that everything you do is aligned with your long-term vision.
2. Daily Task List: Each evening, write down the six most important tasks you need to complete the next day. This simple yet powerful habit ensures that you start each day with a clear plan and purpose.
3. Prioritize: Rank these tasks in order of importance. This helps you focus on what truly matters and avoids getting sidetracked by less critical activities.
4. Focus: Start with the most important task each morning and don’t move on until it’s complete. This method encourages deep work and minimizes distractions.
5. Work Through the List: Continue this process for all six tasks. The key is to maintain discipline and not move on to the next task until the current one is completed.
6. Rinse and Repeat: If you don’t finish a task, move it to the next day’s list. This ensures that important tasks are always prioritized and not forgotten.

After implementing this method, Charles Schwab saw remarkable improvements in productivity and success at Bethlehem Steel. The efficiency and sales of the company improved so much that Schwab wrote Ivy Lee a $25,000 check, noting that it was the most profitable advice he had ever received. Within a couple of years, Bethlehem Steel became America’s second-largest steel producer and largest shipbuilder, and Schwab himself amassed a personal net worth over $200 million as a result of this success.

Why It Works:

1. Simplicity: The Ivy Lee Method's simplicity makes it easier to take action. Contrary to popular belief, complex plans may actually make it harder to start new habits or take consistent action. Simplicity removes the friction of getting started, especially when you slip up from your habits and need to get back on track.
2. Momentum: It builds momentum for consistent action. It’s much easier to take the next step after taking that first step. The Ivy Lee Method helps you to take that first step and build the necessary momentum to maintain consistency—much like a domino effect or keystone habit.
3. Focus: It forces you to focus on just one thing at a time. We live in a society that is obsessed with multi-tasking. Unfortunately, this busyness with multiple activities in any given period has been characterized by high levels of distractions and a severe lack of focus. As suggested within the book, "The One Thing," keeping your focus on the most important task—one at a time, instead of multi-tasking—could drastically improve your odds of achieving success with your goals. If you struggle with the overwhelm of having too many ideas or tasks, trim away everything that isn’t absolutely necessary to regain focus.

The Ivy Lee Method is a simple, powerful strategy for stress-free productivity that highlights the importance of doing the most important thing first each day. It’s a reminder that fewer priorities lead to better work and performance. A reminder that simplicity helps to guide complex plans, behaviors, and actions.

I’m excited to combine this method with my "High Performance Planner" and my new habit of writing a diary (with a Lamy fountain pen, of course) in the evenings. Writing down my thoughts and tasks not only helps me stay organized but also provides a sense of accomplishment and clarity.

By adopting these practices, I hope to enhance my productivity and achieve my goals more efficiently. Give it a go tonight. Simply write down the six most important things you have to achieve tomorrow. And then tomorrow, in the words of Ivy Lee: “I want you to start at number one—don’t even think about number two until number one is complete.”

Special thanks to Philip John for the Brendon Burchard 's High Performance Planner Notebook.

The post is based on materials from Adam (The Art of Improvement) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9xZvAmEQIY&t=2s ) and Multiverse "Business Transformation Fellowship" course (https://www.multiverse.io/en-GB/employers/programmes/business-transformation-fellowship ).

P.S. There is a typo in the picture, really ??