I Stopped Chasing Success the Day I Learned the “Two-List Rule”
For years, I thought successful people were just better at life than me.
M Mehran
For years, I thought successful people were just better at life than me.
More focused.
More disciplined.
More motivated.
They woke up early, crushed goals, stayed consistent, and somehow still had energy left at the end of the day.
Meanwhile, my to-do list looked like a crime scene.
Dozens of tasks. Half-finished ideas. Big dreams written in neat bullet points—and zero follow-through.
Every night, I’d rewrite my to-do list, convinced tomorrow would be different.
Tomorrow never was.
Until one quiet afternoon, when a single question exposed the real problem.
The Question That Changed Everything
I was sitting in a café, staring at my notebook like it had personally betrayed me.
A man at the next table—older, calm, unbothered—noticed my frustration and said something unexpected:
“Do you actually need to do all that?”
I laughed awkwardly.
“Of course. That’s my plan.”
He shook his head and smiled.
“That’s not a plan. That’s anxiety on paper.”
Then he shared a rule I’ve never forgotten.
The Two-List Rule
He said:
“At the start of every week, I write two lists.
One list for what matters.
One list for what distracts.”
I raised an eyebrow.
He continued:
“Most people mix these into one list—and then wonder why they feel exhausted and unfulfilled.”
That hit harder than any motivational quote I’d ever read.
List One: The Three That Actually Matter
He explained that his first list never had more than three items.
Not ten.
Not twenty.
Three.
These were the things that, if completed, would make the week feel meaningful—even if nothing else got done.
Examples:
Finish one important project
Have one honest conversation
Take care of health in one clear way
Everything else?
Went on list two.
List Two: The Noise List
The second list was brutally honest.
Emails.
Scrolling.
Meetings that could’ve been messages.
Tasks done only to feel “busy.”
He called this list “productive-looking distractions.”
That phrase rewired my brain.
Because suddenly, I saw the truth:
I wasn’t lazy.
I was just busy with the wrong things.
Trying the Rule (With Zero Expectations)
That night, I went home and tried it.
List One (Three Things That Matter):
Write 500 honest words
Exercise for 20 minutes
Call my mother
List Two (Everything Else): Emails. Cleaning. Social media. Random errands. Overthinking.
For the first time, my to-do list didn’t scare me.
It felt… calm.
The Unexpected Freedom of Doing Less
The next day, something strange happened.
I didn’t rush.
I didn’t multitask.
I focused on the first item.
Just one thing.
When I finished it, I felt a quiet satisfaction—not the fake dopamine of checking off ten tiny tasks, but real fulfillment.
By the end of the day, I had only completed two things from my big list.
But I felt more accomplished than I had in weeks.
Why This LifeHack Works
Here’s the uncomfortable truth:
Busyness is a defense mechanism.
When you stay busy, you don’t have to face the fear of working on what actually matters—because meaningful things carry the risk of failure.
Answering emails is safe.
Scrolling is easy.
Real work is scary.
The Two-List Rule removes the illusion of productivity and replaces it with clarity.
What Changed Over Time
After a month of using this rule, my life didn’t become perfect—but it became intentional.
I stopped feeling guilty for not doing everything
I stopped overloading my days
I started finishing important things
I felt mentally lighter
Most importantly, I stopped measuring my worth by how busy I looked.
The Emotional Shift No One Talks About
This lifehack didn’t just organize my schedule.
It changed my relationship with myself.
Every day I completed one meaningful task, I was proving something:
I can trust myself.
And trust is the foundation of confidence.
Not hustle.
Not motivation.
Trust.
How You Can Use the Two-List Rule Today
You don’t need fancy tools.
Just do this:
Write down everything you think you need to do
Circle only three things that truly matter
Commit to those three—nothing else is mandatory
Treat the second list as optional, not urgent
That’s it.
Final Thought
Success isn’t about doing more.
It’s about doing less—but better.
The moment I stopped chasing productivity and started protecting what mattered, my life became quieter, clearer, and strangely more successful.
If you feel overwhelmed right now, don’t push harder.
Make two lists.
And let the noise go.
About the Creator
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