I get one move per turn in chess.
That constraint rewired how I prioritize everything.
Each night I write down my top tasks. Typically around eight. Then I force rank them. A strict order from one to eight.
I started this around 2018 when I was getting back into chess. In chess, multiple moves compete for the top spot. But you only get one.
Chess taught me to reason through my options and force rank them.
If you don’t rank options, entropy does. Whatever is loudest or easiest wins.
I sort moves by going head to head. Ship the landing page vs. write the report. Landing page wins. Landing page vs. fix the onboarding bug. Bug wins. I keep going until I’ve been through the whole list. Whatever survives is number one. Then I run it again for number two.
Works with eight tasks or eighty.
If number one is blocked, it needs to be broken down further.
If it’s blocked by something you don’t control, it shouldn’t be on your list.
🏁
What’s one move you can make that would change your week?
