Okay, so you know that feeling when you sit down at your desk, coffee in hand (already slightly cold because you got distracted scrolling), ready to tackle your to-do list… and then, suddenly, two hours vanish into the abyss of “research” (aka reading random Wikipedia pages)? Yeah. That was me. EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.
Until I stumbled upon this one ridiculously simple hack that made me 10x more productive—and no, it’s not a fancy planner, a strict morning routine, or some mystical deep work technique that requires monastic discipline. It’s called The Daily Highlight, and it’s so stupidly effective that I’m mad I didn’t think of it sooner.
Wait, What’s The Daily Highlight?
So, I first heard about this from the book Make Time by Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky (highly recommend, btw). The idea is wildly simple:
👉 Instead of a massive, soul-crushing to-do list, you pick one single task—the ONE thing that, if completed, would make your day feel like a win.
That’s it. One thing. Not five. Not a full sprint backlog. Just ONE.
And listen, I know what you’re thinking: “Uh, how does picking one thing make me more productive?” Trust me, I had the same skepticism. But then I tried it. And holy heck, the results.
Why This Works (And Why Your To-Do List is a Lie)
Here’s the deal:
- To-do lists are overwhelming. Ever look at your list, feel immediate existential dread, and then decide the best course of action is… checking email for an hour? Yeah. Same.
- Not all tasks are created equal. Checking off five small, meaningless tasks does not feel nearly as good as crushing one major, important thing. The Daily Highlight forces you to focus on impact, not just activity.
- Momentum is EVERYTHING. Once you nail your highlight, you get this crazy motivation boost that makes tackling other tasks feel way easier. It’s like unlocking a hidden productivity superpower.
My First Attempt (AKA: How I Immediately Failed)
So, the first day I tried this, I made a critical mistake. Instead of picking ONE clear highlight, I wrote:
“Finish article, clean desk, answer emails, do research for project, organize files.”
Oh cool. That’s just a mini to-do list in disguise. Nice try, brain.
The next day, I got serious and picked ONE:
✅ “Write and publish my article on productivity hacks.”
And guess what? I ACTUALLY FINISHED IT. Before noon. (Unheard of for me.)
But What If You Have a Million Things to Do?
I hear you. Life doesn’t just let you do one thing. But here’s the magic of this method:
- You still get to do other tasks, but your highlight is your priority.
- If you only finish this one thing, your day is still a win.
- You’ll likely finish it faster than expected and have more energy for everything else.
I now start my day by writing down:
“If nothing else gets done today, but I finish THIS, it’s a good day.”
Game. Changer.
TL;DR: Try This Tomorrow
Okay, if you’re skimming (I see you 👀), here’s the super-quick version:
- Pick ONE task that will make your day feel successful.
- Write it down somewhere visible.
- Do it first if possible.
- Bask in the glory of actually getting stuff done.
Seriously, try it. And then tell me if it works for you because I am obsessed with how much this simple trick has changed my productivity.
Oh! And if you have a productivity hack that actually works (and doesn’t involve waking up at 5 AM to meditate for an hour because… no), drop it in the comments. I need more life-changing tricks in my arsenal. 🚀
