Balanced Academic

My first year of grad school was basically one long cycle of decisional paralysis and drowning in never ending to-dos.

Between course deadlines, research tasks, placements, and just trying to keep up with life, I fell into the trap of thinking productivity = doing everything. Eventually I learned that’s impossible – and constantly striving to “get it all done” will only leave you completely drained.

This summer I started trying something super simple that’s helped me feel more balanced and more productive. I call it the 3×3 rule.

Here’s how it works:

3 priorities -> The big things that really matter today. If I only get these done, the day still feels like a win.

3 small tasks -> The little things that don’t take much brainpower but are nice to cross off (emails, laundry, admin tasks, that one form I keep putting off).

3 pauses -> The part that’s easiest to forget. Three little breaks where I actually step away and recharge. Even a five-minute brain break counts.

That’s it. Nine things, max. Some days I don’t even hit all of them, but just having this framework keeps me from spiralling into the “I didn’t do enough” mindset.

I usually end my day by laying out tomorrow’s 3×3. I write down my “Big 3,” “Small 3,” and “Me 3” to guide me through the next day. When I open my planner in the morning, I don’t even look at the long to-do list – just my daily 3×3.

For example, yesterday my Big 3 were: supervision meeting, report edits, and data analyses. My Small 3: vacuum my apartment, read one article for my lit review, and reply to a non-urgent email. My Me 3: a quick gym session, reading a chapter of my book, and making a nice dinner. My day felt full and productive, but not overwhelming.

This isn’t revolutionary, but it’s ben grounding for me – maybe it’ll be grounding for you too.

What’s in your 3×3 for today? Share in the comments – and if you want more ideas like this, come join me on Pinterest or hit subscribe.