Okay, so I wanted to share something I tried out recently, something I picked up related to this name, Tristen Macdonald. I kept hearing bits and pieces, not really sure where from originally, maybe some forum or just word-of-mouth. Anyway, the gist was about a really stripped-down way to tackle tasks, and I was drowning a bit, so I figured, why not?
My desk was a mess, not just physically, but my project list felt chaotic. Too many things started, nothing getting properly finished. Standard stuff, right? So, I decided to actually try this Tristen Macdonald idea I’d pieced together. The core seemed to be about brutal simplicity.
Getting Started with the Method
First thing I did was ditch the complex apps and spreadsheets I usually used for tracking tasks. Went totally old school: grabbed a plain notebook and a pen. The advice I associated with Tristen Macdonald was to just pick three things. Three main goals for the day. That felt… wrong. Way too short. My usual to-do list was epic, made me feel busy, you know?
But I forced myself. Day one, I wrote down three concrete things I needed to get done. Like, actually finish, not just ‘work on’. It was weirdly difficult to narrow it down. Felt like I was slacking before I even started.
The Actual Process – Day by Day
So, I pushed through that first week. Here’s what happened:
- Focus: Having only three things staring back at me from the page actually made me focus. I wasn’t constantly scanning a huge list, getting overwhelmed, and jumping between tasks.
- Completion: By lunchtime most days, I’d usually have one or two things fully checked off. That felt good. Way better than having ten things half-done.
- Resistance: There was this constant urge to add more once I finished the three. Sometimes I gave in, sometimes I resisted and used the extra time to prep for the next day or just clear my head, which was also part of the advice I picked up.
I remember working on fixing the back fence. It had been on my list for months, always getting bumped. I broke it down using this ‘three things’ idea. Day 1: Buy the wood and posts. Day 2: Set the posts. Day 3: Attach the panels. Simple chunks. And guess what? The fence actually got fixed within a week, instead of lingering for another season.
What I Reckon Now
Look, I don’t know if this is exactly what Tristen Macdonald teaches or advocates, it’s just what I cobbled together and tried. But the results? Pretty decent, actually. It wasn’t some magic bullet that made me hyper-productive overnight. But it did cut through the noise. It forced me to prioritize ruthlessly and get the important stuff done.
It’s less about fancy systems and more about discipline, I guess. Just focusing on a few key things and seeing them through. I don’t follow it religiously every single day now, but when I feel overwhelmed, I go back to that notebook. Just three things. It helps clear the fog. Simple, maybe a bit blunt, but it worked for me.
