Burner List

Overview

The Burner List is a simple to-do list designed to force prioritization and is intentionally limited—and therefore focused. It was designed by Jake Knapp, Google Ventures design partner and author of Sprint and Make Time.

Creator

Jake Knapp is a fellow at Ideo and the former design director of Google Ventures who codified the concept of a design sprint. He designed this method to force prioritization of one project at a time, which he likens to a chef whose concentration is primarily on the dish in front of him.

How It Works

The Setup

You use one sheet of blank paper (printer paper is perfect), dividing it into two columns:

Front Burner (Left Column)

• One Priority Project Only: Your most important project goes here
• Full Column Space: Takes up the entire left side
• To-Dos Listed: All tasks related to this project are listed underneath
• Primary Focus: This is where most of your attention should go

Back Burner (Right Column - Top Half)

• Second Priority: Your second-most important project
• Limited Space: Takes up only half the right column
• Fewer Tasks: Less room means fewer to-dos
• Secondary Focus: Gets attention when front burner is complete or blocked

Kitchen Sink (Right Column - Bottom Half)

• Miscellaneous Tasks: Everything else that doesn't fit projects 1 or 2
• Quick Wins: Small, unrelated tasks
• Admin Items: Errands, emails, calls
• Catch-All: Prevents other tasks from derailing main projects

Key Principles

Forced Prioritization

• Only two active projects at once
• Everything else goes to kitchen sink
• Physical space limitation enforces focus
• Must finish or pause to add new projects

Simplicity

• Paper-based system
• No apps or tools required
• Quick to set up (under 1 minute)
• Easy to modify
• Portable

Visual Hierarchy

• Front burner gets most space = most important
• Back burner gets half space = half the attention
• Kitchen sink gets remainder = minimal focus
• Physical layout reinforces mental prioritization

Benefits

Increased Focus

• Eliminates decision fatigue
• Clear priority at all times
• Reduces context switching
• Maintains momentum on important work

Reduced Overwhelm

• Limited active projects reduce stress
• Kitchen sink contains other tasks
• Physical constraint prevents overcommitment
• Simple enough to maintain consistently

Better Completion Rates

• Focus on finishing over starting
• Less work-in-progress
• Clear path through tasks
• Satisfying to complete and restart

Implementation Tips

Daily Practice

• Create new list each day or week
• Transfer incomplete items
• Promote back burner to front when ready
• Add new tasks to appropriate sections

Project Selection

• Front burner: Most urgent and important
• Back burner: Important but can wait
• Kitchen sink: Everything else
• Be ruthless about prioritization

Maintenance

• Review and recreate regularly
• Don't let kitchen sink overflow
• Complete front burner before adding new
• Archive old lists for reference

Who It's For

Best Suited For:

• People overwhelmed by long to-do lists
• Those who struggle with prioritization
• Project-based workers
• Fans of analog productivity systems
• Anyone wanting simpler task management

Less Ideal For:

• Those managing 10+ simultaneous projects
• Teams needing shared task management
• Users requiring digital integration
• Complex project dependencies

Comparison to Other Methods

• vs. GTD: Simpler, less comprehensive
• vs. Kanban: Paper-based, personal focus
• vs. Digital Tools: No features, just focus
• vs. Traditional To-Do Lists: Enforced prioritization

Philosophy

The Burner List embraces constraints as a feature, not a bug. By intentionally limiting options, it makes focus easier and reduces the cognitive load of managing tasks.