内容来源：https://lifehacker.com/use-must-should-want-method-to-prioritize-tasks-easily?utm_medium=RSS

内容总结：

（本报讯）面对繁杂的待办事项，许多人发现传统任务管理方法往往过于复杂，反而增加心理负担。近日一种名为"必须、应该、想要"的三分法在效率管理领域引发关注，该方法通过简化分类帮助人们平衡工作与生活。

该方法由博主杰伊·雪莱于十年前提出，其核心理念在于将每日任务划分为三个明确类别："必须"事项关乎紧急任务和截止期限，"应该"事项涉及重要但不紧迫的长期规划，"想要"事项则完全基于个人兴趣。特别值得注意的是，该方法独创性地将"想要"事项纳入日常规划，成为区别于其他效率体系的显著特征。

实践表明，使用者只需每日清晨花费数分钟，将任务按三类清单进行规划，并坚持每类事项不超过3-4项。按序完成"必须"与"应该"事项后，"想要"事项自然成为激励性奖励。这种设计既确保要事的推进，又为生活保留愉悦空间。

除日常规划外，该方法还可灵活运项目管理和消费决策等领域。专家提示，关键在于保持清单的动态调整——今日的"应该"可能转化为明日的"必须"，因此需要坚持每日更新清单。通过区分任务属性，人们既能减轻决策压力，又能保持对工作的专注度。

这种将刚性任务与柔性需求相结合的管理方式，正在帮助越来越多的人打破"待办事项焦虑症"，在提升效率的同时重获对生活的掌控感。

中文翻译：

规划待办清单优先级的方法数不胜数，但即便找到适合自己的方法，你仍可能觉得它们有些繁琐复杂。这意味着当处理不太需要费心费力的任务时，你的效率管理法反而会带来压力。如果你厌倦了被待办清单压得喘不过气，不妨尝试用"必做、应做、想做的事"三层分类法来简化排序流程。

什么是"必做、应做、想做的事"分类法？
这套方法由杰伊·雪利约十年前创立。这位博主旨在提升人们的效率的同时，更注重增强日常生活的愉悦感——这一点至关重要，因为当人处于痛苦懈怠的状态时，工作效率必然大打折扣。该体系不仅根据效率或结果来排序任务，更将个人意愿纳入考量，从而让每日计划张弛有度，避免过度消耗。

与"敏捷结果"等时间管理体系相似，"必做、应做、想做的事"分类法要求每日清晨花少许时间规划全天。预留几分钟专注制定当日计划有助于快速进入状态并保持正轨，但切记要将目标书面化以维持动力与条理。在计划本（或Notion类应用）中创建三栏：必做、应做、想做的事。

"必做"栏记录当日必须完成的事项，无论是长期大项目中的分解任务，还是几小时内截止的事项。（若需合理分解任务并安排截止时间，可结合看板管理法）。"应做"栏收录那些应当为未来准备但尚未迫在眉睫的事务，或是暂未完成也不会造成重大影响的事项。

而"想做的事"则纯粹是个人乐意完成的内容，无论是否与当前职责相关。这正是该方法独具匠心之处——多数排序法只强调"必做"与"应做"的紧急程度，唯此法为生活乐趣保留空间。

按顺序完成各栏任务。处理完必做和应做事项后，自然为想做的事项留出时间，这种待兑现的奖励机制能助你攻克枯燥任务。

何时及如何运用此法？
此法既适用于统筹工作责任与业余爱好的全日规划，也利于处理具体项目——因其需每日清晨调整。今日的"应做"事项可能明日升级为"必做"，只要保持每日重列清单的习惯，就能保持弹性空间。提前完成"应做"事项会带来成就感，而清晰区分"必做"与"应做"本身就能减轻压力、提升专注度。

该方法同样适用于财务规划。在领取收入或购物前，列出"必买品"、"应买品"和"想买品"，仅通过书面罗列就能促进理性消费。

为确保可行性，建议每日每栏仅安排三至四项内容。若设置九项"必做"和七项"应做"任务，注定无法触及"想做的事"栏目，违背方法初衷。学会甄别：若非必要事项，切勿强迫自己，将其归入"应做"栏即可。本方法旨在为常规待办清单注入趣味、减轻压力，但若视每项任务如生死攸关，则难以见效。

英文来源：

There are myriad ways to prioritize your to-do list, but even if you find one that works for you, you might find they can be a little weedy and overcomplicated. That means when it comes to tasks that don't quite require that level of involvement, your productivity method can actually manage to stress you out. If you're tired of your to-do list feeling like such a heavy lift, you can make simplifying things, well, simpler by prioritizing your tasks with the "must, should, want" technique.
What is the “must, should, want” technique
This technique was developed by Jay Shirley about a decade ago. The blogger set out to enhance not only people’s productivity, but their daily enjoyability, too, This is important, as if you're miserable and unmotivated, you're not going to be especially productive. With this system, instead of prioritizing tasks only based on productivity or results, you also incorporate some of what you want to do, which helps round out your day without grinding you down.
Similar to systems like Agile Results, “must, should, want” requires you to spend a little time every morning planning out your day. Setting aside a few dedicated minutes to figuring out the day’s plan is a good way to get in the zone and stay on track, but you have to remember to write down your goals to stay motivated and organized. In your planner (or in an app like Notion, if you want), create three columns: must, should, and want.
Under “Must,” write down what you must do on a given day, whether it’s a smaller piece of a larger, long-term project or an item that is due in a few hours. (If you need help figuring out those pieces and when they need to be done on time to best serve your larger goals, try incorporating the kanban method.) “Should” tasks are those you ought to do for the future, but aren’t down to the wire on yet—or those that won’t be earth-shattering if you don’t get them done right away.
Finally, “want” tasks are those that you’d simply like to do, whether they have to do with your immediate responsibilities or not. "Want" is where this method differs from all others—plenty of methods out there ask you to prioritize your to-dos by level of "must" or "should" level urgency, but only this one leaves room for enjoyment.
You complete each list in order. Getting through the things you must and should do leaves room for the things you want to do, and that pending reward can motivate you through the more rigid stuff.
When and how to use the “must, should, want” method
This works well for an overall day plan, incorporating work and responsibilities with after-hours hobbies. But it’s also helpful for specific projects, as it changes every morning. Today’s “should” tasks might be tomorrow’s “must” tasks, so there’s room for variability and a more fluid approach, as long as you stick with the habit of redoing your lists every morning. Getting a "should" done early can be motivating, but even identifying what is a "must" and what is a "should" can alleviate some of your stress and keep you engaged.
It’s also helpful for budgeting. Before you get paid or go shopping, make a list of what you must buy, what you should buy, and what you want to buy. Even seeing it written out like that will help you make better purchasing decisions.
To keep it all doable and manageable, challenge yourself to only put three to four things in every list on a given day. You’ll never get to the “want” column if you have nine “must” activities and seven “should” tasks, which defeats the point of the technique. Be discerning and if something isn’t a “must,” don’t pressure yourself; just make it a “should.” This approach is designed to inject some fun and reduce the stress from your typical to-do list, but it won’t work if you treat every task like an end-of-the-world necessity.