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Tiago Forte - Too Many Projects? The 10-to-15 Rule Will Save You!

Thumbnail of the video “Tiago Forte - Too Many Projects? The 10-to-15 Rule Will Save You!”
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Author: Tiago Forte
Categories: Productivity Lifestyle Education
Tags: productivity, lifestyle, education
Views: 3 · Last viewed: 2026-10-16 04:02 UTC

Short Summary

Main recommendation: Keep your active project list to roughly 10 to 15 clearly defined projects, each with a specific outcome and a timeline, so you can see visible progress and always have a backup project when one stalls. Tiago Forte presents this as the first step of the PARA organizing framework, which begins with listing every active project you are committed to. The video walks through building that list and then narrowing it by removing false projects.

Key Points

  • PARA is the organizing framework this video covers; its first step is creating a dedicated place for each active project, starting with a simple list of everything you are committed to.
  • A project must have two things: a clear goal you want to achieve and a deadline or rough timeline. Ongoing responsibilities and open-ended wishes do not qualify.
  • Too many projects (over about 15) means little visible progress each week, which can lead to abandoning them; too few (under about 10) leaves you stuck when one project stalls.
  • Common false projects that sneak onto lists are dreams (no deadline), hobbies (no specific outcome), and areas (ongoing responsibilities such as health, family, or finances).
  • Mega projects like writing a book are really collections of smaller subprojects; break them down so each completed subproject signals the next action.

Details Worth Noting

  • Concrete instructions:
    • Step one: brainstorm everything you are working on, without censoring or judging whether it is a real project yet. Start with what comes to mind first, then check recent email, your calendar, and your to-do list for hidden projects (for example, an email thread with a collaborator or a to-do item to talk to a contractor).
    • Step two: aim for about 10 to 15 projects. If you have more than 15, move the least urgent ones to a future projects note. If others put the commitments on your plate, practice saying no or renegotiate the scope.
    • Step three: remove false projects. Strike dreams that have no realistic timeline right now, move hobbies out of the project list into weekly habits or evening activities, and treat areas like fitness or time with family as calendar blocks rather than projects.
    • Step four: break mega projects into subprojects with clear completions. In the speaker's example, "launch the book" became "increase book pre-orders," a shorter-term project with a clear finish.
  • In the speaker's example, the initial list had 18 items; after removing dreams, hobbies, and areas (and splitting out the oversized book project), it had 12 clearly defined short-term projects.
  • The speaker notes that the goal is focus and visible progress, making the invisible daily effort visible, and keeping the list "living and breathing" so you are never stuck.
  • The speaker identifies dreams (home addition, kiteboarding) and hobbies (practicing piano, sci-fi reading) as examples of items that do not belong on the active list, while noting they still matter.

Bottom Line

A focused project list is built by testing each item against the requirements of a clear outcome and a timeline, then trimming it to a manageable number that keeps you moving even when one project stalls.