Buffett's Two Lists (2024)

Buffett's Two Lists (4)

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Buffett's Two Lists (5)

Buffett's Two Lists (6)

Overview

"The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say no to almost everything." – Warren Buffett.

Like Charles Munger, Warren Buffett advocates for and uses the Latticework of Mental Models approach that drives ModelThinkers. Buffett’s Two Lists model speaks to his ability to ruthlessly prioritise and say 'no' to tempting, even important tasks that take away from his main focus.

Buffett’s Two Listsis a productivity, prioritisation and focusing approach where you write down your top 25 goals; circle your 5 highest priorities; then focus on those 5 while ‘avoiding at all costs’ doing anything on the remaining 20.

BACKSTORY: BUFFETT'S PILOT.

This model comes from a post by Scott Dinsmore who described a conversation between a Buffett and his pilot. According to Scott, when ‘Steve’, Buffett’s pilot sought Buffett’s advice, Buffett asked Steve to list the top 25 things he wanted to do in the next few years or even his lifetime. Once done, Buffetttt told Steve to circle his absolute top 5 priorities.

Steve assumed that he would focus on the top 5 but that he’d still find a way to work on some of the remaining 20, even in small ways.

RUTHLESS PRIORITISATION.

Buffett reportedly replied by saying: “No. You’ve got it wrong Steve. Everything you didn’t circle just became your ‘avoid at all cost list’. No matter what, these things get no attention from you until you’ve succeeded with your top 5.

IN YOUR LATTICEWORK.

Buffett’s Two Lists is a prioritisation model, so has some connections to other prioritisation models including the Pareto Principle and Impact vs Effort Matrix.

You can combine it with the Circle of Competence to focuson and improving your strengths, indeed that combination is something that is a favourite of both Buffett and Charles Munger.

If you're finding it too hard to implement, you might also try and combinethis model with Parkinson's Law to Timebox or implement Forced Functions on your list before rotating them — though I suspect Buffett wouldn't recommend that.

Share this model with your network to be smarter, faster, together!

Actionable Takeaways

  • Make a list of your top 25 priorities.

You might apply this to a specific project or timeframe, or consider your broader life goals.

  • Circle your highest 5 priorities.

These are the things that must be accomplished and drive you.

  • Focus on your top 5 and avoid the other 20 at all costs.

This isn’t just about what you do, it’s about how you say no to those tempting secondary priorities to achieve real focus.

  • When you achieve 1 of your top 5, add a new goal from the 20.

This list is a work in progress, something on the ‘avoid at all cost’ list might become a priority as you achieve your top 5.

Limitations

While this dedicated focus is potentially powerful, by avoiding the 20 lesser priorities you might miss opportunities to find links or move them forward in the process of working on your ‘big 5’. It might also be too inflexible, and not allow for updating priorities or taking advantage of opportunities that might open up making your ‘20 list’ more possible or desirable.

In Practice

Buffett.

In some ways, this seems to link with the way Buffett and Munger apply the circle of competence. They seem to practice ruthless prioritisation. That said, it’s hard to track down specific examples of this model as it would involve what Buffett has not done.

Build your latticework

This model will help you to:

Buffettt’s two list model is a simple mental model that can be life changing if applied to life goals.

Use the following examples of connected and complementary models to weave Buffett’s two list model into your broader latticework of mental models. Alternatively, discover your own connections by exploring the category list above.

Connected models:

  • The pareto principle: in identifying highest value options, or your ‘top 5’.
  • Eisenhower matrix: in identifying high priority and high importance.
  • Kano or RICE score: in applying prioritisation to product development.

Complementary models:

  • Kanban: tracking priorities in a more dynamic, iterative approach.
  • Golden circle and Ikigai: in establishing purpose.

Origins & Resources

As noted in the overview, this model comes from Scott Dinsmore’s post here. I’m aware that it’s essentially a third-hand story - from the pilot to Scott, to us. But it’s grown in popularity and Buffett hasn’t corrected it. Either way, it’s a useful model for prioritisation so worth the inclusion.

Buffett's Two Lists (13) My Notes

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FAQs

What is Warren Buffett's 2 list strategy? ›

Buffett's Two Lists is a productivity, prioritisation and focusing approach where you write down your top 25 goals; circle your 5 highest priorities; then focus on those 5 while 'avoiding at all costs' doing anything on the remaining 20.

What are the two rules of Warren Buffett? ›

Warren Buffett once said, “The first rule of an investment is don't lose [money]. And the second rule of an investment is don't forget the first rule.

What is the 5 25 rule Buffett? ›

The rule's origin is reported as advice given by Buffet to his personal pilot, Mike Flint. Flint asked Buffet for career advice, leading to Buffet thinking of the 5/25 rule. Buffet asked Flint to list his top 25 career goals, pick the top five, and avoid the rest until the top five are achieved.

What is Warren Buffett 70 30 rule? ›

A 70/30 portfolio is an investment portfolio where 70% of investment capital is allocated to stocks and 30% to fixed-income securities, primarily bonds.

What are the Warren Buffett's first 3 rules of investing money? ›

Some of his most important rules include:
  • Rule 1: Never lose money. This is considered by many to be Buffett's most important rule and is the foundation of his investment philosophy. ...
  • Rule 2: Focus on the long term. ...
  • Rule 3: Know what you're investing in.
Mar 6, 2024

What is Warren Buffett's weakness? ›

Unable to bear the bureaucracy. According to Warren's own confession, his key weakness is the lack of patience when it comes to bureaucratic issues.

What is the 80 20 rule Buffett? ›

Buffett's strategy gets at a few fundamental truths: 20% of our priorities typically account for 80% of our results. Buffett's top five priorities are 20% of 25. For more on the 80/20 Rule, read my article: This Is Exactly How You Should Train Yourself To Be Smarter [Infographic]

What is Warren Buffett's 90 10 rule? ›

Warren Buffet's 2013 letter explains the 90/10 rule—put 90% of assets in S&P 500 index funds and the other 10% in short-term government bonds.

What is Buffett's first rule of investing? ›

Buffett's first rule of investing is to not lose money, which makes him more conservative than many growth-oriented investors. As a long-term investor, he relies heavily on fundamental analysis and doesn't let technical indicators like 50-day moving averages dictate his investments.

How many hours does Warren Buffett read a day? ›

Indeed, the Oracle of Omaha has said that he spends “five or six hours a day” reading books and newspapers. And while it may be difficult to set aside nearly a full work day's worth of hours to read, it recently got a little bit easier to consume information like Warren Buffett.

What are Buffett's four rules of investing? ›

RELATED RESOURCES
  • Podcast Discussion: Warren Buffett's 4 Rules to Investing.
  • Rule 1: Vigilant Leadership.
  • Rule 2: Long-Term Prospects.
  • Rule 3: Company Stability and Understanding.
  • Rule 4: Understanding Intrinsic Value.
Oct 4, 2021

What does buffet do all day? ›

Warren Buffett dedicates much of his workday to reading—approximately 80%. He believes in constant learning and attributes much of his success to this habit. Additionally, he spends time attending meetings and managing his company, Berkshire Hathaway.

What did Warren Buffett tell his wife to invest in? ›

“One bequest provides that cash will be delivered to a trustee for my wife's benefit,” he wrote. “My advice to the trustee could not be more simple: Put 10% of the cash in short-term government bonds and 90% in a very low-cost S&P 500 index fund.” Buffett recommended using Vanguard's S&P 500 index fund.

What does Warren Buffett recommend for retirement? ›

Buffett's retirement strategy, known as the 90/10 strategy, involves allocating 90% of retirement funds to a low-cost S&P 500 index fund and the remaining 10% to low-risk short-term government bonds. This approach provides stability and helps mitigate potential losses during market downturns.

What is a good asset allocation for a 65 year old? ›

For most retirees, investment advisors recommend low-risk asset allocations around the following proportions: Age 65 – 70: 40% – 50% of your portfolio. Age 70 – 75: 50% – 60% of your portfolio. Age 75+: 60% – 70% of your portfolio, with an emphasis on cash-like products like certificates of deposit.

What is the strategy of Warren Buffett? ›

Buffett follows the Benjamin Graham school of value investing which looks for securities with prices that are unjustifiably low based on their intrinsic worth. Buffett looks at companies as a whole rather than focusing on the supply-and-demand intricacies of the stock market.

What is a second source of income Warren Buffett? ›

Warren Buffett's statement, "Never depend on a single income, make an investment to create a second source," emphasizes the importance of diversification and financial security. Here's a breakdown of what he means: Diversification: Buffett is a proponent of diversifying your sources of income and investments.

What is Warren Buffett's investment strategy called? ›

What is Warren Buffett's Investing Style? Warren Buffett is a famous proponent of value investing. Warren Buffett's investment style is to “buy ably-managed businesses, in whole or in part, that possess favorable economic characteristics.” We also look at his investment history and portfolio.

Which is the second largest stock in Warren Buffett's portfolio? ›

Top Warren Buffett Stocks By Size

Bank of America (BAC), 1.03 billion. Apple (AAPL), 905.6 million. Coca-Cola (KO), 400 million. Kraft Heinz (KHC), 325.6 million.

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