Treat items 6–25 as active avoidances, not a later list

Everything not in your top 5 must be actively avoided — it is your "do-not-do" list.

Why it works

Goals in the top-6-to-25 range are cognitively expensive precisely because they are compelling — they feel important, trigger guilt when neglected, and invite opportunistic "just a little" engagement that chips away at focused time. Labeling them avoidances rather than a backlog changes their mental status from open loops to closed decisions, which reduces their attentional pull.

How to do it

1. Write "AVOID UNTIL FOCUS LIST CHANGES" across items 6–25, or put them in a sealed envelope.
2. When an item from the avoid list surfaces as an opportunity, name it explicitly: "This is an avoid-list item."
3. Revisit the list only on a defined schedule (quarterly) — not reactively when something looks attractive.
4. If a genuinely compelling opportunity arises that belongs on the Focus List, a current item must come off.

Evidence

Opportunity cost research shows that the most expensive alternative to a chosen action is usually a good alternative, not a bad one. Items 6–25 represent exactly these high-quality opportunity costs, making explicit avoidance a rational choice rather than a sacrifice. (mechanistic)

Whether any individual benefits from strict avoidance vs. flexible reprioritization depends on their self-regulation style; for people who over-schedule, strict avoidance lists work better.

Common mistake

Treating the avoid list as a "coming soon" queue and picking items off it opportunistically — which is exactly the behavior the strategy exists to prevent.