Do This Habit Every Day To Set Yourself Up for Success, Barbara Corcoran Says
Written by
Laura Beck
Edited by
Levi Leidy
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Barbara Corcoran built a real estate empire and became a multimillionaire by following one simple daily habit. It’s not meditation, exercise or reading the news. It’s something much more basic that takes about five minutes but sets up everything else.
The “Shark Tank” investor said she never goes to bed without making a to-do list for the next day. But here’s the key part: She doesn’t just write down random tasks. She ranks everything and tackles the hardest stuff first.
Corcoran’s A-List Strategy
Corcoran explained that her to-do lists can have anywhere from 10 to 60 items on any given day. The magic happens in how she organizes them.
“I read the A’s as essential and I go in the next morning get my A’s out of the way,” she said.
But here’s what makes her approach different: the A-list items aren’t the fun tasks or easy wins. They’re the things that push her business forward, even when they’re uncomfortable.
“The A’s are never the things you want to do — the things that push your business ahead, the things you don’t want to confront, the things you don’t want to say,” Corcoran explained.
She even mentioned firing people as an example. Nobody wants to have those conversations, but avoiding them doesn’t make the problem go away. By handling difficult tasks first thing in the morning, she prevents them from hanging over her head all day.
Why This Works Better Than Other Systems
Most productivity advice tells you to start with easy wins to build momentum. Corcoran does the opposite, and there’s psychology behind why it works.
Getting unpleasant tasks out of the way early prevents decision fatigue. When you’re fresh in the morning, you have more willpower to handle things you’ve been putting off. By afternoon, it’s much easier to make excuses.
There’s also a relief factor. Once you’ve handled the worst part of your day, everything else feels manageable by comparison.
Make It a 5-Minute Habit
Corcoran’s system works because it’s simple and takes almost no time. Before bed, spend five minutes writing down tomorrow’s money tasks. Rank them by importance, not by what you want to do.
The next morning, handle your top financial priority before doing anything else. Even if it’s just 15 minutes of budget review or one phone call to negotiate a bill, you’ve moved your finances forward.
Most people spend more time planning their Netflix queue than planning their financial tasks. Corcoran’s approach flips that around and puts money management where it belongs: at the top of your priority list.
The Compound Effect of Daily Financial Habits
What makes this strategy powerful isn’t any single task. It’s doing important financial work consistently. Small money actions compound over time just like investments do.
And you can apply this to your finances, too. Checking your budget weekly prevents overspending. Making extra debt payments monthly eliminates interest charges. Contributing to retirement accounts regularly builds wealth through compound growth. Happy listing!
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