Productivity

The Art of Prioritization: Deciding What Matters Now

April 1, 2025

A professional chef thoughtfully organizing and prioritizing ingredients in a busy kitchen
A professional chef thoughtfully organizing and prioritizing ingredients in a busy kitchen
A professional chef thoughtfully organizing and prioritizing ingredients in a busy kitchen
  1. Understanding Executive Function: What It Is and Why It Matters

  2. The Zoom Out, Zoom In Dance: A Foundation for Better Productivity

  3. The Cognitive Foundations of Executive Function: Working Memory, Attention, and Processing Speed

  4. Task Analysis: Slicing the Bread Loaf

In previous posts, I introduced the concept of executive function and explored how separating planning from execution (the "Zoom Out, Zoom In Dance") can dramatically improve productivity. I then discussed how to break down complex projects into manageable tasks through the process of Task Analysis which is akin to slicing a large loaf of bread so that you can eat it one slice at a time. This brings us to a crucial challenge many of my clients face: once you've broken down your projects into tasks, how do you decide which ones to tackle first?

In this post, I'll explore multiple frameworks that can help guide your prioritization decisions. It's important to keep in mind that the prioritization ideas offered here won't all be a perfect fit for everyone. Your careful consideration of your own regulatory patterns will ultimately help you determine which prioritization approaches will best fit your needs.

When You Have More Tasks Than Time

Let me share a common scenario I witness in my clinical practice:

Marcus stares at his freshly created task list following a productive planning session. He's successfully broken down his quarterly marketing campaign into 27 distinct tasks. But now, faced with this comprehensive list and only two weeks to complete everything, he feels a rising sense of overwhelm. His shoulders tense, his breathing becomes shallow, and he notices an uncomfortable tightness in his chest. Which task should he start with? Which ones could wait if necessary? Unable to decide, he finds himself scrolling through emails instead. After a while he realizes he has avoided doing what he most needs to be doing at this time which is figuring out in what order he should approach his tasks, and has instead found himself working on a much less important task. Recognizing that he has avoided making the difficult choices required to prioritize his tasks causes him to feel even more overwhelmed than he did before.

This scenario highlights a critical insight: breaking down projects is only half the battle. Without effective prioritization strategies, even the most well-defined set of tasks can leave us physically and emotionally paralyzed. To help you understand what drives prioritization paralysis and how to overcome it, I'll first introduce a powerful metaphor that helps you visualize the embodied nature of skilled prioritization, and then will explore the brain architecture that explains why prioritization challenges affect us in both mental and physical ways.

The Chef's Kitchen: A Metaphor for Prioritization

When you think of prioritization it's useful to imagine you are a skilled chef in a busy restaurant kitchen. A skilled chef doesn't simply cook dishes in the order they're received. Instead, they engage in a complex dance of timing and importance as they select what tasks to do when:

  • Some dishes must be started first because they take longest to cook (time-sensitive tasks)

  • Certain ingredients need to be prepped before they can be used in multiple dishes (dependency-based tasks)

  • High-value specials require priority attention (high-impact tasks)

  • The chef must consider which cooking stations are open and available and which are at capacity (resource constraints)

  • And all of this needs to happen while maintaining the overall quality of the dining experience (values alignment)

When you watch an expert chef at work it is easy to see how embodied and physical their knowledge is. They don't just intellectually know what to prioritize; they feel the correctness of their choices in their bodies. They develop a physical intuition for timing, for when dishes or ingredients need attention, for how different tasks must be sequenced. Their expertise lives not just in their minds but also in their hands, in their timing, and in their efficient ability to physically navigate their kitchen space.

It takes years of work for an expert chef to develop their skills. Similarly, it will take you a while to become good at prioritization. What begins with you consciously and deliberately applying one or more of these prioritization frameworks will eventually transform into you intuitively knowing what you need to do when, with you too developing an embodied sense of how best to approach the prioritization of your work.

Just as a chef can't prepare every dish simultaneously, you also can't tackle every task at once. Prioritization is the art of deciding what needs to happen and when it needs to happen, based on a clear understanding of what matters most. It involves being attuned to both the physical and emotional states that support the different types of work you need to accomplish.

The Neuroscience of Prioritization

At its heart, prioritization is a specialized form of decision-making. Neuroscience has given us fascinating insights into how this process works in our brains.

When you're faced with multiple competing tasks, your prefrontal cortex steps up to evaluate your options. Meanwhile, your brain's Salience Network acts like a skilled traffic controller, helping determine which factors deserve the most attention in your decision. At the same time, your limbic system (particularly the amygdala and insula) contributes emotional information that influences what feels most important.

There is a facinating simultaneous interplay between what is happening in your brain and what is happening in your body. Neuroscientist Antonio Damasio has written about what he called the "somatic marker hypothesis." The word "somatic" refers to one's body. Damasio's research revealed that our decisions are guided by subtle emotional responses that show up as physical sensations in your body such as those butterflies in your stomach, that tension in your chest, and that feeling of lightness. These "somatic marker" body sensations give us rapid, gut-level assessments of our options before our conscious reasoning even kicks in.

This explains why effective prioritization involves both analytical thinking and bodily awareness. When a client tells me, "I just feel in my gut that this project should come first," they're not being irrational—they're tapping into valuable embodied information that their brain-body system has been fine-tuning for millennia.

The neural circuitry involved in prioritization includes:

  1. The orbitofrontal cortex, which blends emotion into your decision-making process

  2. The anterior cingulate cortex, which helps spot conflicts between different options

  3. The insula, which translates your body's signals into conscious awareness

  4. The Salience Network, which works as your brain's master filter, determining what most deserves attention moment by moment

I'll refer you to Wikipedia if you're interested in learning more about any of these brain structures.

This complex dance involving both your mind and your body shows us why prioritization feels different than pure logical reasoning does. Prioritization is truly a whole-brain, whole-body process.

The Fundamental Prioritization Frameworks

Let's explore four fundamental frameworks that can help you prioritize more effectively. Think of these as different techniques in your chef's repertoire, each useful in specific situations. As we explore each framework, I'll highlight how your physical and emotional states might interact with the prioritization process.

1. The Urgency-Importance Matrix (Eisenhower Matrix)

The Eisenhower Matrix approach to prioritization has you sort your tasks into one of four quadrants based on two dimensions: urgency and importance.

  • Quadrant 1: Urgent and Important - These are your kitchen fires and immediate customer needs. Do these tasks first.

  • Quadrant 2: Important but Not Urgent - These are your meal planning and kitchen organization tasks. Schedule these intentionally.

  • Quadrant 3: Urgent but Not Important - These are the interruptions and distractions. Delegate these if possible.

  • Quadrant 4: Neither Urgent nor Important - These are time-wasters that don't improve your kitchen. Eliminate these.

The power of this framework lies in distinguishing between urgency (time sensitivity) and importance (alignment with goals and values). Many of my clients with executive function challenges get trapped responding primarily to urgency, neglecting important tasks until they too become urgent.

Worth paying attention to here is how your body responds differently to each of these quadrants. Urgent tasks will likely trigger your physiological stress response, which may include increased heart rate, shallow breathing and muscle tension, all of which may causes you to feel a sense of pressure which can interfere with your ability to think clearly and flexibly. Important but non-urgent tasks will benefit from a calmer, more reflective physical state that allows for creative thinking and deeper consideration.

Consider Elena, a marketing director I worked with, who found herself constantly putting out fires for clients (Quadrant 1) while never finding time for strategic planning (Quadrant 2). When we analyzed her task list using this matrix, she realized that by intentionally scheduling time for those important-but-not-urgent tasks, she could prevent many fires from starting in the first place. Elena also noticed that her constant state of urgency was causing persistent physical tension and emotional exhaustion. By creating dedicated time for Quadrant 2 activities when her body was in a calmer, more grounded state, she not only improved her planning but also her overall well-being.

2. The Value-Effort Matrix

This framework evaluates tasks based on the value they provide relative to the effort required.

  • High Value, Low Effort - Like quick garnishes that dramatically improve a dish. Do these first.

  • High Value, High Effort - Like complex signature dishes that define your restaurant. Plan and prioritize these.

  • Low Value, Low Effort - Like simple side dishes. Batch these together or do when energy is low.

  • Low Value, High Effort - Like labor-intensive dishes that customers rarely order. Think about eliminating these.

This framework is particularly useful when you need to establish momentum while maximizing impact. By identifying those "quick wins" (high value, low effort), you can build confidence and rapidly create value.

The embodied perspective adds an important dimension here: different types of effort benefit from you being in different physical and emotional states. Some tasks demand your intense focus and mental energy, others require physical stamina, and still others will tax your emotional resources. By considering not just the abstract concept of "effort" but the specific types of physical and emotional energy each task requires, you can match tasks to the times during the day when your body is best prepared to handle them.

Michael, a software developer experiencing difficulty regulating himself, often struggled with project inertia. Using the Value-Effort Matrix, he was able to identify several high-value, low-effort tasks that helped him to start each project. Completing these early wins gave him the momentum and confidence necessary to tackle the more challenging aspects of his projects. Michael also began tracking his physical energy patterns throughout the day, and found that his capacity for deep, focused work was highest in the morning, while his ability to handle socially demanding tasks peaked mid-afternoon. By aligning the type of high-value tasks he needed to get done with the best times during the day for him to do each type of task he dramatically improved both his productivity and his sense of self-efficacy.

3. Time-Sensitivity Approach

This approach organizes tasks by when they need to be completed, considering both deadlines and optimal timing.

  • Must Do Today - Ingredients that will spoil if not used immediately

  • Should Do Today - Prep work that will make tomorrow more efficient

  • This Week - Items needed soon but not immediately

  • This Month - Longer-term planning and preparation

  • Anytime - Tasks without time constraints

The Time-Sensitivity Approach acknowledges that tasks have different timing requirements. Like a chef who knows certain ingredients must be used while fresh while other ingredients can be stored long-term, this framework helps you identify what tasks truly need your immediate attention versus what tasks can wait.

It's worth noticing how your perception of time urgency is physically experienced in an emboddied manner. When you believe something must be done immediately, your body will shift into a stress response state which is helpful for taking quick action but which also makes it harder to complete tasks that require careful thought. Being honest about the true time sensitivity of your various tasks is essential! I often work with clients to help them distinguish between externally imposed deadlines (true deadlines) and self-imposed deadlines that may actually be arbitrary or flexible. Learning to distinguish between real deadlines and those which you find desirable but which are not actually necessary can help you better manage and regulate your physical and emotional state.

4. Dependencies-First Approach

This approach prioritizes tasks that unblock other tasks, focusing on the "critical path" to completion.

  • Foundational Tasks - These must be completed before many other tasks can begin

  • Unblocking Tasks - These remove bottlenecks that are holding up progress

  • Independent Tasks - These can be done anytime and don't affect other tasks

  • Finishing Tasks - These can only be done after other tasks are complete

Like a chef who knows they must make the stock before they can make the soup, this framework helps you identify the optimal task sequence needed to prevent delays and to maintain momentum.

Different physical and emotional states support different types of dependency work. Foundational tasks often require careful attention to detail and a calm, focused state if they are to be done well. In contrast, unblocking tasks may benefit from creative problem-solving energy. Understanding what energy and body states are best fitted to the various tasks you need to complete can help you schedule dependency work tasks to occur at times when your body is best prepared to support them.

Jason, a product manager I worked with, constantly found himself in situations where his team would get stuck waiting for other people to make decisions or provide resources. When we applied the Dependencies-First Approach to his project planning, he was able to identify and prioritize the tasks that frequently became bottlenecks, significantly improving his team's flow and productivity. We also discussed how the physical environment Jason worked in when doing different kinds of tasks affected his dependency work. After some consideration, Jason created a dedicated "deep thinking space" which minimized distractions and which featured tools that supported his concentration (eg., ambient music playing in the background) into which he retreated when he needed support in addressing complex bottlenecks. By arranging his environment to support his task execution, Jason helped himself maintain the focused physical and mental state he needed in order to best engage in effective dependency resolution.

Specialized Prioritization Frameworks

Beyond these fundamental prioritization frameworks, there are specialized prioritization approaches that are particularly helpful for managing specific challenges.

MoSCoW Method for Project Planning

The MoSCoW Method is especially useful when you are first starting a project. It helps prevent you from overbuilding and also helps ensure that you deliver first what matters most:

  • M - Must Have: Necessities without which the project will fail

  • S - Should Have: Important features that enhance your project's value but aren't essential for initial delivery.

  • C - Could Have: Desirable features to include in your project if time and resources permit

  • W - Won't Have: Features that will be explicitly excluded from the project at this time (you could add these later on if your project needs change)

The MoSCoW Method framework can be likened to a chef determining which elements are essential to include in a dish versus which are optional enhancements. It helps you first establish priorities at the project level before diving into task-level prioritization.

From an embodied perspective, the MoSCoW method can help reduce the anxiety that often accompanies large projects. By explicitly categorizing elements as "Won't Have," you can allow your body to release tension associated with the belief that you have to do it all. Identifying the minimum set of tasks that you need to complete helps create a calmer and more focused physiological state more conducive to working only on what truly matters most.

Energy-Based Prioritization for Regulatory Challenges

This approach seeks to match tasks to your energy levels as they fluctuate throughout the day:

  • High Energy Tasks: Complex, creative, or analytical work requiring full focus

  • Medium Energy Tasks: Routine work requiring some concentration

  • Low Energy Tasks: Simple, straightforward tasks with minimal mental load

People with regulatory challenges experience energy fluctuations that vary significantly across the day. Regulatory challenges can be caused by a wide variety of conditions including (but not limited to) neurodiversity, trauma history, mood disorders, and chronic health conditions.

The energy fluctuations associated with regulatory challenges are not simply "in people's heads" but are instead often rooted in physical body states and rhythms that are quite fundamental and non-negotiable. It often doesn't matter what techniques you use to try and squeeze out more productivity! If your body doesn't have enough energy to engage in productive work at a particular time, then such work won't happen at that time. When your energy is depleted, it is important that you stop efforts to keep working and instead to rest and engage in restorative practices that will help ensure that you'll have more energy in the future. When you learn to work with rather than against your natural bodily rhythms and cycles, you often produce better quality work with less perceived effort.

Interest-Based Prioritization for Regulatory Challenges

This approach acknowledges the power of intrinsic motivation:

  • High Interest Tasks: Work that naturally engages your attention

  • Moderate Interest Tasks: Work that, while not fascinating, isn't aversive

  • Low Interest Tasks: Work that requires you to expend significant effort in order to maintain your focus

People with regulatory challenges often experience "interest-based nervous systems" where their motivation is disproportionately affected by their intrinsic interests. For an example of what this looks like, consider a chef who performs better when cooking dishes they love and worse when making dishes that they don't love but which sell well. Applying this interest-based framework helps you leverage your natural interests to best maintain your momentum and engagement.

It's interesting and useful to notice how your interest manifests physically in your body. When you're engaged in high-interest tasks, your posture might improve, your breathing might deepen, and your nervous system might find and maintain an optimal state of arousal; neither too activated nor too fatigued. This physiological state supports sustained attention and creative thinking. Conversely, when faced with low-interest tasks, you might find that you experience physical sensations of resistance including muscular tension and restlessness, or a feeling of heaviness.

The key insight isn't that you should strive to only do those tasks that interest you, but instead to strategically schedule the tasks you need to complete based on how they interest you. For example, I've taught clients to create "task sandwiches" where they place a low-interest task in between two high-interest tasks. This works because momentum from completing the first high-interest task can help them engage the less interesting middle-task, and because the follow-on high-interest task provides further motivation to complete the middle lower-interest task so as to get to that final high-interest task.

Some of my clients also use physical anchoring techniques to help maintain engagement during low-interest tasks—for example, using a specific seated position, holding an object, or working in a particular location that has been arranged to assist with completing focused work. Such environmental and physical anchors can help you maintain a more even and regulated state even when the task itself doesn't naturally capture your attention.

Interoceptive Awareness: A Foundation for All Prioritization Frameworks

To implement any prioritization approach effectively—whether energy-based, interest-based, or traditional frameworks—developing interoceptive awareness is essential. This is your ability to sense and interpret your internal bodily signals, which often provide crucial information about what truly matters to you.

When you're faced with a long task list, try this simple practice:

  1. Sit comfortably and take three deep breaths

  2. Bring your attention to physical sensations in your chest, stomach, and throat

  3. Review each task on your list while noticing bodily responses

  4. Pay attention to subtle reactions: tightening, relaxation, energy shifts, temperature changes

  5. Note which tasks generate feelings of expansion versus contraction

Mark, a healthcare administrator, discovered through this practice that certain projects resulted in him feeling an immediate chest tightness he had previously neglected and ignored. This physical reaction was his body's way of flagging tasks that needed his attention but which he nevertheless had been avoiding doing. Once Mark learned to recognize the body signs associated with his pattern of avoidance, he became more able to get his work done rather than continuing to procrastinate.

The Salience Network in your brain plays a key role in this process, helping translate these internal bodily signals into conscious awareness and determining what deserves your attention. By developing greater interoceptive awareness, you're essentially strengthening the Salience Network's functioning and improving the accuracy of your prioritization.

This embodied prioritization approach doesn't replace analytical frameworks. Instead, it enriches them by teaching you to pay attention to the physiological data available to you that can help you to know what is important and what is not. These bodily systems are wise counselors which have evolved over millennia to help you navigate complex decisions and guide effective action.

When Prioritization Gets Stuck: Addressing Decision Paralysis

One of the most common challenges I see in my clinical practice is people becoming paralyzed when trying to prioritize. This is happening when:

  • All tasks seem equally important

  • The stakes feel too high to risk making a wrong choice

  • It feels like there are too many variables to consider

  • Perfectionism demands the "optimal" sequence

People experiencing regulatory challenges, anxiety or perfectionism are particularly likely to experience prioritization paralysis and overwhelm.

Again, it's important to stress that such paralysis isn't just "in your head", but instead is also very much a bodily experience. When you're faced with too many options or high-stakes decisions, your body become stressed and your resulting stress responses negatively impact your decision-making capability. Your body's fear-based threat detection system naturally and quite automatically narrows your attentional focus so that you can only focus on what feels threatening. This is a survival instinct response that forces you to prioritize attending to what seem like immediate threats at the expense of paying attention to your longer-term priorities. When you find yourselves in this sort of stressed state it is nearly impossible to thoughtfully prioritize your work.

The relationship between your physiological state and your decision-making capacity is complex. You will often benefit from carefully and deliberately choosing tailored coping strategies to best address your specific regulatory challenges.

Since I don't have opportunity here and now to help you discover which specific coping strategies will work best for you, here instead are some general strategies that many people find helpful for breaking through their prioritization paralysis:

  1. Pause and regulate first: Before attempting to prioritize, take three calming deep breaths to activate your parasympathetic nervous system. This physiological reset helps create the conditions for better decision-making. Feel your feet on the ground and/or notice the sensations of contact with your chair. This grounding practice can help shift your nervous system from threat response mode towards a more calm and balanced state.

  2. Set a time limit for deciding: Give yourself 5 minutes to make the best prioritization decisions you can, then move forward. Use a timer to help insure that you don't exceed the time limit.

  3. Use the "if I could only do one" technique: Ask yourself, "If I could only complete one task today, which task would make the biggest difference?" Then ask about a second task, and so on. As you consider each option, pay attention to physical sensations in your body that might signal alignment or resistance.

  4. Create default patterns: Establish habitual standard ways that you approach common and repeating types of work so as to reduce decision fatigue. Consider creating physical reminders of these patterns in your workspace.

  5. Acknowledge "good enough": Remember that a good prioritization system executed consistently beats a perfect system that you have trouble implementing. Notice if perfectionist urges create physical tension in your body, then use that awareness as a cue to help remind yourself to refocus towards making progress rather than holding out for perfection.

  6. Start somewhere, then adjust: Begin with any reasonable task needing to be done, then reassess your priorities once you have momentum. Physical movement can help interrupt the paralysis cycle. Even standing up and stretching can create enough of a state change to help you refresh your perspective.

Robert, a consultant with significant decision anxiety, would spend hours trying to optimize his task sequence. I helped him implement a simple 5-minute rule: after a brief regulation pause, he would review his task list, apply the Eisenhower Matrix, and make his best prioritization decisions within 5 minutes. While the decisions weren't always perfect, the time Robert saved by avoiding paralysis more than compensated him for any minor sequencing inefficiencies that may have been present.

Robert's case offers a great example of how our bodies can know things before we become consciously aware of those things. Robert noticed that when he was getting stuck in overthinking his breathing had become shallow, his shoulders were hunched, and he would felt tension in his forehead. These physical cues became valuable early warning signs for Robert, prompting him to use his regulation strategies to reduce his sense of paralysis.

Two Ready-Made Prioritization Approaches

With all these frameworks to choose from, you might be wondering: "Where do I start if I just want a simple approach that works?" I've found that having a default algorithm can be incredibly helpful, especially when decision paralysis is a concern.

I offer two "starter" algorithms below to help you begin implementing these prioritization concepts. However, truly effective prioritization ultimately needs to go beyond these simple starting points to help you develop a truly personalized system that works best for your unique situation.

The Beginner's Algorithm: Simple but Effective

If you're feeling overwhelmed by choices or just want a straightforward place to start, this algorithm incorporates the most crucial elements of prioritization in a fixed sequence:

  1. First, ground yourself with a brief body scan

    • Take three deep breaths, feeling your feet on the floor

    • Notice any areas of tension in your body

    • Allow your shoulders to relax and your breathing to deepen

    • This physical regulation creates the conditions for better decision-making

  2. Next, identify any true time constraints

    • What absolutely must be done today or tomorrow?

    • What has a fixed deadline that cannot be moved?

    • What opportunities will disappear if not acted on quickly?

  3. Then, identify any dependency blockers

    • What tasks are others waiting on you to complete?

    • What must be finished before other important work can proceed?

    • What is creating bottlenecks in your workflow?

  4. From what remains, select the highest-value, lowest-effort task

    • What will give you the biggest impact with the least effort?

    • What can create a "quick win" to build momentum?

    • What will significantly move your project forward?

  5. Check in with your current physical and emotional state

    • What type of task does your current energy level support?

    • Are you in a state that supports focused work, creative thinking, or social interaction?

    • Select a task that aligns with your current state when possible

  6. After completing that task, repeat the process

    • Return to step 1 and reassess what now needs attention

    • Remember that priorities shift as work progresses

This approach acknowledges that external time constraints and dependencies often must be addressed first, then leverages the psychological benefit of quick wins for motivation. The beauty of this algorithm is its simplicity; It doesn't require you to choose between frameworks or weigh multiple factors simultaneously. The addition of physical grounding and state awareness techniques brings in the embodied perspective that makes this approach more effective for those with regulatory challenges.

The Project-Focused Advanced Algorithm: More Nuanced but Still Structured

Once you're comfortable with the basic algorithm, you can try this more nuanced approach that is particularly effective for prioritizing tasks within a single project or domain:

  1. First, ground yourself with a brief body scan

    • Take a few moments to settle your body and mind

    • Use a brief breathing practice or body scan

    • Create the physiological conditions for clear thinking

  2. Map dependencies first

    • Identify all foundational tasks that must happen before others can proceed

    • Mark tasks that unblock multiple subsequent tasks as "high leverage points"

    • Create a preliminary sequence based on these dependencies

  3. Layer in time constraints

    • Identify firm external deadlines that must be respected

    • Note any timing windows (tasks that must happen on specific days or times)

    • Adjust your dependency-based sequence to accommodate these time constraints

  4. Apply the value/effort filter

    • For tasks that could be done in parallel (no dependency conflicts)

    • Prioritize higher value, lower effort tasks earlier when possible

    • This builds momentum and creates early victories

  5. Consider your personal factors as final adjustments

    • Energy patterns: Match complex tasks to high-energy periods

    • Interest levels: Use engaging tasks to build momentum or recover from difficult work

    • Context requirements: Group tasks that share similar tools, locations, or mental modes

    • Physical needs: Schedule tasks that accommodate your body's needs (movement, rest, etc.)

  6. Create environmental supports for your plan

    • Set up your physical workspace to support the first planned task

    • Remove potential distractions before starting

    • Prepare any physical tools or resources you'll need

    • Create visual cues or reminders of your prioritized sequence

This more advanced approach integrates classical prioritization technique with embodied awareness, creating a comprehensive system that addresses both the logical structure of your work and the physiological conditions needed to support your optimal performance.

Note that you may need or want to return to re-prioritize your task list as you move through your day. For instance, you might take a fresh look at your prioritization after completing a key task that unlocks other downstream tasks that were previously blocked. You might also want to re-prioritize after meeting a deadline, at natural transition points in your day, or when you notice significant shifts in your physical or emotional state, for instance, when you notice that you've become too tired and fatigued to keep working on more complex tasks.

Making These Approaches Work for You

Whichever algorithm you choose, remember that the goal is progress, not perfection. A "good enough" prioritization approach that you consistently use will outperform a theoretically perfect system that overwhelms you.

As you practice, you'll naturally begin to internalize these decision processes. What starts as a deliberate algorithm you consciously decide to follow will gradually become more intuitive and second-nature for you, like a chef who no longer needs to consciously think about which dish to prepare first but instead just does it correctly.

After teaching these methods to many clients, I've learned that the development of prioritization intuition is a trainable skill. Your journey from conscious and deliberate application of formal prioritization frameworks to embodied and intuitive knowing will follow a natural progression that can be systematically developed.

This intuition isn't simply cognitive but instead involves your whole being including your thoughtful cognitive knowing and your physical and intuitive knowing. Experienced chefs develop bodily intuition about the timing and prioritization of their many tasks. They feel in their bodies when a dish needs attention, when to start the next component, when to check for doneness. In the same way, as you practice prioritization skills, you may begin to notice physical sensations that accompany your good and bad prioritization decisions. Perhaps you'll experience a sense of calm certainty in your chest when you feel confident you've chosen the right task, or a pit in your stomach when you realize you're avoiding an important but challenging task. Such felt bodily signals often point out what will work and what will not work much faster than your conscious mind could figure it out.

The key insight here is that prioritization is not a one-time event but an ongoing process. As you complete tasks, as new information emerges, and as your energy levels change throughout the day, your priorities will naturally shift. The most effective prioritizers are those who recognize this fluidity and regularly reassess what matters most right now.

The Limitations of Task-Level Prioritization

It's important to acknowledge that the frameworks discussed so far work best when prioritizing tasks within a single project or focus area. The reality for most of us is far more complex: we're juggling multiple projects across different life domains, each with their own priorities and values.

This is where task-level prioritization reaches its limits. When faced with competing priorities across different aspects of your life, including work projects, family needs, personal health, community commitments, etc., you need higher-level prioritization frameworks to help guide your decisions.

In future posts, I'll address these more complex prioritization challenges. First, I'll introduce the Daily Aiming Ritual, which provides a structured process to apply these prioritization decisions in your daily life. Later, I'll explore how your deeper values can guide prioritization across different life domains, and how to implement these approaches through practical systems like backlogs and daily to-do lists.

The prioritization techniques we've covered today create a foundation for these more advanced implementations. By mastering the basic frameworks first, you'll be better prepared to handle the complexity of multiple projects spanning different parts of your life.

Moving Forward: Implementing Prioritization Today

For now, I encourage you to experiment with using the prioritization frameworks we've discussed. Pay close attention to your physical and emotional states as you do so in order to benefit from the guidance these states can provide.

  1. Before prioritizing, take a moment to check in with your body—notice your breathing, posture, and any areas of tension

  2. Choose one active project with multiple tasks

  3. Apply at least two different prioritization frameworks from this post

  4. Notice how each different framework encourages you to highlight different priorities

  5. Pay attention to any physical sensations or emotional responses that arise as you consider each framework

  6. Select the framework that seems most appropriate for this particular project, using both your logical analysis and your embodied responses as guides

  7. Create your prioritized task list and begin with the top items

Like any complex skill, developing your prioritization practices requires you both to understand the decision frameworks and to apply them consistently. As you work through your prioritized tasks, pay attention not just to your productivity but also to how your body responds to working on different tasks at different times of day. Notice which types of work energize you and which deplete you. Observe how your emotional state affects your capacity to take on different types of tasks. These observations will provide valuable insights for your future prioritization decisions.

Remember that prioritization, like cooking, is both science and art. The frameworks provide structure, but your personal judgment, informed by your unique goals, constraints, values, physical patterns, and emotional rhythms should always be essential ingredients in your recipe. As you practice prioritization, you'll develop your own style and preferences, your unique "chef's intuition" for deciding what matters most right now. The goal isn't perfect prioritization but rather thoughtful, intentional choices that keep you moving toward what matters most, in a way that works with your natural rhythms rather than against them.

The prioritization approaches I've shared represent foundational practices. These can be adapted and deepened as you develop a more comprehensive productivity system that truly honors your unique physical and emotional patterns.

This is the fifth in a series exploring executive function and productivity. In my next post, I'll examine "The Daily Aiming Ritual" – how to put these prioritization decisions into practice through a structured planning process that bridges the gap between intention and action.

Take the First Step

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Take the First Step

Let's take the next step in your mental health journey together. Fill out the form below and I'll be in touch soon.

Take the First Step

Let's take the next step in your mental health journey together. Fill out the form below and I'll be in touch soon.