As you may know, I’m a fan of the Eisenhower method. I’ve been working like an Eisenhower for years, but the need to make the system even simpler grew over time. It should be clearer too.
If you’re anything like me, you can have some trouble sometimes picking a category for things that require your attention; ’Now let’s see, is this "Important & Urgent” or “just Urgent and not so Important”?’
I looked for alternative categories (words) that would make things very clear and easy. The first word I found that does this is:
Crucial
There aren’t many things that are crucial but if something is, it’s … well, crucial!
The second word I use is an Eisenhower word:
Important
So, something is important when it’s not crucial but still requires your attention.
The last word I found that fits the demands is:
Desirable
Not important, certainly not crucial but a ‘would be really (, really!) nice’.
Notes in these categories are coloured Red, Yellow and Purple. They are grouped by colour in the lists and sorted by date.
What I noticed when I started working according to this ‘system’ was that I encountered very few things that were ‘crucial’. Of course, there are many important things (and even more desirable ones!), but very little in life seems to be crucial.
Rob
Ps: In the meantime, I have replaced ‘Important’ with ‘Essential’. That’s a more specific description of the category.
Sounds like PARA (projects, areas, resources, archives) by Tiago Forte to me.
Projects have a specific date for “delivery” and areas are the things without a date, which you need to to come back regularly. Resources are the things you might need later. And archives is for all the stuff you might need to search for and therefore want to keep.
One of the reasons I love tagging so much is that it can change far more easily than folders, categories, etc. The biggest problem I have with tagging is the lack of powerful tag management tools that most apps have. Evernote used to have a very strong system, but killed it off for some reason (maybe modified beyond simple powerful use is more accurate).
I’m hoping the local GenAI tools will enable the power of tagging without the need to tag because GenAI has a lot more ability to understand (I use the term loosely) the content and the context.
The apps that I use in the future on MacOS will greatly depend on the capabilities that Apple gives us with local GenAI tools and which apps take advantage of those capabilities.
Back to the thread with the Eisenhower method (I’m a long time user of the system)…
An AI agent that understands my full personal context, priorities, necessities, and desires, would be a huge help. And if I can train the AI agent to prioritize my action items using the Eisenhower Matrix, I will be in heavan.
The Eisenhower system is great, although, as I said, it can sometimes be tedious for me to tag tasks and information correctly. Therefore, having fewer, clearer choices (Crucial, Essential, and Desirable) makes my work just a bit easier.
You would like AI to do this job for you. I have to admit I have some reservations when it comes to AI.
Its output is determined by the input. If the input is wrong (even slightly), the output will be flawed. Especially when using AI as a personal assistant, things can get messy.
I agree with you on AI. It is just like other computer systems where trash in trash out. That is why small LLMS that have access to my content and the weights are initially created using a provider I trust are important. That is why I like Apple’s approach so far. I would be even happier if they provided a system where I can access greater than on-device GenAI capabilities by providing us with a local GenAI server that we control instead of having to use ChatGPT, Claude, etc. I want control of my AI.
So I fine-tuned this system and have been using it for a couple of weeks. When there’s a lot to do, I need to be clear about my priorities. The Eisenhower system was my favourite, but over time, I found it increasingly tedious. That’s why I developed my own system. It now consists of these three priority categories:
Crucial
Essential
Ideal
Here’s a use case:
Imagine a company that needs to achieve a 50% increase in revenue within a year to survive. It has no means to hire more or better staff, nor can it develop new products within the time frame. Its existing products are considered good. Now, imagine this company uses this prioritisation system. It could result in the following:
Crucial (immediate, vital for survival):
• Increase sales through intensive sales training for current employees
• Deploy targeted marketing campaigns
• Engage with strategic partners
Essential (important for growth and stability):
• Customer retention and up-selling
• Enter new markets
• Optimise sales processes
Ideal (contributing to long-term success but not immediately necessary for survival):
• Innovation and product development
• Culture and employee satisfaction
Each category is important; otherwise, why categorise in the first place? Urgency is also built into them. Each category is color-coded, making it immediately clear which is which. Tasks that stem from ‘parent notes’—for example, ‘Increase sales through intensive training for current employees’—can have due dates (i.e., Reminders).