Priority Stack

There is so much for our, students to keep track of today.

Between homework and papers, projects, presentations, studying for exams, that it can feel impossible to know exactly what they should work on next.

And it feels like the more tech that we're layering on to help figure things out is just making things even more complicated sometimes.

After working with literally thousands of students who are struggling with procrastination, with overwhelm, with anxiety around what they should do next, I developed the four priority filters.

So they always know what they should be working on.

Now the four filters here are very self explanatory, so we're going to move to them pretty quickly, especially because you can grab the cards down below and work through them on your own as well.

But this will free up time so that we can learn how they can be combined in really powerful ways to solve four very common student challenges that I've noticed.

So first up, let's explore the Urgency filter.

Now this one is sort of Prioritization 101, right?

It's what we all think of.

And this is when we prioritize upcoming tasks based on their due date.

So, so there are three very simple steps.

First thing is we need to actually know what the deadlines are.

So we may need to turn to our syllabi, class portals, et cetera, but then actually write the deadlines on our to do list so we know when they're due.

Once we have that, the next step is that we should reorder and sort our task based on due dates.

Now this is because in step number three, we want to work and complete these tasks in order.

It makes sense, right?

Whatever is due first should be done first.

But there is a little tip here.

We want to avoid the trap that's just waiting for us right beneath, which is sometimes our task lists contain really large projects and assignments disguised as a much simpler task.

And so it's a great practice to break these down so that we have a much more realistic picture of what we actually have to get done.

The next filter to consider is called the Gravity filter.

And this one's probably my favorite because we get maybe the most bang for our buck here.

So unlike prioritizing based on their due date, this is when we're going to prioritize tasks based on their potential impact to our grade.

Now the first step in order to know just how much impact a particular task has is we need to know the weights of all of our tasks.

So this requires us to look up the percentage or the possible points for every task that is on our to do list.

And ideally we write it down and then we need to work to identify which tasks are the heaviest.

So if our list is quite long, then maybe we're going to look for three things that we would identify as having the biggest potential impact on our grade.

Once we know that, then our goal is kind of this game where we want to bank the most points.

We want to ensure that our heaviest tasks are going to be done before focusing on completing those lighter tasks.

But again, I'd like to share kind of a pro tip.

There is a way we can work smarter.

We may have multiple heavy tasks sitting on our list.

Let's say we have a big math exam coming up and also an English paper that we have to.

Right.

And they both hold equal weight and gravity in our grades.

Which one do we choose?

Well, that's when we would prioritize heavy tasks in courses where, our grade is the lowest or most critical to ensure that we earn a stronger grade.

And so that's how we can use gravity.

The next filter that I'd like to share is the duration filter.

Now, duration filter is when we prioritize tasks by how long they actually take to complete, because not all tasks are created equally here.

So the first thing we need to do is estimate approximately how long do we think a particular task will take us to complete and write that list down on our to do list.

And then we want to check our schedule.

We need to be aware of just how much time do we actually have to work on a task at a given moment once we're ready to take some action.

And then the final step here is that we need to find the right tip.

We want to match the task that can be finished within amount of time to based on how much time we have available to complete it.

Because our brains really love closing the loop.

Our brains, it feels so satisfying when we start a task and we're able to finish it before we have to move on to something else.

And so finding the right fit is essential here.

Another little pro tip, though this isn't easy, estimating tasks and length to finish something, takes practice.

And so we can practice and improve this skill by timing ourselves.

So if we estimate a particular activity is going to take us 30 minutes, set a timer, and then see it actually take 30 minutes.

And though it feels a little bit annoying and there's, there's a little bit of friction to set this up, in the long run, it's going to help us become much better estimators of time.

Because our brains typically are Very bad at it.

The final filter here is the focus filter.

And this is when we prioritize task based on our current level of mental focus that we're feeling.

So the first step is that we need to figure out what is sort of the intensity level of all of the tasks that we have to work on, and we can assign them a focus level.

Level like this is going to take high focus or medium focus, or it's a very low intensity, low focus kind of task.

And then we need to step back to a little bit of metacognitive reflection, which I absolutely encourage all students to do, and then decide what kind of mood am I in right now?

Am I ready for deep work?

Do I need a very simple kind of more administrative task because I'm kind of just in the mood to binge my favorite show and make a little bit of progress on school, or do I fall somewhere in between?

And just like before, what we want to ensure is that the levels match.

We want to choose a task that is matching our current focus level as well as the environment around us, because that also determines just how much we're going to be able to focus during this time.

Pro tip here for working smarter is that we should start noticing, when do I actually feel most energized, when do I feel the highest levels of focus and can I start scheduling my higher focus tasks?

Then the last thing we want to do is waste our high level focus times on tasks that actually don't require.

Now that we know the four filters, let's go ahead and zoom back out and see how we can combine them in very powerful ways to overcome very common student challenges.

So this grid is set up intentionally to be able to be divided.

And you'll notice actually that the filters over here to the left hand side can be used when students are feeling panicked, overwhelmed, when we need some triage and we need to get out of a jam.

And the filters over here toward the right side of the divide can actually be used to help us optimize and see better results.

So in order to figure that out, let's think about how they can be combined.

Now, the urgency and the gravity filters are where I recommend a lot of students to begin, because they are perfect for the student who is feeling maybe a little bit overwhelmed.

They're not exactly sure what they should be working on at the time.

They're not exactly sure how they're going to get through it all and prioritize what should be done when.

And by combining the urgency and gravity filters, it creates this Nice balance.

To realize that yes, things must be completed in order, but also we have to give some consideration to just how much weight things are going to have on our ultimate grades so that we can truly prioritize more effectively than just based on due dates.

The urgency and the duration filters can be combined together for the student who may be experiencing a bout of procrastination at the time.

When we procrastinate, we often realize, no, I have this emergency situation, I forgot about this paper, or it's the very last minute, I'm going to be up all night trying to complete this thing.

But it's important that we step back and say, yes, but how long will these tasks actually take us?

And is there enough time to finish the tasks?

And if there isn't, if the urgency filter and the duration filter are kind of clashing against one another, now it's up to us to make smart, strategic decisions about what things can be cut.

How are we going to free up more time?

Or which part of the assignment do we need to rush through if we're going to finish on time?

As for the duration and the focus filters, we can combine them together to help a student who may be experiencing burnout.

The way these two work together is because, yes, we need to be aware of how much focus and energy a particular task may take and how much we personally are able to bring to the table.

But we always need to be conscious of for how long, what is our capacity, what is the duration in which we can operate in a particular focus mode?

If a student assumes that they are going to complete a very high focus task, like writing a paper from start to finish, and the environment is optimized, everything is optimized.

But they assume they're going to get this done in one single four to six hour stretch, that is a recipe for burnout.

Because in the long run, it's just not possible for them to have the duration, the endurance to stay focused for that long.

And this will help us realize we need to potentially break up this assignment into multiple sittings to ensure that the focus level also aligns, with the amount of time that we're able to stay in that focus mode.

The last combination here is one that is near and dear to my heart.

And this is when we combine the gravity filter and the focus filter together.

And this is for the student who is constantly striving for perfection.

Now, whether or not perfectionism, is a positive trait, is a negative trait, really varies depending on context and the environment, a person is in.

In at any given time but there are students who just want to constantly be better and we can really leverage gravity and focus to figure out exactly what they should be focusing on when they've got a little bit more time and space to be able to strive for perfection.

So we can put these together by saying I'm going to prioritize the assignments that have the most amount of gravity.

I want to ensure that these ones are actually getting peak performance from me.

So so when do I feel most focused and how can I situate myself in an environment that encourages nice strong deep work so that what I end up finding is that my big heavy assignments are completed when I'm feeling most focused and then I get the best result possible.

So there we have the four filters as well as some basic ways that we can combine them to solve some common challenges students face.

Don't forget to grab all four cards in the complete priority stack down below so you always know what to do when you.