The Priority Pyramid (Or: Why Everything Feels Important)
When everything is important, nothing is. Here's the fix.
You have 47 things on your list today.
How many actually matter?
If you said “all of them,” that’s the problem.
When everything is important, nothing is.
Here’s what I learned: priorities aren’t created equal. They have levels.
The Priority Pyramid.
THE PROBLEM WITH FLAT PRIORITIES
Most people treat all tasks the same.
“Reply to email” sits next to “Write quarterly strategy” on your to-do list. Both get a checkbox. Both feel equally urgent.
But they’re not.
One takes 2 minutes. The other shapes the next 90 days.
Treating them as equals is why you finish your day exhausted but not accomplished.
You did 30 things. None of them moved the needle.
You were busy, not effective.
THE PRIORITY PYRAMID
Think of your priorities in three levels:
LEVEL 1: THE TOP (Your 3 Non-Negotiables)
These are the things that, if you accomplished nothing else, would make the year successful.
Not 10 things. Not 7.
Three.
For me right now:
Grow this newsletter to 1,000 subscribers
Create The Simplicity Toolkit
Stay healthy (gym 4x/week)
That’s it. That’s Level 1.
Everything I do either serves these three or it doesn’t.
LEVEL 2: THE MIDDLE (What Supports Level 1)
These are important, but only because they support your top 3.
For me:
Writing Tuesday posts (supports newsletter growth)
Daily Notes engagement (supports newsletter growth)
Meal prep Sundays and Wednesdays (supports health)
Level 2 matters. But only in the service of Level 1.
If something in Level 2 stops supporting Level 1, it drops to Level 3 or gets cut.
LEVEL 3: THE BASE (Everything Else)
This is where most of your to-do list lives.
Emails. Errands. Admin. Maintenance. The “it would be nice if...” tasks.
Level 3 isn’t unimportant. But it’s not what moves your life forward.
The rule: Level 3 gets time only after Level 1 and 2 are handled. Most people do this backwards. They spend all day on Level 3, then wonder why they’re not making progress.
WHY THIS WORKS
The pyramid forces a hard truth: you can’t prioritize everything.
When someone asks you to do something, you filter it:
1. Does this serve my Level 1 priorities?
- Yes → Which one? How? Move to Level 2.
- No → Move to Level 3 or say no.
2. Is this more important than what I’m currently doing?
- Yes → Do it now.
- No → Schedule for later (or never).
This isn’t about being ruthless. It’s about being clear.
You have limited time and energy. The pyramid helps you spend both on what actually matters.
REAL EXAMPLE (YESTERDAY)
Level 1 task: Write this newsletter post (supports subscriber growth)
Level 2 tasks:
→ Reply to 10 comments on Notes
→ Read 5 newsletters in my niche
Level 3 tasks:
→ Update LinkedIn profile
→ Clean email inbox
→ Research new productivity tools
→ Call about car insurance
What I did:
→ Spent 2 hours on Level 1 (this post)
→ Spent 30 minutes on Level 2 (engagement)
→ Spent 20 minutes on Level 3 (car insurance only)
What I skipped:
→ LinkedIn update (nice-to-have, not urgent)
→ Inbox cleaning (maintenance, can wait)
→ Tool research (shiny object, doesn’t serve Level 1)
Result: Made real progress on what matters. Didn’t feel guilty about what I skipped.
HOW TO BUILD YOUR PYRAMID (TODAY)
Step 1: Identify Your Level 1 (10 minutes)
What are the 3 things that, if you accomplished them this year, would make the year successful?
Not your entire life plan. Not 20 goals. Three.
Write them down.
Step 2: Map Your Level 2 (10 minutes)
What activities directly support your Level 1?
For each Level 1 priority, list 2-3 supporting activities.
Example:
- Level 1: Grow newsletter
- Level 2: Write weekly, engage on Notes, optimize SEO
Step 3: Recognize Your Level 3 (5 minutes)
Look at your current to-do list.
Everything that doesn’t fit Level 1 or 2? That’s Level 3.
You don’t eliminate it. You just stop treating it as equal to what actually matters.
Step 4: Filter Everything Through It (Ongoing)
Every time someone asks for your time:
- What level is this?
- Does it serve Level 1?
- Is it more important than what I’m doing now?
If not, say no or schedule for later.
WHAT ABOUT EVERYTHING ELSE?
“But I have 47 things I need to do!”
No, you don’t.
You have 3 things you need to do (Level 1).
You have 5-10 things that support those 3 (Level 2).
Everything else is noise.
The pyramid doesn’t mean you ignore Level 3 forever. It means you do it after Level 1 and 2 are handled.
Most people never get to Level 1 because they’re drowning in Level 3.
Flip that.
BOTTOM LINE
You can’t do everything.
The Priority Pyramid helps you do what matters.
Three levels:
→ Level 1: Your 3 non-negotiables
→ Level 2: What supports those 3
→ Level 3: Everything else
Filter everything through it.
When someone asks for your time, you’ll know instantly: What level is this?
If it’s not Level 1 or 2, the answer is probably no.
Try this today:
Write down your 3 Level 1 priorities. That’s it. Just three.
Then look at your calendar for this week.
How much time are you spending on Level 1 vs Level 3?
If the answer bothers you, you know what to fix.
Hit reply and tell me your Level 1. I read every response.
- Josh
P.S. Want all my frameworks in one place? The Simplicity Toolkit drops in a few weeks. Decision Filter + Priority Pyramid + 15-Minute Rule + more systems. Stay tuned.
Are you new to the Needs Coffee Newsletter by Josh? Check out these other articles!
Eisenhower matrix also good for priorities delivery.