20% Priority Filter
Find the few weekly priorities that create most of the business value
- Difficulty
- Starter
- Time to result
- ~days to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 97%
The 20% Priority Filter applies the Pareto principle to a concrete weekly workload. The user first writes down every meeting, message, report, proposal, and commitment on paper. Each item is then tested against a high bar: does this activity belong to the small set capable of driving most of the week's business results? Items that fail are skipped; qualifying items receive a star. The user then chooses the one starred activity that would create the most value if nothing else were completed. AI is introduced only after this prioritization, either to improve the chosen activity or remove lower-value work. The framework prevents sophisticated tools from being wasted on trivial outputs and shifts attention from busyness toward revenue, profit, retention, customer outcomes, or another measurable result.
Origin
Extracted from BigDeal, where Geoff Woods explains the analog method he uses to prioritize his own life and identify transformative AI use cases.
Core principles
- 01A small share of work creates most results
- 02Strategic value matters more than visible activity
- 03A priority must clear a deliberately high bar
- 04The best AI use cases begin with consequential work
- 05One highest-value priority should lead the week
How to run it
- 1
Inventory the week
Write every expected activity on paper, including meetings, email, calls, messages, proposals, and reports. Do not prioritize while collecting.
- 2
Apply the high-value test
Review each item and ask whether it represents a 20% priority capable of driving 80% of the results. Skip anything that does not meet that high standard.
- 3
Mark the leverage points
Place a star beside each activity that genuinely passes the test. The marked set represents the focused work you should do rather than all the work you could do.
- 4
Select the one
Ask which starred activity would deliver the most business value if it were the only one completed this week. Mark it as number one.
- 5
Apply AI selectively
Determine whether AI can improve the top priority or remove a burdensome lower-value process. Measure whether the application changes a real outcome.
In the wild
A founder lists 24 commitments and finds that only three directly affect a critical customer renewal. The founder marks those three, selects the renewal strategy as the week's number-one priority, and uses CRIT to stress-test the negotiation plan.
→ Attention and AI support concentrate on the result with the largest near-term business impact.
Common mistakes
Confusing urgency with leverage
A crowded inbox or imminent meeting can feel important even when it contributes little to the desired result.
Automating before prioritizing
Automating low-value work can increase output without improving the business.
Marking too many priorities
Treating most of the list as high leverage preserves the original overload instead of creating focus.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for leaders and knowledge workers who have many competing tasks and need to identify high-leverage priorities or AI applications.
Not ideal for
It is not ideal when every task is a mandatory compliance, safety, or operational obligation that cannot be deprioritized.
From the transcript
“I would write down everything you have to do this week. Everything. Meetings, email, phone calls, Slack, proposals, board report, like ever.”
“Does this single item represent a 20% priority that's going to drive 80% of the results in my business?”
“And then I ask the question if I can only do one of them this week, what is the one that is actually going to…”
From the episode
How to Use AI to Make Money, Grow Your Business, and Be More Productive