# Task Prioritization > Creates task prioritization frameworks using Eisenhower matrix, ICE scoring, or MoSCoW method to help entrepreneurs focus on highest-impact work. - Skill: `reaperinvest/task-prioritization` (Agent Skill) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add reaperinvest/task-prioritization` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/reaperinvest/task-prioritization/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Productivity - Author: reaperinvest (https://skillmd.com/u/reaperinvest) - Updated: 2026-09-22 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/reaperinvest/task-prioritization --- # Task Prioritization ## When to Use This Skill Use this skill when you need to: - Prioritize a backlog of tasks using a proven framework - Decide what to work on first when everything feels urgent - Create a repeatable prioritization system for weekly or daily planning - Score and rank business tasks by impact, effort, and urgency **DO NOT** use this skill for project management setup, full weekly scheduling, or delegation workflows. This is for ranking and ordering tasks by priority. --- ## Core Principle PRIORITIZATION IS NOT ABOUT DOING MORE — IT IS ABOUT IDENTIFYING THE FEW TASKS THAT MOVE THE BUSINESS FORWARD AND ELIMINATING OR DEFERRING EVERYTHING ELSE. --- ## Phase 1: Gather Collect the raw task list and context before applying any framework. ### Required Inputs | Input | What to Ask | Default | |-------|------------|---------| | **Task list** | "List every task on your plate right now — brain dump, no filtering." | No default — must be provided | | **Time horizon** | "Are we prioritizing for today, this week, or this quarter?" | This week | | **Framework preference** | "Preference: Eisenhower Matrix, ICE Scoring, or MoSCoW? Or want me to recommend?" | Recommend based on context | | **Top business goal** | "What is your single most important business goal right now?" | Revenue growth | | **Available hours** | "How many focused work hours do you realistically have in this time period?" | 20 hours/week | ### Framework Selection Logic - **Eisenhower Matrix** — best for daily/weekly prioritization when tasks vary wildly in urgency and importance - **ICE Scoring** — best for growth tasks, feature backlogs, or marketing experiments where impact matters most - **MoSCoW** — best for project scoping or quarterly planning where you need clear must-have vs. nice-to-have categories **GATE: Confirm the task list, time horizon, and framework before proceeding.** --- ## Phase 2: Categorize Apply the chosen framework to every task on the list. ### Eisenhower Matrix Sort each task into one of four quadrants: ``` ## Eisenhower Matrix | Quadrant | Label | Action | Tasks | |----------|-------|--------|-------| | Q1 | Urgent + Important | DO FIRST | [tasks] | | Q2 | Not Urgent + Important | SCHEDULE | [tasks] | | Q3 | Urgent + Not Important | DELEGATE | [tasks] | | Q4 | Not Urgent + Not Important | ELIMINATE | [tasks] | ``` Rule: If more than 30% of tasks land in Q1, the user is in reactive mode. Flag this. ### ICE Scoring Score each task 1-10 on three dimensions and calculate the average: ``` ## ICE Scores | Task | Impact (1-10) | Confidence (1-10) | Ease (1-10) | ICE Score | Rank | |------|--------------|-------------------|-------------|-----------|------| | [task] | 8 | 7 | 5 | 6.7 | 1 | ``` Rule: Explain each score briefly. Do not assign scores without rationale. ### MoSCoW Method Categorize each task into one of four groups: ``` ## MoSCoW Prioritization **Must Have** — business fails or goal is missed without these - [tasks] **Should Have** — important but workarounds exist - [tasks] **Could Have** — nice improvements, do if time permits - [tasks] **Won't Have (this period)** — explicitly deferred - [tasks] ``` Rule: Must Haves should not exceed 60% of available hours. If they do, something needs to move down. **GATE: Present the categorized/scored list and get user confirmation before creating the action plan.** --- ## Phase 3: Action Plan Convert the prioritized list into an executable sequence. ### Ordered Task List Present the final priority order with time estimates: ``` ## This Week — Priority Order | # | Task | Framework Result | Est. Time | Day | |---|------|-----------------|-----------|-----| | 1 | [task] | Q1 / ICE 8.3 / Must Have | 2 hours | Monday | | 2 | [task] | Q2 / ICE 7.0 / Must Have | 3 hours | Monday-Tuesday | ``` ### Time Budget Check Compare total estimated hours against available hours. If tasks exceed capacity: - Flag the gap explicitly ("You have 20 hours but 32 hours of Must Haves") - Recommend which tasks to defer, delegate, or shrink in scope ### Daily Top 3 If the time horizon is weekly, break it into daily top-3 lists: ``` **Monday:** 1. [task] 2. [task] 3. [task] **Tuesday:** 1. [task] 2. [task] 3. [task] ``` --- ## Phase 4: System Help the user build a repeatable prioritization habit. ### Weekly Prioritization Ritual Recommend a recurring 30-minute block (e.g., Sunday evening or Monday morning) where the user: 1. Brain dumps all tasks 2. Applies the chosen framework 3. Sets the week's top 5 4. Blocks focus time on the calendar for top 3 ### Review Questions Provide 5 end-of-week review questions to refine the system over time. --- ## Anti-Patterns - **Prioritizing by deadline only** — urgent is not the same as important. Deadline-driven prioritization keeps you reactive. - **Scoring without rationale** — ICE scores without explanation are arbitrary. Every score needs a one-line justification. - **Everything is Must Have** — if 80% of tasks are Must Haves, the framework is not being used honestly. Push back. - **Ignoring Q2 tasks** — important but not urgent work (strategy, systems, relationships) is where leverage lives. - **Re-prioritizing daily** — constant re-sorting is procrastination in disguise. Prioritize once, execute all week. --- ## Recovery - **User cannot decide between two tasks:** Ask "If you could only complete ONE of these before Friday, which moves the business further?" Force the binary choice. - **All tasks feel urgent:** Ask when each task actually has consequences if delayed. Most "urgent" tasks have soft deadlines. - **User has no clear business goal:** Pause prioritization. Help them identify a 90-day goal first — priorities cannot exist without a destination. - **Task list is overwhelming (30+ items):** Group related tasks into projects first, then prioritize at the project level before task level. - **User resists eliminating tasks:** Reframe: "You are not deleting them. You are choosing not to do them THIS week." Create a parking lot list.