Stop wondering. Know exactly what to do with every task.
The "2-minute rule" from David Allen's Getting Things Done methodology suggests handling tasks under 2 minutes immediately. But is that always right for YOU? This tool analyzes your specific task across urgency, importance, complexity, and your work style to give you a personalized decision: Do It Now, Delegate It, Batch It Later, or Skip It.
Research shows that task-switching costs 23-47 minutes of refocused attention per interruption. Sometimes the "right" answer isn't speed — it's strategy. Whether you're a knowledge worker juggling deep work, a manager handling dozens of requests, or an ops professional with high-volume tasks, this engine calibrates to your role and goals.
Describe your task in 30 seconds. Get a decision in 1 second. Spend your time on what actually matters.
The "2-minute rule" from David Allen's Getting Things Done is elegant: if it takes less than 2 minutes, do it now instead of adding it to your list. The logic is sound — tracking overhead often exceeds execution time. But research by Gloria Mark at UC Irvine (2008-2020) shows task-switching costs 23-47 minutes of refocused attention per interruption. That means a "2-minute email" might actually cost you 30+ minutes of lost focus.
The optimal decision isn't always "fastest" — it's "best for your goals." For knowledge workers doing deep analysis, switching costs are catastrophic. For operations managers, a queue of small tasks makes sense to batch and process. This tool factors in your role, current context, energy level, and task characteristics to give you the decision that maximizes both productivity and work quality.
DO IT NOW: High urgency + importance, or quick + low switching cost + no deep work. Gets it off your mental load immediately and prevents it from becoming a bottleneck.
DELEGATE IT: Others depend on it but it's not urgent, and you have someone who can own it. Frees your cognitive resources for work only you can do. (This assumes you have delegation authority.)
BATCH IT LATER: Medium priority, moderate time, or high context-switching cost. Group similar tasks — 10 emails, 5 admin items, 3 approvals — and process them in a dedicated work block. Research shows batching increases efficiency by 40-60% over random task-switching.
SKIP IT: Low urgency, low importance, no dependencies. Ruthlessly eliminating low-value work is as important as prioritizing high-value work. Ask: "What happens if I don't do this?" If the answer is "nothing important," skip it.
Knowledge Workers (writers, designers, analysts): Switching costs are brutal. A 2-minute task interrupting 90-minute deep work is actually a 32-minute loss. Batch ruthlessly. Protect deep work time.
Managers: You balance delegation, decisions, and team needs. High-dependency tasks often need immediate attention even if they\'re small — your answer unblocks others. Delegate low-priority items to your team rather than doing them yourself.
Operations/High-Volume Roles: You handle many similar tasks. Switching costs are lower because context is consistent. Process in batches by type. The 2-minute rule applies more directly here.
Executives: Your time is the scarcest resource. Almost everything should be delegated, batched, or skipped unless it\'s a strategic decision only you can make. Protect your decision-making bandwidth.
Quick answers to common questions