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Frameworks5 steps1 template

Decide what to automate first

Score every repeating task on three questions, then automate the winners, not the shiny ones.

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You’ll get
A ranked list of tasks to automate, delegate or delete.
Best for
Founders and operators drowning in small repeating tasks.
Time
45 minutes
Level
Starter

Tools: A spreadsheet · Last week’s calendar and to-do list

Overview

The tasks people automate first are usually the interesting ones, not the valuable ones. This framework flips that: it ranks work by how boring, frequent and safe it is, so the first automation pays off immediately.

5 steps · 45 minutes

The steps

  1. Step 1: List every repeating task

    15 min

    Go through last week’s calendar, inbox and to-do list. Write down every task you do more than once a month, however small.

  2. Step 2: Score each task from 1 to 5

    15 min

    Three questions, one score each. Add them up.

    • Boring: would anyone miss doing it?
    • Frequent: how often does it happen?
    • Safe: how small is the damage if it goes wrong while you learn?

  3. Step 3: Add the time it takes

    5 min

    Estimate minutes per month for each task. Multiply by the score to see where the real leverage is.

  4. Step 4: Sort into automate, delegate or delete

    10 min

    High score and rule-based: automate. High score but needs judgement: delegate it with an SOP. Low value: stop doing it.

    Tip: Deleting a task is the fastest automation there is.

  5. Step 5: Run the top task up the ladder

    Take the winner through do, document, standardise, automate. Only then pick the next one.

Before you call it done

The checklist

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