What Is the 0–10 Rule?
The 0–10 Rule is a decision-making and time management framework I developed, deeply rooted in my proprietary leadership methodology that includes tools like the Decision Scale and Time Anchoring. This rule invites you to rate any task, decision, or commitment on a scale from 0 to 10 based on how aligned it is with your top three Outcome Anchors—the goals that drive your leadership forward in both business and life. A low score means it’s a distraction. A high score means it deserves your full energy and focus. The power of the 0–10 Rule lies in its simplicity and its ability to convert complexity into confident, immediate action. to help leaders cut through noise and prioritize with absolute clarity. This rule invites you to rate any task, decision, or commitment on a scale from 0 to 10 based on how aligned it is with your top three Outcome Anchors—the goals that drive your leadership forward in both business and life. A low score means it’s a distraction. A high score means it deserves your full energy and focus. The power of the 0–10 Rule lies in its simplicity and its ability to convert complexity into confident, immediate action.
Why This Rule Works: Focus on What Matters
Leaders are constantly bombarded with decisions, tasks, and competing priorities. Without a simple, reliable system to evaluate them, even the most strategic minds get stuck in indecision or trapped in busywork. The 0–10 Rule works because it strips away ambiguity and offers a fast, emotional-to-logical filter that reinforces outcome-based action. It interrupts overthinking and replaces it with a values-driven scoring system that keeps your time, energy, and attention aligned with what truly moves the needle. This is not just a productivity tool—it’s a clarity tool.
Pros and Cons of the 0–10 Rule
The biggest advantage of the 0–10 Rule is that it gives leaders a common language and framework for ruthless prioritization. It’s objective, fast, and adaptable to everything from daily to-do lists to million-dollar strategic choices. However, its simplicity can also be a challenge for those who are used to justifying every task or overvaluing urgency. The key is consistency—when applied daily, the rule sharpens judgment, eliminates friction, and builds decision-making confidence. The downside? You’ll have to get comfortable letting go of the good to make room for the great.
How to Effectively Use the 0–10 Rule in Daily Life
Step-by-Step: Applying the Rule to Your To-Do List
Start by writing down all the tasks competing for your attention. Then, for each one, ask: On a scale from 0 to 10, how aligned is this with my Outcome Anchors? Assign a score. Anything below a 7 should be delegated, delayed, or deleted. Anything 8 or higher should be scheduled, focused on, and protected. This method moves you out of emotional reactivity and into executive clarity.
Using the Rule to Clarify Big Decisions
When facing a major decision—whether it’s hiring a team member, launching a new product, or saying yes to a speaking engagement—use the 0–10 Rule to measure alignment. Ask: On a scale from 0 to 10, how much will this move me toward my strategic outcomes? If the score is below 8, pause. If it’s a 9 or 10, it’s a go. This keeps you from saying yes to things that dilute your impact.
When to Use the 0–10 Rule
Time Management
Use the rule every morning when reviewing your calendar or making your daily plan, ideally as part of your Sunday Planning Ritual and morning clarity session. Assign scores to every task and eliminate the ones that don’t serve your top priorities. It keeps your schedule lean and aligned, allowing you to stay anchored in what matters most rather than pulled by the noise of urgency.. Assign scores to every task and eliminate the ones that don’t serve your top priorities. It keeps your schedule lean and aligned.
Goal Setting
As you map out quarterly or yearly goals, use the 0–10 Rule to filter which ones deserve your full focus. This helps you avoid setting too many goals and dilutes your impact. Focus on the 9s and 10s—those are the game-changers.
Boundaries and Work-Life Balance
Use the rule to evaluate commitments outside of work as well. Is this social event, committee, or volunteer task a 9 or 10 in your life right now? If not, decline. It’s not about doing less—it’s about doing what matters more.
Examples: What Does a “10” Look Like in Real Life?
A “10” task is one that directly impacts your highest priorities and creates measurable progress. For a CEO, it might be a conversation that defines company culture. For a parent, it might be an uninterrupted dinner with your kids. For a sales leader, it’s likely a pitch to a dream client. A 10 task feels energizing, purposeful, and absolutely worth protecting. Once you know what a 10 looks like, you begin to organize your life around those moments—and that’s where transformation happens.
Improve Your Time Management Skills with the 0–10 Rule
The 0–10 Rule is not just about rating tasks—it’s about shifting your mindset from doing more to doing what matters most. It develops your ability to focus, to say no, and to act with strategic intention. Over time, this rule rewires your relationship with time. You no longer measure productivity by how many things you did, but by how many meaningful things you finished. That’s a massive shift in leadership energy and personal fulfillment.
Explore Other Time Management Techniques
Once you’ve mastered the 0–10 Rule, combine it with other proprietary tools like Outcome Anchoring, the Decision Scale, the Sunday Planning Ritual, and the 15-Minute Rule. These frameworks work synergistically, forming a complete leadership time system that maximizes focus, reduces emotional overload, and drives aligned execution across your personal and professional life. Together, they ensure you not only stay productive—but stay strategic., the Sunday Planning Ritual, and the 15-Minute Rule. These strategies work synergistically to give you control, clarity, and confidence in how you lead your time. The best time management system is the one that aligns with your leadership style, supports your goals, and adapts to real life.
Final Thoughts: The Simplicity and Power of the 0–10 Rule
The 0–10 Rule is one of the simplest yet most transformative tools a leader can use. It empowers you to make decisions faster, focus deeper, and protect your most valuable asset—your time. When you rate your commitments through the lens of what matters most, you create a life and leadership rhythm that’s deeply aligned, intentional, and fulfilling. Make this rule a daily habit. Teach it to your team. Let it become the filter that elevates how you lead, live, and grow.
When Should You Use This Rule?
The beauty of The 0-10 Rule is its versatility. Whether you’re staring at a towering to-do list, trying to make an important decision in your personal life, or what goal you should pursue, this rule can help you with all. It adapts to different scenarios and helps you in your decision-making process. It’s not a rigid system but a flexible tool ready to align with various aspects of your life.
One useful way to use it is when you’re unsure of yourself. What should you major in? Is going back to school the right option right now? Is leaving this job a good idea for me?
The 0-10 Rule is built to help you cut through the noise of what others expect of you or even your own pre-conceptions of yourself. When something is important to you, you’ll know it instantly. I always say that listening to your gut is helpful in these types of situations.
After you reflect and find out what’s important to you, it will be much clearer how your action plan should look and what you should focus your energy on.
It’s important to be honest with yourself and realistic. Not everything can be a 10.
Let’s take another example: Let’s say your 10 is having a healthy work-life balance. That means that responding to an e-mail about a project that’s not urgent or critical in your off-time doesn’t align with your 10. In this case, it’s all about communicating and enforcing boundaries to make sure you stay true to your 10.
The same goes for that important project. Your 10 is delivering high-quality work by the end of this quarter. Then, putting off the strategy or any task that is more complex in favor of doing smaller tasks won’t help you that much. When you tackle that important task, you’ll feel so much better and more confident. This will boost your mood, which in turn will help you with being productive. Getting things done feels great, but getting the right things done is amazing. Think about it.
