How to prioritize what inspires you

I’ve been reading Lean Learning recently. Author Pat Flynn introduces a tool called the “Inspiration Matrix,” which is remarkably similar to the Eisenhower Matrix from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, except it drops “urgency” and sorts things by “importance” and “excitement” into four quadrants:

             ↑ Importance
  Critical   |  Passion
  Commitments|  Pursuit
  -----------+----------- → Excitement
  Junk       |  Recreation
  Spark      |  Inspiration

Each area gets a fancy name:

• Passion Pursuit: Important and exciting
• Critical Commitments: Important but boring
• Recreation Inspiration: Not important but exciting
• Junk Spark: Not important and boring

And then? Nothing.

The author says: “After categorizing, you can reflect on which quadrant things fall into and think about how to improve.”

I wrote a big “NO!” in my notes.

That’s like a doctor diagnosing you with an illness and then sending you home. Categorization is just step one—what matters is what to do next! Doctor, please, I’m sick, can you give me some medicine?

The Eisenhower Matrix from The 7 Habits also divides things into four quadrants (Important × Urgent), but at least it tells you:

• Important and urgent: Do now
• Important not urgent: Schedule
• Not important but urgent: Delegate/Decline
• Not important and not urgent: Delete

Simple and clear. I still remember it.

So I wasn’t expecting much from this book anymore, ready to skim through it as just another self-help read. BUT! The Inspiration Matrix itself is innocent! I think it has potential.

So I’ve decided to rescue it and complete the action list that the author of Lean Learning left unfinished.

The PACE Framework

I’ve reorganized the four quadrants into PACE (which conveniently also means rhythm), ditching those flashy but useless names. Here’s the result:

             ↑ Importance
  Grind Zone |  Strike Zone
  Animate    |  Prioritize
  -----------+----------- → Excitement
  Dead Zone  |  Temptation Zone
  Eliminate  |  Control

Here’s what to do in each quadrant:

P - Prioritize (Sprint First)

High Importance × High Excitement = Strike Zone

This is your sweet spot. Like the new app I’m developing right now—it excites me and can bring in revenue (hopefully).

Strategy: Strike while the iron is hot, go all in. But quickly build a positive feedback loop, or that initial enthusiasm will fizzle out. I schedule these tasks for mornings when my energy is highest.

A - Animate (Make It Fun)

High Importance × Low Excitement = Grind Zone

Exercise, taxes, fixing bugs in old apps. These things are important but incredibly boring.

Strategy: Gamify them. When I exercise, I pretend I’m leveling up—every kilometer is a monster defeated. When doing taxes, I play my favorite music and reward myself with a nice meal afterward. The point is: no matter how boring, it still needs to get done.

C - Control (Enjoy in Moderation)

Low Importance × High Excitement = Temptation Zone

Netflix, mobile games, scrolling Reddit. These things make me super happy and give me lots of inspiration, but doing too much doesn’t help my long-term goals.

Strategy: Set fixed times and time limits. For me, no mobile games or social media apps on my phone—if I want to use them, I use the crappy web versions. I’ve also installed blockers on my computer (like ColdTurkey). These things are important for decompression and sparking inspiration, but do too much and at 80, lying on your deathbed, you won’t be thinking “Wow, I watched so many shows in my lifetime!”

E - Eliminate (Just Say No)

Low Importance × Low Excitement = Dead Zone

Obligatory dinners, pointless meetings, writing free code for acquaintances.

Strategy: Learn to say no. This isn’t even a “Hell Yeah or No” situation—it’s just No. I now say: “Sorry, I’m focused on a project right now and don’t have time.” Simple, direct, no need for elaborate explanations.

Become a Master of Heat Control

How’s that? Looks better now, right?

It reminds me of rhythm games I used to love, where you’d have a Fever meter. When it’s burning hot, you need to score as much as possible; when cooling down, maintain rhythm and wait for the next wave.

Life is the same. When you’re passionate about something important, don’t waste that energy. When passion wanes, you need other ways to maintain momentum.

Most importantly: those addictive but unimportant things—games, social media, endless YouTube videos—be especially careful. They’re like sugar: feels great going down, but too much is bad for you.

Just PACE yourself!