1. Backlog Audit

1. Ask the user to dump everything in their backlog—ideas, someday tasks, projects, learning goals, all of it.
   • Example: "List everything in your backlog: Projects you want to start, skills to learn, books to read, tasks you've been putting off—everything."
2. Ask the user how long these items have been sitting—what's recent vs. been there for months or years?
   • Example: "How old is each item? What did you add this month vs. what's been lingering for 6+ months?"
3. Ask the user about current priorities and goals—what matters most right now?
   • Example: "What are your top 3 focus areas or goals for the next 3-6 months?"
4. Ask the user about their realistic capacity—how much time do they have for backlog work?
   • Example: "Beyond current commitments, how much time per week could you dedicate to backlog items—2 hours, 5 hours, 10 hours?"

2. Ruthless Filtering

Step 1: Eliminate the Dead Weight

Delete If:

• No longer relevant: Context changed, not applicable anymore
• Someone else should do: Not your responsibility
• No longer interested: "Shoulds" not genuine wants
• Permanently low priority: Been "someday" for 2+ years
• Duplicate or redundant: Overlap with other items

Archive If:

• Interesting but not aligned with current goals
• May be relevant later (review annually)
• Don't want to lose idea but not active

Result: Backlog shrinks by 30-50% typically

Step 2: Reality Check

For remaining items, ask:

• Do I really want this? (Honest gut check)
• Does this serve my goals? (Alignment test)
• Will I realistically do this? (Capacity reality)
• Is this my problem to solve? (Ownership clarity)

3. Prioritization Framework

ICE Scoring:

Rate each backlog item (1-10) on:

Impact: How much will completing this matter?

• 10: Transformational, game-changing
• 7-9: Significant positive impact
• 4-6: Moderate benefit
• 1-3: Nice but not meaningful

Confidence: How sure are you this will deliver expected value?

• 10: Proven approach, certain outcome
• 7-9: High confidence based on evidence
• 4-6: Moderate confidence, some assumptions
• 1-3: Low confidence, experimental

Ease: How easy is it to complete?

• 10: Very easy, quick, few obstacles
• 7-9: Straightforward with some effort
• 4-6: Moderate complexity or time
• 1-3: Difficult, time-intensive, many barriers

ICE Score = (Impact + Confidence + Ease) / 3

Sort by highest score = best ROI opportunities

Alternative: RICE Scoring (Adds Reach)

If items affect others:

• Reach: How many people benefit? (# of people)
• RICE = (Reach × Impact × Confidence) / Effort

4. Categorization

Organize Backlog Into Buckets:

Now (Next 30 Days):

• High ICE score
• Aligned with current goals
• Dependencies ready
• Capacity available
• Move to active todo list

Next (30-90 Days):

• Good ICE score
• Important but not urgent
• May need prep or resources first
• Review monthly for promotion to Now

Later (90+ Days):

• Lower scores or not yet relevant
• Good ideas for future
• May become priority later
• Review quarterly

Someday/Maybe:

• Low scores but don't want to delete
• Might be interesting eventually
• No commitment to do
• Review annually, most get deleted

Archive:

• Completed items (for reference)
• No longer relevant (keep for history)
• Might resurrect later

5. Action Planning

For "Now" Items:

Create Project Plan:

1. Define done: What's the completion criteria?
2. Break down: What are the tasks?
3. Estimate time: How long will it take?
4. Schedule: When will you work on this?
5. Resources: What do you need?
6. First step: What's the immediate next action?

Capacity Check:

• Total hours for all "Now" items: [X]
• Available capacity: [Y hours]
• Feasibility: X < Y ? (If no, move some to "Next")

Weekly Backlog Time:

• Block 2-5 hours per week for backlog work
• Fixed time (e.g., Friday afternoons, Sunday mornings)
• Protected, recurring
• Work on highest-priority items

For "Next" and "Later" Items:

Minimum Viable Action:

• Not ready to fully commit, but keep warm
• Spend 15-30 min exploring
• Research, outline, or small experiment
• Validates interest and feasibility

6. Backlog Hygiene

Weekly Review (10 min):

• Did you work on backlog items this week?
• Any completed? (Move to done, celebrate!)
• Any new items to add?
• Quick priority check (anything urgent?)

Monthly Deep Clean (30 min):

• Review all "Now" items: Still priorities?
• Promote items from "Next" if capacity opened
• Delete items lost relevance
• Update ICE scores if context changed
• Reorder based on current goals

Quarterly Audit (60 min):

• Major backlog overhaul
• Align with updated goals
• Archive completed items
• Delete dead weight aggressively
• Reset "Now" list fresh

Annual Reset:

• Review entire backlog
• Delete 50%+ (be ruthless)
• Major reprioritization
• Align with new year goals

7. Decision-Making Speed

The 2-Minute Rule:

• If backlog item takes <2 minutes, do it now
• Stop tracking it, just complete it
• Clears minor items instantly

The Hell Yeah or No Rule:

• Only commit to things that excite you
• "Hell yeah!" = Yes
• "Yeah, maybe, it's okay" = No
• Protects capacity for what truly matters

The 2-Year Test:

• Been in backlog for 2+ years?
• Realistically, will you EVER do it?
• If honest answer is no, delete it
• Liberating to let go

8. Deliverables

Cleaned Backlog:

• Dead items removed (30-50% deletion)
• Remaining items categorized (Now/Next/Later/Someday)
• Each item with ICE score
• Sorted by priority

Now List (Active):

• Top 5-10 items only
• Each with project plan
• Scheduled time blocks
• Clear next actions

Backlog Dashboard: | Item | Category | ICE Score | Time Estimate | Target Date | Status | |------|----------|-----------|---------------|-------------|--------| | Learn Spanish | Next | 7.5 | 100h | Q2 | Not Started | | Write book | Now | 8.5 | 200h | Ongoing | 25% |

Review Schedule:

• Weekly: 10-min check-in (Fridays)
• Monthly: 30-min deep clean (1st of month)
• Quarterly: 60-min audit (Jan/Apr/Jul/Oct)
• Annual: 90-min reset (January)

Decision Templates:

• ICE scoring worksheet
• Keep/Delete criteria
• Promotion decision matrix
• Archive protocol

Progress Tracking:

• Items completed this month/quarter/year
• Backlog size trend (growing or shrinking?)
• Completion rate
• Time spent on backlog work

Present comprehensive backlog management system with ruthless filtering, prioritization framework, categorization structure, and regular review processes to maintain a clean, actionable backlog aligned with current goals and capacity.