Six Horizons of Focus
Review commitments at the level and cadence each one requires
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time to result
- ~ongoing to results
- Steps
- 7
- Confidence
- 95%
The Six Horizons of Focus separates commitments into purpose, vision, goals and objectives, areas of accountability, projects, and actions. The hierarchy prevents a single undifferentiated task list from mixing daily execution with questions about direction and responsibility. After identifying the content at each level, review it at the cadence required to remain appropriately engaged. A calendar may need inspection several times a day, a project list may suit a weekly reset, and longer-range possibilities may need attention only every few weeks. The method does not impose one universal review interval. Instead, the type of commitment determines how frequently it must return to attention, allowing both immediate work and higher-level choices to remain current without forcing the mind to remember them continuously.
Origin
David Allen identifies six horizons for reviewing commitments within Getting Things Done. Extracted from Modern Wisdom.
Core principles
- 01Commitments exist at multiple levels of abstraction
- 02Each horizon needs its own content and review rhythm
- 03Review frequency follows the nature of the commitment
- 04Higher-level direction and immediate action belong in one coherent inventory
How to run it
- 1
Define Purpose
Identify the underlying reason for the work or life direction. Use it as the highest-level reference for the other horizons.
Watch out Do not expect this horizon to require the same review frequency as daily commitments.
- 2
Describe Vision
Describe the future state you want to create. Keep it distinct from nearer-term goals and current projects.
- 3
Set Goals and Objectives
Name the outcomes that translate the vision into nearer-term targets. Review them often enough to influence project choices.
- 4
Map Areas of Accountability
List the ongoing responsibilities that must be maintained rather than completed once. Use them to expose neglected areas that repeatedly return to mind.
Pro tip Create a checklist when a responsibility begins to surface repeatedly.
Watch out Do not misclassify an ongoing standard as a project with a finish line.
- 5
List Projects
Identify the active outcomes that require more than one action. Keep them visible during periodic regrouping.
Pro tip Use a weekly review to bring the rear guard up and make the project inventory current.
- 6
Identify Actions
Maintain the physical, visible actions that move current projects and responsibilities forward. Review action contexts as often as needed to choose confidently.
Pro tip Inspect fast-changing contexts more frequently than higher horizons.
- 7
Set Review Cadences
Decide how often each horizon and list must be seen to remain trusted. Adjust the cadence to the commitment rather than forcing every level into a weekly schedule.
Pro tip Use repeated thoughts about an area as evidence that its current review cadence may be too slow.
Watch out Waiting too long can erase the context needed to interpret earlier notes.
In the wild
A person may check a detailed calendar several times in one day, regroup active projects weekly, and inspect a someday-maybe list every two to four weeks. The intervals differ because each inventory carries a different commitment and rate of change.
→ Each horizon returns to attention often enough to stay useful without creating unnecessary review work.
A business owner separately reviews why the company exists, the future it is pursuing, its goals, ongoing accountabilities, active projects, and next actions. Each level can then inform the levels below it instead of being mixed into one task list.
→ Daily work remains connected to strategic direction and ongoing responsibilities.
Common mistakes
Using one cadence for every horizon
A calendar, project list, and someday-maybe inventory change at different rates and should not automatically share one review interval.
Mixing every level into one list
Combining purpose, responsibilities, projects, and actions obscures what kind of thinking each commitment requires.
Reviewing after context has faded
Long gaps make it harder to reconstruct what earlier meetings or notes meant, forcing more context to be captured upfront.
Is it for you?
Best for
People who need to align daily actions, active projects, responsibilities, goals, vision, and purpose.
Not ideal for
A short, self-evident task that does not require broader planning or recurring review.
From the transcript
“there's purpose there's vision there's goals and objectives there's areas of accountability there's projects there's actions”
“whatever your commitment is about whatever the content is that that's going to define your recursion of review”
“review those as often as you need to”
From the episode
The Art Of Stress-Free Productivity - David Allen - #188
David Allen