From the Codex //016: Project Management 101 for Entrepreneurs: Introducing The Priority Flow Framework
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Learn how to structure your epics, projects, and tasks using the Priority Flow Framework so scaling stops feeling like chaos.
Introduction: Why Project Management Is the Missing Link in Brand Growth
In last week’s article, From Chaos to Clarity: How to See Your Business Like a CEO, we uncovered why so many entrepreneurs get stuck in survival mode:
Starting five projects at once and never finishing any.
Dropping half-complete offers into the world that don’t convert.
Struggling to post consistently, so your audience forgets about you.
Watching your income flatline month after month while other leaders seem to scale effortlessly.
Last week’s article showed how breaking your ideas into epics, projects, and tasks creates clarity and direction and introduces you into the world of project mangement in your business.
This article, Part 2, takes the next step. Because once you know how to structure your projects, the real question becomes: When do I work on this? And when should I set it aside for later?
The answer lies in the Priority Flow Framework.
The Leadership Mindset Behind Project Management
At its core, project management isn’t just about tasks, it’s about self-leadership.
Disorganization erodes trust. If you’re scattered, your team feels confused and your audience senses instability.
Intuition + structure is the sweet spot. Systems don’t suffocate your creativity, they give it a reliable flow.
The Saboteur Archetype. Many intuitive entrepreneurs fall into self-sabotage: chasing shiny ideas, abandoning projects mid-way, and burning out. This isn’t about lack of worthiness or motivation, it’s all about lack of structure.
Leaders who integrate project management stop this sabotage cycle. They lead themselves with clarity, which makes them more magnetic to clients, collaborators, and opportunities because they create stability within themselves and in their business, and the world resonates to that stability.
Breaking Down Projects Like a Thought Leader
Last week, we unpacked the three core layers of project management: epics, projects, and tasks.
Epics → long-term brand-defining initiatives (like launching a podcast or signature course).
Projects → shorter focus blocks (like building a funnel or hosting a launch event).
Tasks → small, specific actions that keep projects moving forward.
But here’s the catch: not every inspired idea belongs in the “I need to work on this Right Now” category. Getting an idea doesn’t mean you need to execute on it in the same season. Ideas that aren’t ‘for now’ aren’t bad or misaligned, they’re simply waiting for the right time to serve your bigger vision.
👉 The biggest misconception I see in intuitive-led entrepreneurs is this: the moment inspiration strikes, they feel an overwhelming urgency to act on it, even at the cost of abandoning projects that are 80% finished just to chase the next spark. This cycle keeps them stuck in a loop of half-completed work, inconsistent offers, and stalled income.
This is where the Priority Flow Framework comes in.
The Priority Flow Framework: Organize and Prioritize with Ease
The Priority Flow Framework is a simple but powerful way to organize your ideas, projects, and tasks without overwhelm. Instead of letting inspiration pull you in ten different directions, this framework helps you see when something should be acted on, and when it should wait.
Think of all the tasks and projects on your plate right now. Some are urgent and tied directly to your current goals, while others are exciting ideas that belong in a future season. The challenge for most intuitive entrepreneurs is that they treat everything as if it needs to happen immediately, leading to scattered energy, abandoned projects, and inconsistent results.
👉 If you need a refresher on how to separate epics, projects, and tasks, revisit last week’s article: From Chaos to Clarity: How to See Your Business Like a CEO. That framework laid the foundation for understanding the different “layers” of your work.
Now, the next step is learning how to place those layers in time, ie: understanding the relevancy of each idea in relation to your current objectives. That’s where the Priority Flow Framework comes in.
Right Now
This is the shortest time horizon of the Priority Flow Framework, the place for what needs your immediate energy.
Timeline: Now through the next 3–5 days.
Focus: The single epic you’ve committed to this quarter.
Rule: Every project and task in this category should directly connect back to your core epic of the quarter. If you find your Right Now list cluttered with tasks tied to an epic that isn’t your #1 priority, and then wonder why you’re not making the progress you expected, this is exactly why.
Think of Right Now as your non-negotiables: the work that moves the needle on your epic and can’t be postponed without slowing your growth. This includes things like:
Sending the final sales emails for your launch (project step).
Filming a webinar you’ve committed to (project step).
Writing captions for this week’s Instagram content (task).
The danger many intuitive entrepreneurs fall into is cluttering the Right Now column with every single idea that pops into their head. That’s what creates overwhelm. Instead, ask:
👉 “Does this task or project directly serve the epic I’m focused on this quarter? And does this task need to be completed right now?”
Up Next
These are the tasks and projects that need to be done very soon, but aren’t urgent.
Timeline: Within the next 5/7→ 14 days (they become Right Now once urgent work is cleared).
Focus: Preparing for what’s immediately ahead, so you don’t get blindsided when deadlines hit.
Rule: If it’s something you’ll need in the next week to keep your current epic moving, it belongs here. It’s also the place for “prep work” that clears the path for projects sitting in your In Queue, so when it’s their turn, you’re already set up for success. (Example: define content topics for next month to prepare for next week’s content creation day.)
Examples:
Drafting sales emails for a launch that starts next week.
Creating graphics that need to be scheduled and ready for posting next week.
Recording a podcast episode that’s scheduled to drop soon.
Sending content to a designer so they have lead time for their sprint.
Drafting copy for a sales page that will be designed after this week’s content is finished.
Prepping a client onboarding process you’ll activate once your launch wraps.
👉 Warning Sign: If you skip your Up Next list, you’ll constantly feel like you’re putting out fires because you never prepped in advance.
Think of Up Next as the buffer between planning ahead and staying reactive.
In Queue
These are the projects and tasks that are important for completing your epic, but not yet ready for your focus. They typically depend on something else being finished first, or simply don’t become relevant until later in the quarter.
Think of this category as your “not yet” list; work that belongs in your epic, but only after your current “Right Now” and “Up Next” priorities are complete.
Timeline: Anything you expect to tackle beyond the next 1–2 weeks, but within the next 90 days.
Examples:
Building an evergreen sales page that will only matter once your funnel copy is finished.
Outlining a future launch event while you’re still completing the current offer delivery.
Creating bonus course content that depends on your core modules being filmed first.
Rule: If it isn’t directly actionable until other projects or tasks are complete, it belongs in “In Queue.”
General Rules of Flow:
1 core epic per 90 days.
All projects must feed the epic.
Tasks must move projects forward, otherwise, they’re purely busywork.
Keep a limited amount of projects and tasks within “Right Now” and “Up Next”
Example:
Epic: Launching your signature course.
Projects: Curriculum design, funnel setup, launch event, create content calendar
Tasks: Write 1 lesson, build 1 landing page, schedule an IG live.
With this system, you avoid the chaos of juggling a dozen half-finished ideas and instead, create momentum through completion.
Scaling with Structure and Flow
Scaling doesn’t happen by “doing more.” It happens by doing the right things in the right order, and that’s exactly what the Priority Flow Framework creates for you.
When my clients have applied this framework, they:
Shift from inconsistent months high and low figure months → predictable income, because their focus compounds and their audience see’s them as dependable
Build authority through consistent, high-quality delivery instead of half-finished ideas
Lead teams (and clients) with clarity, because priorities are obvious and everyone knows where energy is going
And here’s the deeper truth: self-organization isn’t just a productivity hack. It’s a form of influence. The way you prioritize and execute projects is the same way you hold space for clients, students, or your community. When you master structure and flow in your own business, you embody the kind of leadership that inspires others to trust and follow you.
Next Steps: Applying the Priority Flow Framework
Clarity + structure = freedom to scale.
If you’re tired of juggling ideas that never quite land, the Priority Flow Framework gives you a clear way forward. When you apply it consistently, you move from overwhelm into momentum, without burning out or second-guessing every decision.
Step 1: If you missed Part 1, go back and read From Chaos to Clarity: How to See Your Business Like a CEO. It lays the foundation for breaking down your big vision into epics, projects, and tasks.
Step 2: Apply the Priority Flow Framework to your current projects. Sort everything into Right Now, Up Next, In Queue and notice how much energy frees up when you stop treating every idea as urgent.
Step 3: If you’re ready to scale into six figures and beyond, join Aesteria Academia. It’s where intuitive entrepreneurs, thought leaders, and creators learn to blend flow with proven business systems, so you stop sabotaging yourself and finally lead with both vision and structure.
That's a wrap on this week's article. From the Codex drops every Thursday; straight from my desk to yours. Join the list here so you never miss your next power move.
