Calibrate review depth to your current context

Match the depth of the weekly review to what the week actually calls for — short when the system is current, deeper when life has been chaotic.

Why it works

A rigid 90-minute review structure discourages completion when time is short; a rushed review skips the steps that matter most. Calibrating depth preserves the most essential steps (inbox clearance, project next-action check) as the minimum viable review while allowing the full ritual when context permits. This applies a Pareto principle to the review itself: the minimum viable review preserves 80% of the system-maintenance benefit.

How to do it

1. Define your minimum viable review: inbox to zero + every project has a next action. This takes 30–40 minutes.
2. Define your standard review: minimum viable + higher-altitude check + someday/maybe + mind sweep. This takes 90 minutes.
3. When time is limited, do the minimum viable rather than skipping entirely.
4. When the system has been neglected (after travel, illness, or a crunch), allow extra time — 2 hours — to recapture.

Evidence

Minimum viable versions of beneficial practices (two-minute rule, minimum effective dose) consistently outperform all-or-nothing approaches in habit research. A shortened review that maintains the core steps preserves system integrity far better than a skipped review. (mechanistic)

Minimum viable reviews can become a permanent substitute for the full review if they feel "good enough," which degrades system quality over time. They are emergency maintenance, not the design standard.

Common mistake

Skipping the review entirely when time is short rather than doing the 30-minute minimum — which allows the system to degrade from one week to the next.