Intriguing article!
I suspect you do follow a kind of matrix, maybe it does not quite fit into the Eisenhower model, but it is not just two categories. Let me take a crack at it, and see if you think I am framing things well for you:
First, just as you do, lets split activities into optional and non-optional. Even the non-optional activities are graded by urgency, and I suspect you do indeed use this gradation to prioritize your non-optional activities very my like Eisenhower. e.g. you get the test ready for tomorrow class, before reviewing that paper because of its temporal urgency.
Now among the optional activities I suspect you make a separate (non-Eisenhower-like) split. Between philic and phobic activities (hey I am talking to a bio guy ;-) ) Both of these categories are infinite in size. There is really no end to the set of optional things one might do as an academic, but some of these "phobic" activities are NOT FUN, they don't recharge you, indeed they often are significantly harder than the non-optional work one must do. These require discipline to push oneself to do them, yet you must do this sometimes as some of these things tend to be things that might really move the needle on ones career.
And of course there are "philic" optional activities. These are the things that one tends to do w/o thinking. In this area one also executes a bit of discipline. Doom scrolling TikTok can be "philic" but is less likely to add value, than say chatting with the new Research staff member over lunch. So a bit of strategy is needed here too, but much less as all of the activities one is naturally inclined towards.
For me, (and I suspect maybe you too) it is important to force oneself to put energy into important-phobic-optional activities. If one were to mindlessly execute the Shuffle one would never engage in these important-phobic-optional actives, and that would be a great loss.
As you note the list of optional tasks is unbounded, so one can only commit to a few phobic tasks, but it seems even the mildly ambitious professional must explicitly plan for this category.
How does this fit with your own planning and execution?
