---
title: "The Actions piece: commitments ranked by consequence"
url: https://thematteros.com/features/pillar_actions
updated: 2026-10-17
author: Raghav Handa
---

# The Actions piece: commitments ranked by consequence

Actions is the second piece of the Matter Method. In MatterOS it is a Notion database where every commitment has an owner, a deadline, a matter and a consequence if missed, so court dates are not tracked in the same list as personal errands. Its test: does every action have an owner, a deadline and a matter?

## Key takeaways

- Four required fields: owner, deadline, matter, consequence if missed.
- Ranking by consequence prevents the urgent from burying the serious.
- Views by owner, urgency and matter come from Notion filters.
- It does not calculate dates, send reminders by itself or sync to a court system.

## What is an action?

Anything you or someone else has committed to do on a matter: file, call, review, chase. If it has no matter, link it to an internal matter or practice-management item so it still has a home.


## The fields that matter

| Field | Rule |
| --- | --- |
| Name | Start with a verb |
| Owner | A person, never a team |
| Due date | Required |
| Matter | Required |
| Consequence if missed | Court or statutory, client, internal |
| Status | Not started, in progress, waiting, done |


## Using it daily

1. Capture at source: Add the action when the commitment is made.
2. Open Today: Filter by owner me and due on or before today.
3. Close or reschedule: Never leave overdue actions unexplained.
4. Check weekly: In the review.

- Deadlines: https://thematteros.com/features/deadlines
- Inbox and today: https://thematteros.com/features/inbox_today
- The Matter Method: https://thematteros.com/method


## Limits

The database is only as complete as you keep it. Subtasks, dependencies and reminders rely on Notion's features and your configuration.


## Common mistakes

- Using one list for court dates and errands, so everything looks equally urgent.
- Assigning actions to a team instead of a person, so nobody owns them.
- Leaving the matter blank, so the action cannot be found from the case.
- Never closing actions, so the overdue list becomes noise.

Each mistake is a filtered view away from being visible. Create views for no owner, no date and no matter, and clear them in the weekly review.


## A worked example

Suppose a client matter has three open items: a filing due Friday, a call to a witness, and a request for a bank statement. In the Actions database each is a row with the matter linked. The filing is marked as a court consequence, the witness call as client, the bank statement as internal. In your Today view the filing sorts first, even though the witness call was added earlier. Without the consequence field, all three would look the same and the order would depend on whichever you saw first.


## Views worth creating

| View | Filter | Use |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Today | Owner is me, not done, due today or earlier | Daily work |
| This week | Owner is me, due in the next seven days | Planning |
| Waiting | Status is Waiting | Chasing others |
| No owner or no date | Owner or due date is empty | Weekly clean-up |
| By matter | Grouped by matter relation | Reviewing one case |


## FAQ

### What is consequence if missed?

A field ranking how serious it is if the action is not done.

### Can an action have no matter?

Link it to an internal matter so it has a home.

### Can I assign actions to several people?

Keep one accountable owner and mention others.

### Does it sync with my calendar?

Via Notion Calendar or a calendar view.

### How do I record a court deadline?

Enter the date you have calculated yourself under the applicable rules, set the consequence to court or statutory, and note the source. The template does not calculate court dates.

### Should recurring tasks live here?

Notion supports repeating database properties in some setups; check your plan. Keep routine office tasks out of matter-critical views.