The Eisenhower Matrix – A Practical Prioritization Tool

The Eisenhower Matrix

What if I told you you can effectively finish your daily tasks, garner the amazing feeling of satisfaction in the time invested, and begin to focus on the essential activities easily? 

Well… you can!

Newsflash! There is a way of finishing your daily to-do list with minimal stress AND it requires very little juggling between the important and not so important daily activities…  

Let me introduce you to the Eisenhower Matrix! This is a time management quadrant tool for increased productivity.  The method’s focus is on categorizing one’s tasks according to their urgency and importance.

General Dwight D. Eisenhower invented the method as self-help for his own productivity. It came to life out of necessity.  He needed a system to help him handle the many tasks he had – first as a general and later as the 34th president of the US. The method was not very well known until Stephen Covey popularized it in his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

Most things which are urgent are not important, and most things which are important are not urgent.”
– Dwight D. Eisenhower

The Eisenhower Matrix categorizes the tasks into four quadrants of time management according to what is needed to be done during the day.

The quadrants within the matrix are:

DO

The DO quadrant contains your most important tasks for the day. These are the activities that have to be done urgently. They cannot be postponed until the next day. You stay in this quadrant until all tasks are completed. Then, you move to the next quadrant.

This box can be labeled as the DO.IT.NOW box.

*Before you start working on the DO quadrant, make sure to DELEGATE the tasks that aren’t as urgent first.

DECIDE

This quadrant contains the tasks that are important but not urgent. These tasks and activities are usually long-term goals and some ongoing activities (exercise). Please plan to schedule a time and finish them on time not to become urgent (procrastinating until you reach the deadline). Address these tasks when you are done with the ones in the DO quadrant.

DELEGATE

This quadrant contains tasks that are not important but urgent. They are tasks that look like they are important, but they don’t contribute much to your productivity. You can delegate them or reschedule for later.

While these tasks are not the most urgent ones for the day, they still have an approaching deadline. Before you focus on the DO quadrant, make sure you have a working system in place to take care of these tasks. For example, if you lead a team, delegate some of these tasks and pass them on to others. Once your mind is off this list, you can focus on the urgent AND important tasks.

The tasks in the DELEGATE quadrant may be activities such as replying to emails, attending informational team meetings, etc.

The use of this quadrant might not apply to everyone. Not everyone has the support to take on these tasks. I hope you can use this quadrant!

ELIMINATE

This quadrant contains the tasks and activities that are of no use to you. Remove them to free up time and resources to focus on the important work.

Such tasks include keeping your phone next to you and checking the messages frequently, subscribing to promotional emails that flood your inbox with junk emails, watching cute puppies videos on YouTube, following celebrities on social media, binge-watching movies, etc.

These activities drain your time and energy and, ultimately, take away from your productivity. If you must do them, set aside time for this kind of activity at the end of the day, when your productivity levels are low and you are not required to focus on them. 

How To Use The Eisenhower Matrix 

Using the Eisenhower Matrix sounds easy; however, while it is not a complex method, it still requires some effort and attention. With a little bit of practice, it can become a beneficial tool to get you on track to reaching your goals.

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1. Make a to-do list for the day. You can do it from the night before when you can reflect on what you achieved today and what needs to be done tomorrow. We have the most energy in the mornings. If you have the list ready, you don’t have to waste your high-energy time on this. Rather, you can use the time for important activities.
2. Take a bit of time to differentiate between the urgent tasks and the important tasks.
   The urgent tasks are the ones that you have to address immediately. They have upcoming deadlines attached to them. Your work will suffer if you do not complete them.
   The important ones are usually goal-oriented, long-term activities. They are as important as urgent ones, but they don’t have to be done immediately.
3. Separate your professional activities from your personal ones. It is a good habit not to work on them together. Allocate separate times to work on your personal and professional activities.
4. Try not to have too many tasks in the DO and DECIDE quadrants. Limit them to no more than 5-7 per quadrant. If you add too many, it will make you feel overwhelmed. If you still have a lot of tasks scheduled in your DO quadrant, it might be time to start saying “No”!
5. Color-code the quadrants. If you use a digital calendar, you can color-code the tasks to help you identify their importance
6. Some of the tasks might move from one quadrant to another, depending on your workload. Unexpected events happen. Be prepared to be flexible and adjust your list accordingly. 
7. Allocate a bit of free time as a buffer. This will help with keeping your mind at ease when unexpected changes occur. If you don’t lose the buffer time, it will feel like a bonus.

. . .

The method teaches and requires two important skills: prioritization and self-discipline. The former helps with deciding where each task goes. The latter helps with implementing it. You have to stay focused on the tasks ahead. Do not switch to a new quadrant before you are done with all tasks in the current one. 

Conclusion

The Eisenhower method is a simple and very effective way of helping you stay on task. I started using it recently and saw visible results in the amount of work I complete in a day. I combine the Eisenhower Matrix with the Pomodoro Technique. Together, both methods have significantly improved both my productivity levels and my satisfaction levels following a day of working on my goals!

Have you tried using the Eisenhower Matrix? How did it go? What did you find useful, and what was more challenging? What other rules and principles do you use to keep motivated and focused on your goals? Please share your experiences below, so others can also learn from them. If you’d like, you can contact me directly.

I am offering a free 1-hour discovery session for new clients. I would love to talk to you and help you get on the road to becoming the best version of yourself.

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I am here for you!