Summary

The Eisenhower Matrix is a task management tool that helps you organize and prioritize tasks by urgency and importance. Using the tool, you’ll divide your tasks into four boxes based on the tasks you’ll do first, the tasks you’ll schedule for later, the tasks you’ll delegate, and the tasks you’ll delete. In this piece, we’ll explain how to set up an Eisenhower Matrix and provide tips for task prioritization.

Making a to-do list is the first step toward getting work done. But how do you determine what to tackle first when you don’t have enough time to do everything in one day? By effectively prioritizing, you can increase your productivity and ensure your most urgent tasks receive immediate attention.

The Eisenhower Matrix is a task-management tool that helps you distinguish between urgent and important tasks so you can establish an efficient workflow. In this article, we’ll explain how to set up an Eisenhower Matrix and provide tips for task prioritization.

The Eisenhower Matrix is a time-management tool that helps people decide what to work on and what to set aside. The Eisenhower priority matrix sorts tasks into four quadrants based on urgency and importance, which guides you to act immediately on high-priority work, schedule important tasks for later, delegate lower-impact requests, and eliminate busywork that adds little value.

Also known as the time management matrix, the Eisenhower Box, and the urgent-important matrix, this popular priorization matrix is named after President Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th President of the United States and a five-star general during World War II, who emphasized the distinction between urgent demands and important responsibilities. Teams and individuals use the Eisenhower Decision Matrix to stop reacting to every demand and start planning work around real priorities.

Create an Eisenhower matrix template

How to distinguish between urgent and important tasks

Urgent and important may seem like similar words, but when analyzing them in terms of the Eisenhower principle, the difference between the two is crucial. Differentiating between urgent and important within the Eisenhower Matrix can help you identify which tasks you should jump on and which tasks might be better handled by other team members.

Urgent tasks require your immediate attention. When something is urgent, it must be done now, and there are clear consequences if you don’t complete these tasks within a certain timeline. These are tasks you can’t avoid, and the longer you delay these tasks, the more stress you’ll likely experience, which can lead to burnout.

Examples of urgent tasks may include:

Finishing a project with a last-minute due date

Handling an urgent client request

Fixing a busted pipe in your apartment

**Important tasks **may not require immediate attention, but these tasks help you achieve your long-term goals. Just because these tasks are less urgent doesn’t mean they don’t matter. You’ll need to thoughtfully plan for these tasks so you can use your resources efficiently.

Examples of important tasks may include:

Planning a long-term project

Professional networking to build a client base

Regular chores and maintenance projects

Once you know how to distinguish between urgent and important tasks, you can begin separating your tasks into the four quadrants of the Eisenhower Matrix.

Create an Eisenhower matrix template

The four quadrants of the Eisenhower Matrix

A long to-do list can feel overwhelming, but the goal of the Eisenhower Method is to go through the tasks one by one and separate them into quadrants. Once you can see your tasks in their designated categories, you’ll be able to schedule them and accomplish your most important work.

Quadrant 1: Do first (urgent and important)

Quadrant one is the “do first” quadrant, and this is where you’ll place any tasks that are both urgent and important. When you see a task on your to-do list that must be done now, has clear consequences, and affects your long-term goals, place it in this quadrant.

There should be no question about which tasks fall into this quadrant, because these are the tasks that are at the front of your mind and are likely stressing you out the most.

Quadrant 2: Schedule (important, not urgent)

Quadrant two is the “schedule” quadrant, and this is where you’ll place any tasks that are not urgent but are still important. Because these tasks affect your long-term goals but don’t need to be done right away, you can schedule these tasks for later. For example, setting aside time to run a project review using a lessons learned template.

You’ll tackle these tasks right after you tackle the tasks in quadrant one. You can use various time management tips to help you accomplish the tasks in this quadrant. Some helpful strategies may include the Pareto principle or the Pomodoro method.

Quadrant 3: Delegate (urgent, not important)

Quadrant three is the “delegate” quadrant, and this is where you’ll place any tasks that are urgent but not important. These tasks must be completed now, but they don’t affect your long-term goals.

Because you don’t have a personal attachment to these tasks and they likely don’t require your specific skill set to complete, you can delegate these tasks to other members of your team. Delegating tasks is one of the most efficient ways to manage your workload and give your team the opportunity to expand their skill set.

Quadrant 4: Delete (not urgent and not important)

Once you’ve gone through your to-do list and added tasks to the first three quadrants, you’ll notice that a handful of tasks are left over. The tasks left over are tasks that weren’t urgent or important.

These unimportant, non-urgent distractions are simply getting in the way of you accomplishing your goals. Place these remaining items on your to-do list in the fourth quadrant, which is the “delete” quadrant.

Create an Eisenhower matrix template

4 tips for prioritizing your tasks

The best way to understand the difference between urgency and importance is to use the Eisenhower Matrix, but you may still struggle to prioritize your tasks. Here are some tips to help you prioritize as you sort your tasks in each quadrant.

1. Color-code your tasks

Color-coding your tasks can help you visualize high-priority items. As you go through your to-do list tool, try assigning four colors based on priority. Use the code as follows:

Green = Highest priority items

Yellow = Second-highest priority

Blue = Third-highest priority

Red = Not a priority

Once you’ve labeled your tasks by color, these colors will directly translate to your Eisenhower Matrix. Your green tasks are your “do” tasks for quadrant one. Your yellow tasks are your “schedule” tasks for quadrant two. Your blue tasks are your “delegate” tasks for quadrant three, and your red tasks are your “delete” tasks for quadrant four.

2. Limit tasks to 10 per quadrant

Even if you have a lot of tasks on your to-do list, try to limit your tasks to 10 items per quadrant. This will keep your Eisenhower Matrix from becoming cluttered and overwhelming.

You can make multiple matrices, but limiting your task list to necessary action items will ensure you’re beginning the prioritization process with no time to waste.

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3. Make personal and professional to-do lists

Another way to limit the number of items on your Eisenhower Matrix is to create separate matrices for your personal and professional to-do lists.

Your work and personal tasks require different timelines, resources, and methods, and they’ll likely require different thought processes as well. In order to effectively manage your personal and professional goals, you’ll need to divide and conquer.

4. Eliminate, then prioritize

Eliminate unnecessary tasks first to effectively prioritize. With this strategy, you’ll address quadrant four before moving on to quadrants one, two, and three. Once you’ve defined your priorities, use an action log template to record completed work, track delegated tasks, and follow up on items that still need attention.

As you skim through your to-do list, assess what items you’ve written down that don’t need to be there. In fact, 60% of our time at work is spent on work about work; things like sharing status updates or following up on information. If you can quickly scratch off items, go ahead and do so. This will speed up the prioritization process, and you’ll likely go through a second round of elimination on the back end.

Eisenhower Matrix example

To get a better understanding of what tasks you may place in each quadrant of your Eisenhower Matrix, we’ve gone ahead and provided some examples for you here.

Examples of tasks you may include in quadrant 1:

Write a blog post due tomorrow

Finish a project proposal

Respond to client emails

Examples of tasks you may include in quadrant 2:

Sign up for a professional development course

Attend a networking event

Add improvements to a personal project

Examples of tasks you may include in quadrant 3:

Upload blog posts

Transcribing meeting notes

Fielding non-client emails

Examples of tasks you may include in quadrant 4:

Work about work

Attending a status meeting

Sharing status approvals

Remember that it’s best to have separate matrices for work and home life so you can tackle your to-do lists using methods best suited for the time and place.

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Build your Eisenhower Matrix with task management tools

Sorting through your to-do list is the hardest part of the Eisenhower Matrix, but with automation, you no longer need to do this step manually.

Use task management software to determine which of your tasks are of the highest priority. With task management, you can categorize, color-code, and delegate tasks to your team. Use the Eisenhower Matrix to increase your productivity and achieve your goals in less time.

Create an Eisenhower matrix template

FAQs about using an Eisenhower Priority Matrix

Who invented the Eisenhower Matrix?

How do you use the Eisenhower Matrix at work?

How do you decide if a task is urgent or important?

How do you decide where a task belongs in the Eisenhower Decision Matrix?

What types of tasks belong in the do first quadrant?

What tasks should you delegate in the Eisenhower Prioritization Matrix?

What tasks should you eliminate using the Eisenhower Matrix?