Alternatively, there are 3 other ways to leverage technology for your Eisenhower Matrix. Eisenhower Matrix App. You can check out an app that specifically uses the template of the Eisenhower Matrix. However, it is only available on the App Store or as a web app (not available in Google Play Store). Eisenhower Matrix Todoist. Originally created by President Dwight Eisenhower, the graphic helps you prioritize tasks based on urgency. While most people use it for work, I’ve expanded it to include everything I do in a day. How it work s: Get a piece of paper and divide it into four quadrants. Label the sections like this: Graphic by the author. The Eisenhower Matrix. The Method That Won The War Drawing its name from WWII commander, 34th President, and all-around-badass Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Eisenhower Matrix helps us make sense of almost impossibly-intricate situations, competing to-do lists, and conflicting priorities. Apply the Eisenhower Matrix to your tasks and organize your time.
- Eisenhower Matrix App Mac
- Eisenhower Matrix App
- Eisenhower Matrix App For Surface
- Eisenhower Matrix Applications
Why Everything You Know About Productivity is Wrong
The situation described above is also known as the Mere Urgency Effect, which says we tend to take on tasks with shorter deadlines and smaller completion windows. Why? Simply because they need to bed one as soon as possible. We choose them over less urgent tasks, even if they less urgent ones are more important and yield greater rewards.
This makes us fixated on task duration rather than the long-term benefit. And when this problem comes up in project management, no important long-term issues can get to the forefront. We neglect them until the last minute. Once their turn comes, they’re suddenly urgent and cause nothing but stress and needless overtime.
Rory Vaden, author and Self-Discipline Strategist, claims that to-do lists and time management techniques focus too much on efficiency. Most productivity methods will aim to make you quicker, opting for a more lucrative output. But they merely give you more time in the day for more short-term decision making. To help you combat this issue, and teach you a new way of problem-solving, we want to introduce you to the Eisenhower Matrix.
What is the Eisenhower Matrix?
This strategy stemmed from a quote by Dwight D. Eisenhower:
“I have two kinds of problems, the urgent and the important. The urgent are not important, and the important are never urgent.”
In the simplest terms, the Eisenhower Matrix is a guideline for effective decision making. Its brilliance lies in learning to differentiate which tasks are important and which are urgent. As Vader said, focus on: “What can I do today, to make tomorrow easier for myself?”
The Matrix allows you to make long-term strategic plans. You learn how to focus on the bigger picture instead of tasks that seem urgent but have no overarching benefit for the project.
Embrace Your Weakness
Before breaking down the Eisenhower Matrix, we feel the need to emphasize:
Don’t be too hard on yourself.
As with every new productivity method you want to adopt, perfecting the Eisenhower Matrix is going to take a lot of trial and error. Find a way to make the first few weeks or months easier. Download resource materials, get your bullet journals or rely on timesheet app like Clockify (both offline and online) to track your progress.
If managing a team, schedule tasks and timelines with your team members with Instagantt to make sure everyone is on the same page when it comes to priorities.
Use any tool at your disposal to make the transition as smooth as possible. We all learn differently, and adapting to a new workflow is no different than learning a new language. Even the lauded Agile method needs well over a year or two to be implemented properly.
How the Eisenhower Matrix Works
As John Green of the popular Youtube channel Vlog brothers sums it up:
“Productivity need not be about work, or maximizing output or whatever. There are lots of ways to be productive. To me, productivity is mostly a matter of recognizing that time is what we have.”
Stop thinking about speed, and start thinking about purpose. To begin making truly smarter, more conscious choices when it comes to project tasks, you need to know the difference between important and urgent.
The Important - One way to differentiate between important and unimportant tasks is by asking: “Will the project suffer if this task isn’t done?” Important tasks are those with long-lasting consequences or results.If others’ work depends on its completion, or it has a major impact on the project, the task mustn’t be skipped.
The Urgent - Urgency focuses on time and efficiency. These are tasks with clear deadlines. Whether something is urgent or not will depend on various circumstances (depending on what the project entails). However, keep in mind that your schedule’s flexibility and project goals also play a role.
Once you figure out the urgency/importance difference, the second step is sorting your tasks into four groups according to the following:
- The IMPORTANT and URGENT (DO)
Green illustrated this with a simple example of your house being on fire. It’s something you NEED to do right away. Less catastrophically speaking, these tasks are usually the ones we leave until the last minute or come from unforeseen circumstances.
- The IMPORTANT but NOT URGENT (DECIDE)
Another simple example would be long-term personal and professional goals, such as career advancement, writing a book, or exercising (unless there is a serious health issue, in which case, it’s urgent). The general rule for this group is to schedule time to work on these tasks. Putting them off will just bump them up until they become urgent, or never addressed.
- The UNIMPORTANT but URGENT (DELEGATE)
These can be smaller, menial, everyday tasks, such as grocery shopping, paying bills, or going through email. You can easily delegate or automate them. Think of parents who send their kids to the store for eggs and milk while they cook lunch. Or in our case, holding a project update meeting, for example. If you have more important work, assigning someone just as informed to hold the meeting will help in the long run.
- The UNIMPORTANT and NOT URGENT (DELETE)
Activities or tasks that fall into this category are usually distractions. For example, redesigning the website page because the color scheme is off. It’s unimportant and not urgent as it won’t affect customer retention.
For those of you who are visual types, the Eisenhower Matrix can be represented with a simple box.
Eisenhower Matrix App Mac
The important thing to keep in mind is that the important/urgent filter changes depending on your projects and goals. The Eisenhower Matrix is a recipe for long-term problem solving and avoiding the Mere Urgency trap every project is bound to fall into.
The magic of “NO”
Along with learning how to use the Matrix, you will have to brush up on your rejection skills. For example, if you’re a CEO of a startup on the rise, then your hands will be full of projects and tasks relating to it. A few friends or acquaintances might contact you via LinkedIn to help introduce them to some of your new partners, or hire them.
If we apply theEisenhower Matrix to this scenario, this activity is neither important nor urgent for you or your project. So instead of telling them you’ll be in touch, or spending hours emailing or talking to them, you simply answer “no”. Well, rather you craft a very polite email letting them know that for now, you’re unable to help as you have far too many things on your plate.
Rejection is a big part of the filtering process. Activities that end up in the fourth Eisenhower group are the ones most likely to be discarded (ex. Deleting your junk mail instead of sorting through it). And if you keep moving a task into the fourth group week in and week out, then it wasn’t important or urgent, to begin with.
As tasks move up and down the priority ladder, don’t forget to keep everyone up to date on the changes and how they affect the project as a whole.
In Conclusion
Eisenhower Matrix App
When mastered, the Eisenhower Matrix is a powerful tool. It is a method tailored for those who have goals they never seem to get to because there aren’t enough hours in the day. With the Matrix, you reevaluate your priorities, and as both Green and Vaden emphasize, learn how to focus on what is important over fake urgency. Say goodbye to putting out fires as they come up, and stretching yourself thin on projects. Placing the bigger picture in the foreground, the Eisenhower Matrix proves to be one of the best self-care methods for ailing projects and teams.
Written by Marko Maric:
Marko Maric is a marketer and a blogger. He mostly covers topics revolving around business, marketing, and productivity. Marko currently works at Clockify - a free time tracking tool.
Prioritizing tasks and allocating the required time for each task requires timely decision making that is free of analysis paralysis and procrastination. Both the aforementioned are often a result of the inability of individuals to prioritize tasks based on their urgency and importance. However, such prioritization is easier than most people think, especially if you use the Eisenhower Decision Matrix.
What is the Eisenhower Decision Matrix?
The Eisenhower Matrix is named after Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was the 34th president of the United States and served as a five-star general who was the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe during World War II. The Eisenhower Decision Matrix or the Eisenhower Method is based on a famous quote by him in which he said:
“I have two kinds of problems, the urgent and the important. The urgent are not important, and the important are never urgent.”
Eisenhower contributed the above quote to a former college president. However, the quote eventually became the basis of the Eisenhower Decision Principle, where tasks are evaluated based on a criteria, also known as the Eisenhower Box. This criteria lists tasks on the basis of urgent and important, important not urgent, urgent but not important and not urgent and not important tasks.
The image below derived from the Eisenhower Matrix PowerPoint Template shows the Eisenhower quadrant and its various applications.
Source: Eisenhower Priority Matrix PowerPoint template by SlideModel
1. Urgent and Important – Do it Now
Tasks that are urgent and important on the quadrant are essential tasks that cannot be delayed. This might include deadlines, a meeting to resolve a crisis, assessments to understand a project’s progress, etc. For an individual prioritizing tasks, this might include an important deadline for submission of a report to a boss, a doctor’s appointment for a health-related issue, important family commitments, etc. These are essentially tasks that you must immediately do. Delaying such a task might lead to negative consequences that can be probably avoided by simple task prioritization.
Source: Eisenhower Priority Matrix PowerPoint template by SlideModel
2. Important Not Urgent – Schedule it
You might need to submit a report to a boss after 10 days and there might be another report which is due tomorrow. There is no point working on the report that is due in 10 days on a priority basis. In this case, you can prioritize the report due tomorrow and ensure that you dedicate enough time for it. Tasks that are important but not urgent can be scheduled according to the need for better time management and to focus on more pressing issues. These tasks might include planning, recreational activities or relationship related commitments.
Source: Eisenhower Priority Matrix PowerPoint template by SlideModel
3. Urgent But not Important – Delegate it
Many of us make the mistake of taking too much burden on ourselves when we can delegate tasks. Many managers can make the mistake of underusing subordinates. Similarly, some sudden meetings might mean that you have no time to complete a task and delegation might be necessary. These are examples of instances where it is necessary to delegate tasks for better task management. For example, you can ask your subordinate to complete a report and submit it for your review to ensure it gets out on time. A few examples of urgent but not important tasks can include interruptions, meetings or activities that are less consequential and can be delegated.
Source: Eisenhower Priority Matrix PowerPoint template by SlideModel
4. Not Urgent and Not Important – Don’t Do it
When pressed for time, is it important to clean your car or play a quick round of an Android game? Not urgent and not important tasks need to be discarded. You don’t want to get late for an important meeting because you were scrolling through your Facebook feed and lost track of time or were too busy watching a cat video! Since we are surrounded by digital devices and distractions, the importance of avoiding unnecessary things in light of the Eisenhower Matrix is even more important than ever before.
Source: Eisenhower Priority Matrix PowerPoint template by SlideModel
In fact, it is this lack of prioritization that leads to loss of productivity and even health related issues like insomnia. Research has shown that blue light affects sleep and causes insomnia. This has been linked to people using smartphones at night, affecting their sleep patterns. This is an example of the negative consequences of lack of task prioritization.
How to use the Eisenhower Decision Matrix?
Using the Eisenhower Decision matrix is simple. You can follow a few easy steps to incorporate it in your daily life for improved workflow, as well as better task and time management. By using the simple tips given below, you can ensure the timely completion of essential tasks and avoid getting into analysis paralysis.
1. Create a List by Importance of Tasks
Whether you use a pen and a piece of paper or a note taking app like Evernote or Google Keep, you can start by creating a list of tasks by importance. You can also use the Eisenhower quadrant for this purpose and begin adding tasks to it. You can even use one of our Eisenhower Matrix PowerPoint Templates for creating lists and even teaching your team about the quadrant using PowerPoint slides.
2. Prioritize Urgent and Important Tasks
That report that is due tomorrow that you haven’t worked on or the meeting that is about to begin in an hour that you are yet to plan for are the kind of tasks that need to be prioritized. Even if there is no crisis or immediate problem to resolve, you can ensure that the essential tasks for the day are on the top of your list for things you need to get done on time.
3. Schedule Tasks that can be Delayed
Not everything requires immediate attention. When pressed for time, you can easily schedule tasks for better productivity and improved workflow. You might need to talk to your team, discuss an upcoming project or plan a dinner with your spouse. You can schedule these tasks for a later time and get them done during time brackets that are suitable for them. It isn’t a good idea to have a team meeting that can be delayed while delaying an urgent report submission to your senior management. Similarly, it isn’t a great idea to discuss a romantic dinner on the phone during office hours when there is tons of work pending on your desk.
4. Learn to Delegate Tasks when Possible
You might need to get your car fixed or have too much on your plate to get done on time at the office. In such a case you can delegate tasks. For example, you can ask a mechanic or vehicle service and repair center to pick up and fix your car. Similarly, you can ask a subordinate to share some of your workload by assigning tasks. There might be a meeting that you can skip by requesting a team member or a report you can hand over to someone to complete, as you look into more pressing issues. You can even consult your boss to seek permission or request that he/she delegates a task to someone else so you may be able to complete other tasks on time.
5. Skip Tasks which are not Important
You might be addicted to a game or simply hate doing certain types of office work. You might want to spend a bit more time playing a video game, when important tasks are pending, or you might not want to work on a monthly report because it makes you feel weary each month you work on it. In this case you need to work on the report and skip playing the game if you are serious about keeping your job. The same game might give you a headache, but you keep playing it because you’re addicted to it. Many people continue to scroll their social media feeds, even when there is nothing meaningful in it. Giving themselves insomnia, sleep deprivation, anxiety and a bad reputation at office for being late and lazy. It’s time you kicked the bad habits and straightened out your priorities before they cause a mess you might find hard to clean up.
6. Avoid Procrastination
Eisenhower Matrix App For Surface
Procrastination is the bane of productivity. You might go online looking to check an email and end up on a video about how to recycle used batteries! The point is, procrastination is more common than many of us would like to admit. And telling the reasons for it out loud might even embarrass most of us. You can’t tell your boss that you were late for a meeting because you were watching YouTube videos all night. It just sounds wrong. Instead, you need to avoid procrastination and get your act together. You can also get some tips from our posts regarding avoiding procrastination for better presentations and the Pomodoro Technique to boost productivity.
Final Words
While the Eisenhower Decision Matrix serves as a useful mechanism for prioritizing tasks, it is as limited as any productivity technique or time management concept. This is because what limits the individual practicing a productivity or time management method is his/her own commitment towards the concept. Being lazy and implying that the concept will not work from the start isn’t going to help you get any more productive. Similarly, using the technique inconsistently isn’t the best way to make your schedule right.
Eisenhower Matrix Applications
Even if you’re not using the Eisenhower Box or putting tasks under specific headings, simply prioritizing tasks according to their urgency and importance, delegating tasks as needed and avoiding unnecessary tasks can help you improve productivity, time management and enable you to make important, yet meaningful lifestyle changes. This can help you avoid analysis paralysis, procrastination and other negative consequences caused due to lack of task prioritization. Not to mention, it might even help you get rid of that insomnia!