The Eisenhower Matrix, also known as the Urgent-Important Matrix - Template and Guide

The Eisenhower Matrix, also known as the Urgent-Important Matrix, is a time management tool that helps you prioritize tasks based on their urgency and importance.

It's divided into four quadrants that guide decision-making by categorizing tasks into those you should do, delegate, schedule, or eliminate.

The idea is to focus your time and energy on what truly matters while minimizing distractions.

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1. Delete The most effective people focus on what is important Important Not Urgent Urgent Not Important Company Name 1 The Time Management Eisenhower Matrix Reject & explain or Delegate Do now Plan to do Main focus

2. The Eisenhower Matrix is a time management tool that helps you prioritize tasks Eisenhower Matrix Overview Eisenhower Matrix Visual The Eisenhower Matrix, also known as the Urgent-Important Matrix, is a time management tool that helps you prioritize tasks based on their urgency and importance. It's divided into four quadrants that guide decision-making by categorizing tasks into those you should do, delegate, schedule, or eliminate. The idea is to focus your time and energy on what truly matters while minimizing distractions. Company Name 2 3 4 1 2 Important Not Urgent Urgent Not Important

3. How would you define each category? Important Not Urgent The Eisenhower Matrix, also known as the Urgent-Important Matrix Urgent Not Important Company Name 3 Description: Tasks in this quadrant require immediate attention and are critical for achieving your goals or addressing pressing issues. Example: Handling a crisis at work, submitting a critical report with an imminent deadline, or dealing with an unexpected personal emergency. Action: Complete these tasks as soon as possible since they can't be postponed without serious consequences. Description: These tasks are crucial for long-term success but don’t require immediate action. They often involve personal development, strategic planning, or proactive efforts to prevent problems. Example: Setting professional goals, learning a new skill, maintaining relationships, or exercising regularly. Action: Schedule time for these tasks. Prioritizing them can reduce the number of urgent tasks later. Description: Tasks in this quadrant demand attention but don’t contribute significantly to your goals. They're often interruptions or distractions from others. Example: Responding to non-critical emails, attending unnecessary meetings, or resolving issues that someone else can handle. Action: Delegate these tasks to others whenever possible to free up your time for higher-priority activities. Description: These tasks are neither time-sensitive nor valuable. They represent distractions or time-wasting activities that don’t support your personal or professional growth. Example: Scrolling through social media without purpose, watching excessive TV, or engaging in unproductive gossip. Action: Eliminate these activities entirely or minimize their impact by setting boundaries or limits.

4. Other examples belonging in each quadrant Emergencies, complaints and crisis issues Demands from superiors or customers Planned tasks or project work now due Meetings and appointments Reports and other submissions Staff issues or needs Problem resolution, fire-fighting, fixes Planning, preparation, scheduling Research, investigation, designing, testing Networking relationship building Thinking, creating, modelling, designing Systems and process development Anticipation and prevention Developing change, direction, strategy Trivial requests from others Apparent emergencies Ad-hoc interruptions and distractions Misunderstandings appearing as complaints Pointless routines or activities Accumulated unresolved trivia Boss's whims or tantrums Unnecessary and unchallenged routines 'Comfort' activities such as net surfing Chat and gossip, face-to-face and phone Unimportant social and domestic communications Silly emails and text messages Reading nonsense or irrelevant material Over-long breaks Embellishment and over-production Important Not Urgent Urgent Not Important Company Name 4 The Eisenhower Matrix, also known as the Urgent-Important Matrix

5. Where do you think most people’s tasks are located? Important Not Urgent Urgent Not Important Task Company Name 5 The Eisenhower Matrix, also known as the Urgent-Important Matrix

6. People tend to focus on what is urgent versus what is important Task Important Not Urgent Urgent Not Important Company Name 6 The Eisenhower Matrix, also known as the Urgent-Important Matrix

7. The most effective people focus on what is important Task Important Not Urgent Urgent Not Important Company Name 7 The Eisenhower Matrix, also known as the Urgent-Important Matrix Main focus

8. Delete The most effective people focus on what is important Important Not Urgent Urgent Not Important Company Name 8 The Time Management Eisenhower Matrix Reject & explain or Delegate Do now Plan to do Main focus

9. What do the most effective people usually do in each one of these 4 categories? Reject and explain or Delegate Delete Do now Plan to do Important Not Urgent Urgent Not Important Company Name 9 The Eisenhower Matrix, also known as the Urgent-Important Matrix

10. What do the most effective people usually do in each one of these 4 categories? Confirm the importance of these tasks, then prioritize them according to their relative urgency If two or more tasks appear equally urgent, discuss and probe the actual requirements and deadlines These tasks should include activities that you’ll previously have planned in quadrant 2 If necessary, show your schedule to your manager in order to explain that you are prioritizing in a logical way to be as productive and effective as possible These tasks are most critical to success, and yet commonly are the most neglected These activities include planning, strategic thinking, deciding direction and aims, etc. It is imperative that you plan time-slots for doing these tasks, and if necessary plan where you will do them free from interruptions, or ‘urgent’ matters from quadrant 1 and 3 Break big tasks down into separate logical stages and plan time-slots for each stage Inform people of your planned time-slots and schedules. Having a visible schedule is the key to being able to protect these vital time-slots Identify these tasks and help the originators to re-assess the real importance of these tasks Where possible, quickly inform that you will not be able to do the task, managing people’s expectations and sensitivities accordingly Explain why you cannot do these tasks and help the originator find another way of achieving what they need, which might involve delegation to another person, or re-shaping the demand to be more strategic These activities are not tasks, but ‘comforters’ habits which provide refuge from the effort of discipline and proactivity These activities have no positive outcomes, and are therefore unproductive The best method for ceasing these activities is to have a clear schedule of tasks for each day, which you should create in quadrant 2 Important Not Urgent Urgent Not Important Company Name 10 The Eisenhower Matrix, also known as the Urgent-Important Matrix

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