Organizing your schedule and finding the time to do tasks is important when maximizing your efficiency. If you ever have trouble managing your time and deciding how to prioritize your tasks, the Eisenhower Matrix can help you be more organized.
First introduced by 34th American President, Dwight D. Eisenhower, who often had to make difficult decisions during World War II as general and commander, the Eisenhower matrix invented to help individuals prioritize their work according to urgency.
Written by Freda Pan
How does the Eisenhower Matrix work?
Also commonly known as the Urgent-Important matrix, the Eisenhower Matrix is a way to organize and complete tasks according to urgency. This is done by dividing tasks into four categories: important and urgent, important and not urgent, not important and urgent, not important and not urgent. It should look something like this
The Eisenhower can be used to organize your daily tasks according to its importance and urgency. By identifying its position within the matrix with the help of this table or something similar, it can be easier to organize your schedule and the order in which you complete each task to ensure its completion.
How to decide where a task belongs:
If a task belongs to the “do it” quadrant, it is an item that needs to be completed right away due to its urgent and important nature. This means it must be prioritized and completed first before starting any other assignment.
If a task belongs to the “schedule it” quadrant, it is still important that it is completed, but it may not be as urgent. This would most likely pertain to long term goals and might even not have a deadline. For these tasks, they can be completed at a later date, but should still be handled and not kept out of mind. By scheduling chunks of time to work on it in a consistent manner, you will be able to reach your intended goal over a longer period of time.
For any task that is not important but urgent, it belongs to the “delegate it quadrant.” These are mostly tasks that have little meaning to you and often related to other people’s wishes, such as buying groceries, checking your email, and scheduling meetings. Try to delegate these tasks as much as possible to lessen the workload on yourself so you are able to complete tasks that are more meaningful and important. However, if it must be completed by you, try to schedule these tasks to periods of free time rather than completing them earlier in the day.
Lastly, tasks that are not important and not urgent prohibit you from being the most productive and should be limited due during times of productivity. This can include social media usage, watching TV, online shopping and browsing. As suggested, these tasks belong in the “delete it” section and have little to no importance to your life, although it may seem fun. Try limiting your participation to these activities or saving them for the weekend when you have more free time.
Conclusion
If you are someone who often avoids completing tasks or finds it difficult to manage your time, the Eisenhower Matrix can help you get productive. By deciding which tasks are most important to you and completing them according to its importance and urgency rating, you will be able to better manage your work life and have more time to enjoy yourself and free time.
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