The Eisenhower Matrix is one of the methods for determining the priorities of the day's affairs. The matrix looks like four squares, which are obtained by crossing the axes “Important - Not Important” horizontally and “Urgent - Not Urgent” vertically.
How to use this matrix? Just distribute your tasks there (for example, the tasks of the day) according to their importance and urgency. Over time, this will become very simple, but for now let’s give a little explanation.
Important and urgent matters- those that are very important and urgent. Without them, everything will collapse, and it will be too late to do them tomorrow. These things need to be done today, first of all - and without fail. Examples of important and urgent tasks: completing a project task that is about to be due; unscheduled visit to a dentist, traumatologist or other specialist; urgent telephone call to a client or counterparty. In theory, the square of important and urgent matters should be empty, but in practice, sometimes every person has important and urgent matters, some of them are generated by laziness, some by a lack of professionalism, and some by force majeure.
Important but not urgent matters- this is something important that will become urgent soon. If you don’t plan to wait for this and give yourself an unnecessary race, then pay close attention to these matters. Examples of such matters: current (planned) work on your projects; planning new projects; evaluation of project results; visiting the gym to maintain physical fitness.
Things are not important, but urgent. As a rule, this square includes things that do not bring you any closer to your goal, whatever it may be; these are things that need to be done, but solely for the sake of doing them. Congratulations on his birthday (it turns out that Vasya was born today), the unexpected arrival of guests and other unplanned, forced meetings that cannot be refused. If you can delegate something from this, entrust it to someone, be sure to do it.
Not important or urgent matters- this is the most disgusting category of cases. They are not important, they are not urgent, but they are the ones you want to do. These are your time wasters - reading glossy magazines, computer games, watching TV programs and surfing the Internet (see). Your choice?
Important: many people start doing crap when they are simply tired. When you want, you want. So, this is a wrong decision. That's right - plan a quality vacation (this is the category Important, but not urgent) and have a quality rest, and not do bullshit. Yes? - Then see the article Rules of rest
In summary, as a tool, the Eisenhower matrix works and, moreover, organizes well if you follow it. You can be proud of yourself if the “Important and Urgent” square is empty more often: and this is quite possible if you more often deal with the affairs of the “Important, but not Urgent” square. This is how professionals work!
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You can easily get confused in the endless stream of everyday affairs, because every day there are more and more of them. Yesterday's unfinished tasks become today's, and what we did not have time to do today is automatically transferred to tomorrow. As a result, so many things can accumulate that you can’t figure out what has been done, what is in progress, and what is still waiting in the wings.
Such or detailed situations often occur among people who do not pay due attention to the process of planning their activities. Naturally, skills are not taught at school, and many parents and other people who act as educators in the process of our development often themselves do not really know how to plan their activities, although this is not at all difficult. It’s just that due attention is not paid to this.
However, today there are many excellent planning techniques that allow you to learn how to rationally use your time resource and extract maximum benefit from this process for yourself. But in this article we will not consider all these techniques, but will give an example of only one, which is distinguished by its simplicity and effectiveness. This technique is called the "Eisenhower Matrix".
The Eisenhower Matrix is one of the most popular time management tools that is used by many people around the world: from ordinary employees and middle managers to executives of large firms and world-famous corporations. The founder of this matrix is the 34th President of the United States, Dwight David Eisenhower. As you might guess, this man was very busy and had to do many different things related to his activities. For this reason, he was optimizing his work schedule and list of tasks to perform. The result of his research was the matrix we are considering.
The meaning of the Eisenhower matrix is mainly to learn how to competently distribute all your tasks, distinguish the important from the urgent, the non-urgent from the least important, and also reduce the time to the maximum for doing any tasks, the implementation of which does not produce any significant results. Let's talk about how all this works in practice.
The essence of the Eisenhower matrix
The Eisenhower Matrix consists of four quadrants, based on two axes - the importance axis (vertical) and the urgency axis (horizontal). As a result, it turns out that each quadrant differs in its quality indicators. All tasks and affairs are recorded in each of the quadrants, thanks to which an extremely clear and objective picture is formed of what should be done first, what should be done second, and what should not be done at all. All this is quite simple, but giving a few explanations will not be superfluous in any case.
Quadrant A: important and urgent matters
In ideal planning, this quadrant of the matrix should remain empty, because the appearance of important and urgent matters is an indicator of disorganization and the possibility of blockage. This part of the schedule fills up for many people due to their inherent laziness and poor prioritization. Naturally, from time to time such things can appear in every person, but if this happens every day, then it’s time to pay attention to it.
So, the occurrence of cases in the A quadrant should be avoided. And to do this, you just need to complete the points of the remaining quadrants in a timely manner. But if there is something worth including in the first quadrant, it is:
- Things that, if not completed, will have a negative impact on achieving your goals
- Things that, if not done, can cause difficulties and troubles
- Things related to health
It is also important to remember that there is such a thing as “delegation”. This means that when things appear in your A quadrant that can be delegated to someone else, you should definitely take advantage of this opportunity in order to resolve other important and urgent matters as quickly as possible.
Quadrant B: important but not urgent matters
The second quadrant deserves the most attention, because the matters located precisely in it are the most priority and promising, and it is these that should consist of the daily tasks of any person. It has been noticed that people who are primarily engaged in the activities of this quadrant achieve the greatest success in life, get promoted, earn more money, have enough free time and live a happy and fulfilling life.
Please also note that the lack of urgency allows you to approach the solution of any problems more deliberately and constructively, and this in turn allows a person to reveal his full potential, independently think through all the nuances of his activities and manage the time frame of his affairs. But here, among other things, you need to remember that things that are in the B quadrant, if not done in a timely manner, can easily fall into the A quadrant, becoming even more important and requiring speedy completion.
Experienced time management specialists recommend including in quadrant B all current affairs related to the main activity, planning and analysis of work, training and compliance with the optimal schedule, etc. Those. everything that makes up our ordinary everyday life.
Quadrant C: urgent but not important matters
Things that are in this quadrant are, for the most part, distracting and do not bring a person any closer to the intended results. Often they simply interfere with concentration on the truly important tasks and reduce efficiency. The main thing when working with the matrix is not to confuse urgent matters from quadrant C with urgent matters from quadrant A. Otherwise, confusion will form and what should be done first remains in the background. Always remember yours and learn to distinguish the important from the unimportant.
Quadrant C matters include, for example, meetings or negotiations imposed by someone else, birthday celebrations of not very close people, sudden chores around the house, elimination of non-vitally important distractions that require attention (a vase broke, a microwave broke). stove, a light bulb has burned out, etc.), as well as all sorts of other things that do not move you forward, but only slow you down.
Quadrant D: Not urgent or important matters
Tasks in the last quadrant are of no benefit at all. In many cases, it is useful not only to deal with them last, but also not to deal with them at all. Although you definitely need to know about them, because... They are the “time wasters”.
Another interesting feature of the tasks from this group is that they are very attractive to many people - these tasks are easy to do and bring pleasure, allowing you to relax and have a good time. Therefore, resisting the temptation to engage in them can be quite problematic. But it is absolutely necessary to do this.
In quadrant D you can write down such things as talking on the phone with friends about something unimportant, unnecessary correspondence or spending time on social networks, watching TV series and various “stupid” TV shows, computer games, etc. Of course, every person should periodically relax and somehow entertain themselves, but there are more interesting and educational ways to do this: reading, visiting gyms and swimming pools, trips to nature, etc. If you can’t completely rid yourself of doing things from quadrant D or don’t want to, then you need to postpone their implementation at least until the moment when things from quadrants B and C are completed, and the time that will be devoted to things in quadrant D should be reduced to a minimum. The well-known proverb would be appropriate here: “It’s time for business, time for fun.”
As soon as you master the Eisenhower matrix and learn to competently distribute your affairs within it, you will notice that you have a lot of new free time, you manage to do everything in a timely manner and without haste, all your affairs are in order, goals are achieved one after another, and you yourself are almost always in a good mood and good spirits. It's all about organization and composure. You yourself probably notice from time to time that disorganized people are always in a whirlwind of some incomprehensible affairs, they are always busy with something stupid, but “very important”, they look tired and irritated. There are many distinctive features that can be cited. But this is not important, but the fact that if you and I do not want to have similar results, then we must act differently. Namely: we must be organized, clearly understand what and when we need to do, and why we are doing all this. And the Eisenhower matrix is perfect for this.
We wish you good luck and successful mastery of your new skill!
- Creator of the Eisenhower Method
- The principle of the Eisenhower method
- A (important and urgent)
- B (important but not urgent)
- C (urgent but not important)
- D (non-urgent and unimportant)
- Eisenhower Matrix: Example
- Conclusion
Every day we overcome a mountain of tasks, but such workload does not always help us move forward. Sometimes we waste a lot of time on empty activities while important work is waiting. on the margins of planning.
Eisenhower Square- a tool for distributing tasks by importance and urgency. It helps you understand what work needs to be done right now, what to put off until later, and what to discard altogether.
The Eisenhower method was created to avoid these mistakes, it structures the work and identifies “time wasters”, like an x-ray.
Creator of the Eisenhower Method
This time management tool was given to us not by anyone, but by US President Dwight David Eisenhower himself, who ruled the United States from 1953 to 1961. He led American troops in Europe during World War II. Having liberated France during the Normandy operation, Dwight Eisenhower returned home as a hero and was appointed commander in chief of the US Army. This outstanding man stood at the origins of NATO and was one of the two most beloved presidents by Americans, sharing their hearts with George Washington. After retiring, he did not sit idly by, but worked as the rector of Columbia University.
As you understand, Eisenhower had a lot of work. Born into a poor family, he managed to build such a dizzying career thanks to a competent prioritization and discipline. Such a person will not give bad advice - his time management technique has been tested in practice, and the personality of the inventor can already be considered the best recommendation.
The principle of the Eisenhower method
The Eisenhower Matrix consists of two coordinate axes - importance and urgency. At their intersection four fields are formed:
- important and urgent
- important but not urgent
- urgent but not important
- unimportant and not urgent
Having defined each case in its own field, we already have an algorithm for further work on each of them.
Eisenhower Table - Visual Assistant
The human brain is designed in such a way that we better understand structured information - laid out on shelves, cells, and accompanied by visual materials. Therefore, it is best to draw the priority square on paper or in tables on the computer.
As you can see, all fields are painted in different colors. This is not an aesthetic whim of the artist - this is how we noted their importance in the global planning of the work. When you start working with the table, specific tasks will be located in these cells.
What to do first and what not to do at all?
Priority Matrixanswers these questions clearly and clearly. Each field of the Eisenhower table has its own “verdict”. As soon as a task ends up in a particular cell, we already know what to do with it.
A (important and urgent)
This field is colored red because ideally it should be left blank. When tasks appear in it, it means that you planned something incorrectly and wasted time on unnecessary things.
Of course, it is impossible to achieve the ideal, so points will still appear in this square. If this happens, then this is what should be entered in field A:
- overcoming crises;
- work, the failure of which can lead to serious problems and disruption of goals;
- resolving issues that could lead to a deterioration in living standards, threatening career or family well-being;
- health problems.
If, when you first compiled the table, it turned out that there are many points in the red cell, you need to devote all your efforts to clearing it. If the task is complex, consider involving relatives, friends, or delegating something to subordinates.
B (important but not urgent)
The main activity must take place in this field, so it is colored green with the color of action and growth. Everything that helps a person achieve goals and improve his life should be done without fail and without haste.
This is not so easy to achieve, since we are all human students and are accustomed to getting down to business only when a deadline looms on the horizon. But this is where the main secret of success lies: do all the important things in advance. This will help you work with pleasure and concentration, and not in a state of fear and fuss.
Here are the following tasks:
- implementation of current work projects;
- household matters related to the material base of your family;
- preparation for important family holidays, communication with relatives;
- self-education;
- disease prevention, sports, healthy lifestyle.
You need to do these things yourself, attracting help in cases where there is a lot of work and it is unrealistic to do it yourself.
C (urgent but not important)
The two bottom fields are painted gray for a reason - after all, they are not important, and you can simply ignore them, like a mouse. But they become a serious obstacle that slows us down in our development.
Urgent but unimportant matters include:
- some calls and meetings;
- sudden everyday troubles;
- gestures of politeness towards people outside the circle of relatives and friends (presence at holidays, long conversations);
- requests from friends to solve problems that they can deal with on their own.
If you do not work through this point, you may find yourself in a vicious circle of constantly raking over unimportant matters that provide minimal benefit. Tasks in this square can be ignored or delegated to other people to free up time for main work.
The main thing is not to confuse things from points A and C. This way, you can mistake some nonsense for an important task, or vice versa - refuse to resolve critical issues, sending them to point C.
D (non-urgent and unimportant)
Time wasters “live” in this dark gray square, and it is advisable to eliminate them from life altogether. Settled here:
- TV series and social networks;
- harmful entertainment;
- chatting on the phone;
- communication with toxic people;
- actions that promote procrastination;
- some routine work;
- perfectionist's troubles.
Most of these items need to be removed from the schedule by force of will - that’s why this item is written down. It also includes routine work, the implementation of which has very little benefit. You can do it - or you can not do it. Delegate this work to subordinates or hired employees if desired. Or grandma.
How to correctly distribute tasks in a table?
Indeed, there is a high probability of assigning the wrong level of importance and urgency to the matter. This is exactly what our hierarchy of priorities suffers from.
In order not to make a mistake, we must simply answer two questions “yes” or “no”:
- Is this work necessary to advance your main goals? (Will I get in trouble if I don't do this?) YES is important, NO is not important.
- If I don't do it now, will this task no longer be relevant tomorrow? YES - urgent, NO - not urgent.
Having distributed the work according to the table in this way, first of all we begin to solve the questions from the red square, and then from the green one.
Eisenhower Matrix: Example
It is better to compose the matrix in the morning. Remember all the things you were going to do in the near future, what your friends asked you to do, what tasks your boss gave you, what you wanted to do for yourself. Write these things down on a piece of paper one after another.
Now think about each of them, answer questions about importance and urgency. Depending on how you answered the questions, place the problem in the appropriate box. Remember even the smallest things - they are the ones that take up a lot of our time. The number of points in each cell is determined only by you. There may be 20 or zero.
Your matrix might look like this:
When your tasks are distributed, make a convenient list for yourself (for example, on your phone) of tasks from the red square so that you can constantly check it. Separate - for tasks from the green square. Having completed all the points from the first, immediately take on the second, setting yourself the task of keeping the red square as free as possible.
Ignore the tasks in the gray squares or delegate them to those to whom they may be important or interesting. For example, a post on a social network about the first snow is of no use if it does not relate to your project. But it can become part of the advertising content - in this case, it is better to entrust it to the SMM department, linking information about the promotion.
Conclusion
The Eisenhower Matrix is, in a sense, a machine for clearing your day of debris from unimportant matters. At first you need to draw it every day, but over time you will intuitively feel the “color” of this or that matter. No matter how influential Eisenhower was, he would not have been able to buy himself extra hours in the day. And here manage time effectively Even a student can do it.
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What is Dwight David's Eisenhower Matrix? How did the 34th President of the United States plan his time? What organizational principle allowed you to cope with a huge number of cases? I will tell you about all this now.
Time management is based on the principle of planning. And the main thing in planning is setting priorities - which things should be started first, and which ones should be completed later.
A very simple and incredibly effective technique was used by the 34th President of the United States, later it was named after his name - the Eisenhower Dwight David principle. Everyone understands that the president has a lot to do and the fate of millions of people depends on the correct planning of one person’s time.
What did President Eisenhower do?
That's how - he divided all tasks into important and urgent. To better understand the method, let's draw the Eisenhower Dwight David matrix by dividing the square into 4 equal parts. As a result, we will get 4 squares. Now let's sign each with the following names: Important, unimportant, urgent, not urgent.
The essence of the Eisenhower principle is that when setting priorities, you must complete all important and urgent tasks first. Then important and non-urgent. Next, unimportant urgent ones. And if there is time, then the last ones are unimportant and non-urgent.
For what?
What does the application of the Eisenhower principle give? Why draw a matrix? Why can't you do everything without any problems?
Probably everyone has faced a lack of time - when you want to do everything you planned, but it doesn’t work out, every day brings you surprises and you have to adjust your plans, giving up planned rest, new work opportunities, etc.
It is impossible to predict the unplanned, which means that, whether we like it or not, some plans have to be cancelled. But... What if we do the main tasks first, and leave the less important ones for later. Which ones wouldn’t be such a shame to give up? For example, let's spend time with family instead of meeting with a client who is unlikely to agree to cooperate.
This is the answer to the question: “why sort things.” We simply do the main thing, put aside the unimportant and become more successful and productive in life. After all, urgent does not mean important and vice versa.
1 square: Important and urgent
This includes urgent matters, failure to complete which may lead to negative consequences. We start all tasks from this section because these are the most significant tasks for us, and also urgent. This section includes: “Emergency operation”, “Unscheduled meetings”, “deadline for project delivery”.
The main thing is that this square should ideally be empty because most important tasks are not urgent at first and with proper planning they can be done before they become urgent. All tasks in this square appear for 2 reasons:
- depending on us (internal reasons), what we can influence and this is the largest share in most cases. For example: lack of professionalism, motivation, strength, etc. In general, we can remove this reason on our own;
- beyond our control (external reasons): When we cannot influence them, for example, force majeure, sudden pain, urgent request for help, etc. Ideally, with proper planning, only these reasons should fall into the important and urgent square.
In addition, we all understand that it is not always possible to allocate as much time as necessary for urgent matters. An example from life is passing exams; if you prepare on the last day, there may simply not be enough time to prepare physically. In addition, working in emergency mode is exhausting and worsens your mental and physical condition. Therefore, all important tasks should be completed before they become urgent, i.e. working with the square is important and not urgent.
2 square: Important and not urgent
Regular completion of all tasks from this square is an indicator of your success and productivity. This square includes things that can wait, but failure to do them will have serious negative consequences.
An important task differs from an unimportant one in that the consequences for failure to complete them are different.. The more important the task, the greater the negative consequences of failure to complete it. Therefore, we give preference to completing important tasks first and only then urgent ones.
Ideally, all important tasks, both urgent and non-urgent, should be completed in full. Among the cases in this area, the following can be noted: tasks for personal development, health care, for example: consult a doctor in a timely manner and prevent illness, master basic English language skills for a promotion at work, etc., as a rule, These are key tasks that can make a big difference in your life..
We all understand that in most cases it is impossible to manage everything planned. If only because unforeseen circumstances arise that make serious adjustments to plans. Considering this fact, it is better to do important tasks on which your life greatly depends than unimportant tasks. This is why it is so important to sort tasks according to the Eisenhower Rule.
When we distribute tasks correctly and start working with the most important ones, there are fewer rush jobs, i.e. we manage to get things done before they become urgent. And this is very important, because when there is not always enough time for urgent matters, they turn out unfinished and we put our nerves to the test, trying to meet the deadline. At the same time, when working regularly with a square, it is important and not urgent that you can devote to each task exactly as much time as it requires, as a result, the number of rush jobs and stressful situations will decrease, and the quality of work will increase. By analogy from ordinary life, it is better to prevent a disease in a timely manner than to start it and end up experiencing severe pain and serious consequences in the future.
3 square: No matter, urgent
Urgent does not mean important; it is better not to do many urgent things if they cause you to miss important things. To correctly understand which task is more important, simply ask the question: “What will happen if this is not done.” If the negative consequences are minimal, then the matter is unimportant and should be started after completing more significant tasks; if not completed, there will be more serious negative consequences. Unimportant tasks include the following: a colleague called and asked for help with an unimportant task, you are offered participation in social networks. survey or just an acquaintance came in to chat about life.
Minus of urgent matters is that they interfere with working effectively, because you:
Forced to be interrupted from important tasks;
Against the backdrop of urgency, you begin to worry, and emotions prevent you from making the right decisions.
For example, you are working on a large project on which your career growth and the company’s income depend, and at that moment your colleagues call you and ask you to urgently call, print, send a document by mail, etc. Of course, you need to help your colleagues, but everything has its time. Important things need to be done first, and unimportant things later, even if they are urgent. Just tell your colleagues that you are busy now, and when you finish working on an important matter, call them back.
If you try to keep up with all the urgent matters, then life can turn into constant time pressure, and because of the turmoil, you will worry more and will be able to devote less time to important tasks that greatly affect your life.
4 square is unimportant and not urgent
This is the very last to-do list that you should start with, because it includes the most unnecessary tasks.
But even the most unnecessary things can also be divided into 2 parts:
1. Little things in life, such things still have value, but only if you have completed all the other more important tasks from the 3 squares. What is the value? For example, dismantling a blockage on the mezzanine seems like a small thing, but it’s nice, or changing a leaking faucet in the kitchen, strengthening the table so it doesn’t wobble. In general, this kind of task creates your comfort and improves your mood, so you should try to get to square 4 in order to live more harmoniously and fully.
But if you deal with these little things before the more important tasks from the past 3 squares are done, then this will not bring proper satisfaction.
2. Bullshit classes. Computer games, social networks, watching TV, alcohol - all this only takes up precious time. Many will say, but it helps to relax, doesn’t it? Yes, undoubtedly, any bullshit activity relaxes, but not as well as a healthy rest. A computer or TV cannot convey such strong emotions, tactile feelings, smells and other sensations as in real life. Since the computer and TV use fewer senses, the rate of recovery, i.e., rest, is reduced. Alcohol is also an ineffective way to relax, because in addition to the negative impact on health, after such a rest, in quotes, you will feel tired, headaches and other troubles.
In general, all bad habits are a waste of time and should be abandoned completely, but this is an ideal case. In reality, every person will have bad habits, because fighting them takes time, so we put all this bullshit like computer games, TV, alcohol, etc. in the unimportant and not urgent square at the very bottom of the to-do list.
Practice of using the Eisenhower matrix by Dwight David
Let's draw 4 squares of Eisenhower, label each square with letters:
A. Important and urgent (red);
B. Important and not urgent (green);
IN. Unimportant and urgent (blue);
G. Not important and not urgent (white).
We begin to complete all tasks in alphabetical order, i.e. first the tasks of point “A”, then “B”, “C” and at the end “D”. Until we complete the tasks of square “A”, we will not proceed to “B”. Then, until we do point “B”, we don’t start tasks from “C”, etc. In general, we work sequentially step by step, without changing the order.
Now let’s get practical, let’s say we have the following list of incoming cases:
Now let’s sort the list of incoming tasks and put next to each item the letter of the square to which this task can be attributed.
Now you know where to start in order to get the most important things done. Just do things from square “A” first, then “B”, then “C” and “D”, if there is time.
It is important to assess the degree of importance not in the mind, but on a piece of paper, because when there are more than 7+-2 things to do, the prioritization may be wrong, since our brain is not designed for such operations in the mind. We can store about 7+-2 things in memory, the rest is forgotten. Tasks written on a piece of paper are much easier and faster, and most importantly, can be sorted more accurately, so don’t waste time on notes.
You can also rewrite the list in squares for clarity, especially as soon as you start using the Eisenhower method, but this is not necessary.
As you already understand, the essence of working with the Eisenhower principle: division of tasks and concentration on the first two squares.
Working in accordance with the Eisenhower principle will help reduce the number of rush jobs at work and you will become more accomplished.
P.S. If you have difficulties or questions about the article you read, as well as about the topics: Psychology (bad habits, experiences, etc.), sales, business, time management, etc. ask them to me, I will try to help. Consultation via Skype is also possible.
P.P.S. You can also take the online training “How to get 1 hour of extra time.” Write comments and your additions;)
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Every day we have to make hundreds of decisions, and the higher the position, the more decisions we have to make. How to separate the important from the unimportant? One simple yet productive method is the Eisenhower Square, also known as the Eisenhower Matrix. This system, with , works great for both daily and long-term planning. Below you will learn about the author of this technique (he was an extraordinary person), as well as about the features of using the “Eisenhower Square” technique itself.
Dwight Eisenhower lived one of the most productive lives you can imagine.
Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, serving two terms from 1953 to 1961. During his tenure, he initiated programs that directly led to the development of the Interstate Highway System in the United States, the launch of the Internet (DARPA), space exploration (NASA), and the peaceful use of alternative energy sources (Atomic Energy Act).
Before becoming president, Eisenhower was a five-star general (the highest rank), serving as the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe during World War II, and was responsible for planning and executing the invasion of North Africa, France and Germany.
He also served as president of Columbia University, became the first Supreme Commander of NATO, and somehow found time to continue his hobbies of golfing and oil painting.
Eisenhower had the incredible ability to maintain his productivity not just for a few weeks or months, but for decades. And for this reason, his time management, task management and productivity techniques have been studied by many people.
His most famous productivity strategy is known as the “Eisenhower Square.” It's a simple decision-making tool that you can start using right away. Let's talk about how to be more productive and how Eisenhower's strategy works.
"Eisenhower Square": How to be more productive
Eisenhower's strategy for taking action and organizing tasks is very simple. It uses a decision matrix (in the picture below), in which you will distribute your actions based on four possibilities:
Urgent and important (tasks that should be done immediately).
Important but not urgent (tasks that can be scheduled to be done later).
Urgent but not important (tasks that can be delegated to someone else).
Not urgent and not important (tasks that can be eliminated).
The great thing about this matrix is that it can be used for both long-term productivity plans (“How should I spend my time each week?”) and small daily tasks (“What should I do today?”) .
Note: I created the Eisenhower Square template as a spreadsheet. You can download this template for your personal use at the bottom of the article. (By the way, I translated this template into Russian, and if you want to get it - .
Difference between urgent and important
What is important is rarely urgent, and what is urgent is rarely important.
— Dwight Eisenhower
Urgent tasks are those tasks that need to be responded to quickly: letters, phone calls, texts, news. Meanwhile, in the words of Brett McKay: “Important tasks are tasks that contribute to our long-term mission, values and goals.”
Separating these urgent and important tasks is easy enough to do once, but doing it consistently can be extremely challenging. The reason I like the Eisenhower Square method is that it provides a clear framework for making decisions on an ongoing basis. And like everything in life, consistency is the tricky part.
Here are some other observations I made using this method:
Liquidation before optimization
A few years ago, I was reading about programming and came across an interesting quote:
"There is no faster code than no code"
— Kevlin Henney
In other words, the fastest way to get something done—get your computer to read lines of code or cross a completed task off your to-do list—is to eliminate that task entirely. There is no faster way to do something than to not do it at all. Of course, this is not a reason to be lazy, but a suggestion to force yourself to make difficult decisions and remove any task that does not lead you towards your mission, values or goals.
Too often we use productivity techniques, time management, and optimization as an excuse to avoid the really important question: “Should I actually be doing this?” It's much easier to stay busy and tell yourself that you just need to be a little more efficient or "work a little later tonight" than to eliminate a task that you're simply comfortable doing. But in fact, this is not the most effective use of your time. (Personally, I like the test phrase “Are you busy or are you productive?”).
As Tim Ferriss says, “Being busy is a form of laziness—lazy thinking and indiscriminate action.”
I find the Eisenhower method particularly useful because it forces me to question whether the action is really necessary, which ultimately means moving the task into the Delete quadrant rather than mindlessly repeating them. And honestly, if you just eliminate all the things you waste your time on every day, then you probably won't need any advice on how to be more productive in doing the work that really matters.
Will this help me achieve my goal?
One final note: It can be very difficult to eliminate unnecessary activities if you are not sure what direction you are working in. In my experience, there are two questions that will clarify the entire Eisenhower method.
These two questions:
- What am I working for? What am I working on? What direction am I working in?
- What are the core values that I strive for in my life?
These are the questions I asked myself in my Annual Review and in my Progress Report. Answering these questions helped me clarify categories for certain tasks in my life. After this, deciding which tasks to do and which tasks to delete becomes much easier, because you will understand what is important to you.
The Eisenhower Method is not a perfect strategy, but I have found it to be a useful decision-making tool for increasing productivity and eliminating tasks that take up mental energy, time, and rarely lead me to my goals. I hope you find this method useful.
Original article: http://jamesclear.com/eisenhower-box
P.S.: Small bonus: Eisenhower Square template: I have Russianized the Eisenhower Square template into a table that you can download and use whenever you want to improve your productivity and eliminate wasted time. You can get it by contacting me and I will send you a copy of the table right away.
