TasklingHow to prioritize tasks with the Eisenhower Matrix
The Eisenhower Matrix sorts tasks into four boxes by two questions: is it urgent, and is it important? Do the urgent and important now, schedule the important but not urgent, hand off or shrink the urgent but unimportant, and drop the rest.
Key takeaways
- Urgent is about time. Important is about what matters to you.
- The important but not urgent box is where progress lives.
- A daily version takes two minutes.
The four boxes
| Urgent | Not urgent | |
|---|---|---|
| Important | Do it now. A deadline today, a bill due. | Schedule it. Exercise, planning, learning, health. |
| Not important | Hand it off or keep it short. Most interruptions. | Drop it. Mindless scrolling, busywork. |
A two minute daily version
- Write everything on your mind.
- Star anything with a real deadline today.
- Circle the one thing that matters most this week.
- Do the starred items, then the circled one.
- Cross out one thing you will simply not do.
Common traps
- Everything feels urgent. Ask what happens if it waits a day.
- The important box keeps slipping. Give it a fixed part of the day.
- Saying no feels rude. Try "not this week" instead.
Try it in Taskling
Use priorities in the to do list to sort by High, Medium and Low, and drag your important but not urgent task into the Morning, when energy is highest.
Quick answers
Who invented the Eisenhower Matrix?
It is named after US President Dwight Eisenhower, who was known for separating urgent from important decisions. The matrix was popularized later by productivity writers.
How often should I use it?
A quick version daily and a fuller version once a week works well for most people.
Guides and research
Guides and research
Guides and research