The Eisenhower Time Matrix
Have you heard of this – the Eisenhower Time Matrix? I heard about this tool a while ago but never really put it into action. Since I have been using it for the last few months though, I’m appreciative that I came across it again. I was already doing time blocking, which I find helpful. This tool helped me to better time block and eliminate or reduce tasks that I previously kept on my plate.
Here are the four quadrants and what they mean:
Quadrant I: Urgent and Important
Description: Tasks that require immediate attention and also contribute significantly to long-term goals.
Examples: Crises, deadline-driven projects, preparation for important meetings or events that show your competence, vision, communication, and empathy.
Action: Do these tasks immediately.
Quadrant II: Not Urgent but Important
Description: Tasks that are important for achieving long-term goals but do not require immediate attention.
Examples: Planning, relationship building, personal development.
Action: Schedule these tasks and make time for them.
Quadrant III: Urgent but Not Important
Description: Tasks that require immediate attention but do not contribute significantly to long-term goals.
Examples: Interruptions, some phone calls, emails, meetings.
Action: Delegate these tasks if possible.
Quadrant IV: Not Urgent and Not Important
Description: Tasks that do not contribute significantly to long-term goals and do not require immediate attention.
Examples: Trivia, some emails, time-wasters, social media browsing especially for the purposes of comparison.
Action: Eliminate these tasks or minimize the time spent on them.
What’s important about using this tool? How many spend too much time in Quadrants III and IV?
Sometimes we don’t even realize how much time we’re devoting to non-essential activities until it is brought to our attention. This tool is a good way to bring it to our attention.
For example, I was posting on LinkedIn 2-3 times a week because I like to write. I’ve decreased it to once a week. I believe it’s important to post for relationship building but certainly not urgent. Plus, I’m hoping the “I can help you make six figures in 90-days” BS will decrease. Also, my writing could be used elsewhere (e.g., articles, presentations, tools). I used the tool by tracking my activity for two weeks. That was enough time for me to see the patterns I was in.
What would your matrix look like?
#timemanagement #eisenhowermatrix #executivecoaching
