How to use the Eisenhower Matrix
My to-do list is never-ending, how do I manage it?
Do you struggle with where to start? Are you paralyzed by overwhelm? Decision fatigue? Managing your time? Does any of this sound familiar?
As business owners, we often wear many hats and are pulled in various directions - from client meetings to fixing the printer and cleaning the bathroom. Naturally, we’re drawn to the urgent and neglect the important. Often things take up valuable brain space that doesn’t necessarily need to be. Once you have a tool to identify and prioritize that never-ending to-do list, you can get parts of your brain back!
What is it?
The Eisenhower Matrix
The matrix was developed by Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th president of the United States.
The simple tool will help you compartmentalize between what’s in your brain and what’s important, not important, urgent, and not urgent.
Who can define for us with accuracy the difference between the long and short term! Especially whenever our affairs seem to be in crisis, we are almost compelled to give our first attention to the urgent present rather than to the important future.”
— Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1961 address to the Century Association
How does it work?
Step 1: Before we dive in! You must brain dump everything in your head, anything you’re thinking. Don’t say, “Ohh, that doesn’t belong here.” Just go with it. At Tandem Works, we don’t keep this strictly work because we don’t believe in drawing those lines. We’ll. save that for another day.
Step 2: Draw a quadrant on a small whiteboard with wipe-off markers or a blank piece of paper and label it like the drawing pictured here.
Step 3: Label the quadrants - here’s two ways to label.
Urgent and important: Work on these immediately.
Important but not urgent: Can be scheduled for later.
Urgent but not important: These tasks need to be completed immediately not mission-critical, you could hand these tasks off.
Not urgent or important: These tasks can be eliminated or you know you aren’t tackling it right now.
This is how we look at the quadrants.
Do: Do them today.
Decide/Schedule: Decide when to schedule these and schedule now.
Delegate: Hand off any tasks that don’t need your brain power. If you can’t hand them off, schedule them.
Delete/Later: Delete necessary tasks, or if you know you can’t tackle to later, save them till you can.
Step 4: Move your to-do list to the whiteboard. Use the sample below to help you identify where to move your to-do list. Keep your goals in mind and remember which items on your to-do list will help get you there.
Here’s a list of to-dos or sometimes ideas that have come across on a brain dump from time to time. Go through each one and evaluate which quadrant it should go in.
Client workshop materials need to be printed for tomorrow
Bottled water for the workshop
Kids need to be picked up from school
My gas tank is on E
What are we having for dinner?
I need to get back to CLIENT A, B, C
Checks need to be deposited
The accountant is waiting on a signature
The American Red Cross keeps calling - I need to give blood
Client A needs me to review
Two blogs need to be written
Checks need to be signed
Review social posts for Social SideKick due on Friday
Touch up paint in backroom at studio
Schedule a brainstorming session for a new client
Archive and clean desktop
Examples:
Client workshop materials need to be printed for tomorrow. It’s urgent and important. I could delegate it or just schedule 5 minutes right after this exercise and do it.
Bottles water for the workshop, delegate - it’s not mission critical. Can’t delegate it. Schedule it.
Kids need to be picked up from school - you just have to do it and get gas on the way. Schedule. Schedule. Schedule.
Checks need to be deposited. Can your bank account wait? It doesn't have to be done today. Great, schedule it!
The key is to schedule everything in your calendar, and remove it from just hanging out in your brain!
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