The Eisenhower Matrix: Time and Task Management ...

The Eisenhower Matrix (sometimes called the Eisenhower Box or Eisenhower Decision Matrix) is an easy, yet an extremely effective way to prioritize and manage ... TheEisenhowerMatrix:TimeandTaskManagementMadeSimple TheEisenhowerMatrixistheanswertotimeandtaskmanagementissuescausedbybadprioritizing. Theinventoroftheprinciple TheEisenhowerMatrixisnamedafterDwightDavidEisenhower–anAmericanarmygeneralandstatesmanwhoservedasthe34thPresidentoftheUnitedStatesfrom1953to1961.DuringWorldWarII,hewasafive-stargeneralintheUnitedStatesArmyandservedasSupremeCommanderwhopreparedthestrategy foranAlliedinvasionof Europe. Dwightmadetoughdecisionscontinuouslyaboutwhichofthemanytasksheshouldfocusoneachday.Thisfinallyledhimtoinventtheworld-famous EisenhowerMethod,whichtodayhelpsusprioritizebyurgencyandimportance.ThroughtheEisenhowerprinciplesofplanning,prioritizing,delegating,andschedulingyouwillstarttoseetherightthingstodoinordertoachieveyourgoalsandbemoreproductive. HowtousetheEisenhowerMatrix TheEisenhowerMatrix(sometimescalledtheEisenhowerBoxorEisenhowerDecisionMatrix)isaneasy,yetanextremelyeffectivewaytoprioritizeandmanagetasksandyourtime. Itisasystemthatbasicallymakesyouseparateallyouractivitiesintofourprioritylevels,oneofwhich(NotImportant/NotUrgent)isimmediatelydropped,soreallyit’sonlythreecategoriesofattention-worthytaskstofocuson(seethepicturebelow). DOwnloadfreeeisenhowermatrixtemplatenow “Important”and“Urgent”tasks. Thesereceivethehighestprioritylevelandshouldbeyourprimaryfocustocompleteassoonaspossible(mostoftenonthesameday).“Important”,but“NotUrgent”tasks. Thesearethelong-termgoalsandtasksthatareimportant butdon’thaveafirmdeadlineyet. Youshouldscheduletheminatimelymanner,doingthemosturgentonesrightafteryou’vefinishedeverythingfromthe“Do”quadrant.“NotImportant”,but“Urgent”tasks. Thesetasksaretheonesyoucandelegatetootherprofessionalsorappointtocompleteyourselfifyoumust,butonlyafteryourfirstandsecondquadranttasksarecompleted.“NotImportant”and“NotUrgent”tasks. Thetasksareplacedinthe“Delete”quadrantbecauseyoushouldeliminatedoingthem.Thismayvaryduetotheperceptionofurgencyandimportance,butmainlythesetasksdon’tevenneedtobedoneandwouldbeconsideredacompletewasteoftimebymostpeople. The"Do"quadrant Wecallthefirstquadrant“Do” asthesetasksareveryimportantandjustneedtobedonepreferablyonthesamedayandnotlaterthanthenextday. Thesearethetasksthatneedtobedoneinordertoavoidnegativeconsequences.Examplesofthe“Do”quadrantwouldbe crises,deadlines,urgentproblems.Theseareusuallythemosttimeandenergyconsumingtasksoftheday.Youknow-theonesyoureallydon’twanttostartduetotheamountofenergyyou’llhavetoinvestinthem…YoushoulduseMarkTwain’s Eatthefrogfirst principleforthiskindoftasks.Thisworksbecauseyou’remorelikelytoenjoycompletingthenextitemonyourlistonceyouhavecompletedthefirstone.Also,itisagreatwaytodisciplineyourselfandgainhigherself-respectwhenyouacknowledgethecompletionofthehardestto-doitem. Thetasksonthe“Do”quadrantareimportantandurgentafterall,sostartwiththemandyou’llseehoweasyeverythingelsewillseemmucheasiertocarryoutaftercompletingthem.Agreatwaytomakesureyouexecuteonthesetasksisto usePomodorotechnique,whichwouldhelpyoufocusonthetaskmoreproductively.Readmoreabout Pomodorotechniquehere. Youneedtodedicate oneplace whereyouwillwritedownyour“Do”tasksdailytomakeplanningwiselyahabitthatsticks.InOfficeHeroplanner,thereisdedicatedspacedailyandmonthlytopindownthetasksthatareImportantandUrgentandevenbreakingthemdownintoactionablesteps.Checkitouthere.  The"Decide"quadrant ThesecondquadrantofTheEisenhowerMatrixwecall “Decide“.Thesetasksareimportantbutlessurgent.Efficienttimemanagersleavefewerthingsunplannedandthereforetrytomanagemostoftheirworkinthesecondquadrant,reducingstressbyterminatingurgentandimportantto-dostoareasonabledateinthenearfuturewheneveranewtaskcomesin.Remember–onlybecausethesearenotconsideredasurgentdoesn’tmeanyoushouldn’tschedulerealisticdeadlines,somakesuretosetyourselfafairtimeestimate.Youshould organizeandplan tasks likethisinto yourdaily/weeklyto-dolists. Trytofollowthetipsavailableinthisarticletomakethemostefficientto-dolistsforthiskindoftasks.  Organizetaskssmarter. UsethededicatedspacesinOfficeHeroPlannerthatisdesignedspecificallytohelpyouplan,scheduleandexecuteyourtasksinaproductivemanner!Learnmore The"Delegate"quadrant Wecallthethirdquadrantlikethisbecausethetasksarelessimportanttoyouthantoothersbutstillprettyurgent.Thisiswherehavingateamspiritcomescrucialinanycompanyculture.Thesearetasksthattechnicallyyoucoulddoyourself,butsuggestingabetterpersonforthejobmeansimprovedteamworkandmoretimeforyoutocompletethetasksfromthefirsttwoquadrants.Youshouldkeeptrackofdelegatedtasksbytelephone,e-mailorwithinameetingtocheckontheirprogresslater.Delegatingwithoutatrackingoptionisasworthlessasnotdoingthetaskatallbecauseintheendnobodycouldbeheldaccountable.Andnobusinessneedstaskspilingupwithoutanyonetakingcareofthem. Therearemanytaskandtimemanagementtoolsavailablenowadaysthatcouldhelpyouwithtrackingtheprogress.We’resureyoucanfindtheonethatfitsyourworkspecificfromourUltimateproductivitytoolguide. The"Delete"quadrant Thelastquadrantiscalled“Delete”becauseitmakesyouconsiderthethingsyoushouldnotbedoingatalland“delete”themfromyourdaily/weeklyroutine.Discoverandstopthebadhabitsthatbasicallyareacompletewasteoftimeanddonotmakeyouproductive.Thesearerealtime-wasters,suchassurfingtheinternetwithoutareasonorspendingtimeonnotimportantandnoturgentemails.Usethisplannertowritedown“Delete”tasksinthededicatedmonthlyareaof“Not-To-Dos”. Setoutspecifictimesduringthedaywhenyouwillcheckemails,answerphonecallsoranyotherincomingcorrespondence(unlessyouworkincustomerservice,wherethesetasksfallintothecategoryof“Do”).Anddon’tdoanyofthesetasksoutsideofthesettimings. UseoneofsocialmediablockingtoolsavailableonourUltimateProductivityToolGuidetoletthemdothejobofrestrictingyouraccesstosuchdistractionsduringworkhours. GuidelinesforusingTheEisenhowerMatrix: Maketo-dolists.Thisfreesyourmindfromconstantmemorization.Plus,thiswayyou’llholdyourselfaccountableforthetasksyouhaveprioritizedon.   Setalimitoftasksyoucanincludeinonequadrant.Weloveworkingwithaformulaofnomorethan8tasksperquadrant.   Alwaysquestionwhatisworthdoingfirst.UseMarkTwain’s Eatthefrogfirst principle fortasksfromthe“Do”and“Decide”quadrants. Eatingthefrogfirstwillgiveyoutremendousenergyandmomentum.    UsethePomodorotechnique tomakethemostofyourworkday.FocusononetaskonlyduringonePomodorosession.   Planintheeveningbeforeandreviewearlyinthemorning,thenworkonyourstuff.   Eliminatedistractions.Donotletothersdefineyourpriority.  Goodheadphonescanblockoutambientnoise.Ifyourco-workersareignoringboundariesstatuslightsas Luxafor canstopthemfrombotheringyouduringyourpeakperformancehours.   Usetoolstohelpyoustayoffthebadhabits,suchassocialmediablockingtoolstostopyoufrombrowsingduringtheworkinghours.   Keeptrackofthetasksyoudelegatetootherstoseetheprogresswiththehelpoftaskandtimemanagementtools.   Finally,trynottoprocrastinatethatmuch.Notevenbyover-managingyourto-dos. DownloadFREEprintableEisenhowerMatrixTemplate! DOwnloadtemplatenow Lookingformanagementjobs?Clickhere Help HelpCenter LuxaforProductManuals Products Blog Download Terms&PrivacyPolicy AffiliateProgram OurCompany Legalinformation:Companyname:GreynutSIALegaladdress:38/3-112CAnninmuizasbulvarisRigaLV-1067LatviaOfficeandwarehouse:2SportastreetRiga,[email protected]+37127755544 FollowUs Facebook-fTwitterLinkedin-in SIAGreynutirnoslēdzis14.03.2018līgumuNr.SKV-L-2018/73arLatvijasInvestīcijuunattīstībasaģentūruparatbalstasaņemšanupasākuma“Starptautiskāskonkurētspējasveicināšana”ietvaros,kolīdzfinansēEiropasReģionālāsattīstībasfonds. notsurehowtouseeisenhowermatrix? Getyourfreetemplatenow! Getyourfreetemplatenow! Keepyourto-doswithyou,sortedbyurgency,importance,andpriority! SubscribetoourproductivitynewsbelowandgetafreeprintableEisenhowerMatrixtemplatesenttoyourinboxinstantly! yes,sendittomenow! Bysigningupyouagreetoourtermsandconditions.Youcanunsubscribeatanytime. LOOKINGFORAMOTIVATIONBOOST? 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