What is the Eisenhower Matrix used for? The Eisenhower Matrix is a personal effectiveness tool. B

34 US President Dwight David Eisenhower was a very busy man. In order to manage to get more done in a day, he created his own effective time management tool, which today is called the Eisenhower Matrix or Priority Matrix. What is the essence of the method?

What is the Eisenhower Matrix?

The idea of the Eisenhower matrix is to learn to quickly distinguish between important matters from minor ones and those that do not require attention at all. Eisenhower proposed to divide all current and planned cases into 4 categories according to the principle of urgency and importance. For clarity, he drew a square and divided it into 4 fields. Each of the fields contained a to-do list:

1 field: Important and urgent matters;
2 field: Important, but not very urgent matters;
3rd field: Not important, but urgent matters;
4th field: Not important and not urgent matters.

How to work with the Eisenhower square?

Consider the Eisenhower square in more detail:

Important and urgent matters. What would you put in this category? How many urgent and important things could be written in this square? The trick is that planning according to Eisenhower can only be called effective when the very first square is always clean, without a single entry. If you have a list of tasks that you can attribute to this field of the matrix, then something is interfering with your productive work: laziness, lack of self-discipline, inability to set priorities correctly, etc. All this leads to the appearance of rush jobs, which has a bad effect on the mental and physical condition of a person.
Important but not very urgent matters. Eisenhower, creating his time management system, was sure that this particular category was the most important. To place a task here in a timely manner and take up its execution means the opportunity to devote as much time as necessary to solving the problem. So, for example, a timely visit to the doctor will prevent the disease, and writing a student thesis slightly ahead of schedule will leave room for error correction.
Not very important, but urgent matters. This field of the Esenhower Matrix is intended to place cases here that interfere effective work and therefore require immediate elimination. For example, fixing a computer breakdown, helping your mother-in-law transport furniture to the country house, etc.
Not urgent, not important. In the matrix of priorities there is also a place for the things that we do daily in order to distract ourselves from work.
These are long phone conversations, watching TV shows, friend tapes, writing letters, etc. That is, all those things that are pleasant, but not mandatory. Eisenhower, speaking of priorities, called such activities "time wasters" that negatively affect work productivity.

It will be more convenient to work with the Eisenhower square if:

Arrange the tasks in each field in order of importance, numbering them in Latin letters or numbers. It is worth taking on more urgent and important matters first;
Focus mainly on the things from square 2. If the things from the list of not very urgent, but important, fall into the square of important and urgent things, it's not scary. The main thing is that such a movement does not become a trend;
Set long-term goals for yourself and outline the tasks to achieve them step by step. Distribute tasks by squares;
Do not be distracted from the current task by smoking breaks, viewing mail and other things.

Thus, the matrix created by President Eisenhower is an effective time management tool that has been successfully used in practice for more than half a century.

The Eisenhower Matrix as a Prioritization Tool

There is an opinion that this method was used by General Dwight Eisenhower.

He compiled a case classification matrix that he used to organize his time more efficiently, and it helped him succeed in becoming President of the United States.

All cases, according to the Eisenhower matrix, can be divided into four categories according to their importance and urgency.

Let's take a closer look at each of these categories.

A. Important and urgent. Cases in this category must be done immediately. The most appropriate word for them is "hands down".

Tomorrow is the exam, but the tickets have not yet been learned, and one has to hurriedly finish learning what has been put off for a long time for later.

"We must live in such a way that important things do not turn into urgent ones."

B. Important and non-urgent. Cases of this category are the most “offended”, we pay the least attention to them, because they are not urgent! “Time endures,” we think about such matters and put them on the back burner. “The exam is so far away, the whole semester is ahead, you can not think about it yet

about preparation ... Well, there is still a month before the exam, I will have time to learn everything ... Another whole week ahead, there is time ... ”And gradually, due to our neglect of the affairs of the category AT they turn into category cases BUT. And now it’s the last night before the exam, and we are feverishly trying to remember at least something, and our head is spinning: “Oh, I should have started preparing earlier!” To avoid a similar scenario of events in your life, to the cases of the category AT should be approached as an investment that needs to be made today in order to make a profit tomorrow.

WITH. unimportant and urgent . Tricky things that like to "pretend to be important." They cleverly disguise themselves as deeds of the category BUT, and they often manage to trick us: it is human nature to confuse importance and urgency, which is what category C tasks take advantage of. It is these tasks that create an atmosphere of fuss, bustle and eternal haste, but for some reason this state of affairs is often considered an indicator of active work. But even at the beginning of the 20th century. F. Taylor, a classic of the scientific organization of labor, noted that a well-organized enterprise is one where no one runs anywhere, does not fuss, and all things are done slowly, but on time and with high quality. Look carefully at your personal corporation "I". How are things with you?

D. Unimportant and non-urgent("trash bin"). These types of cases include our time wasters. They are often pleasant and interesting, so we prefer to spend our best hours on them, and then we can’t remember where so much time has gone? It is necessary to “finance” such cases according to the residual principle, otherwise they will “eat up” the entire budget of our time. If we follow this principle, they may well turn from absorbers into our helpers.

Make it a rule: “I will write an essay on economics, do a task on time management, and if there is free time, I will play for an hour

into a computer game”, and strictly follow it. Then the important work will be done, and there will be time for entertainment.

Benefits of the Eisenhower Matrix:

- easy to use;

- allows you to reduce the number of unimportant cases;

- helps to quickly identify priority tasks and cases.

Stephen Covey Time Management Matrix

Stephen Covey was one of the few people on the planet who knew how to properly manage every minute of time.

Covey worked on the author's time management system for several years, having invested in it all the practical experience that he had accumulated over hundreds, and maybe thousands, of consultations of businessmen and just business people who dream of squeezing everything out of time. Until the very last drop.

Stephen has written several books on productivity. The most famous The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. It describes the habits that you need to adhere to in order to become more productive.

Briefly about each of the habits:

Be proactive. Change the world around you to create a comfortable environment for achieving goals, self-realization and creation. Ignore factors that are beyond your control, such as politics
Get started with your end goal in mind. All your actions should be directed towards achieving this goal.
Make up time management matrix and give priority to important and at the same time non-urgent tasks
Act on strategy win-win(won-won).

In any problem, there are always 2 sides (participants). Think about how to solve it simultaneously and in the most beneficial way for everyone
First seek to understand the person, to be understood is a matter of second importance. Develop empathic listening - accepting emotions, feelings, and not just words from a person. And don't forget to give your
Strive to catch the synergistic effect. Synergy means that the whole is always greater than its constituent parts. The effect appears when working on difficult tasks, as well as when working in a team
Sharpen your saw. Continually improve your planning, communication and empathy skills

The most interesting and unusual item of the above is the third item: "The Time Matrix".

What is a time management matrix and how to work with it

A matrix is a template by which one can determine task order.

Physically matrix is a square divided into 4 smaller squares. measured horizontally urgency, and vertically importance.

Any new business must be correlated with one of the squares and, depending on the chosen square, a specific action must be taken, for example, immediately take on the implementation or postpone it for later.

Case options

Stephen Covey's time management matrix suggests 4 options for the development of actions.

If the case urgent and important, it needs to be done right now. The proportion of such cases can reach up to 40-50%. Covey argues that urgent and important tasks contribute little to achieving your main goals. The presence of a large number of such cases, first of all, speaks of an emergency, and therefore, of improper organization of working time and low personal productivity.

If the case urgent and important, then for its implementation you need to allocate the maximum amount of time, attention and resources. It is these things that lead you to your goals, which means that the benefits from the implementation are maximum.

If the case urgent and unimportant, you need to delegate (instruct) it. Try to find a performer for whom this task is important. This way you save your own time.

If the case unimportant and unimportant- don't do it. Sometimes it is psychologically difficult to refuse to perform, because the idea has already strengthened in the mind that the task must be completed. If you can’t show willpower and overcome yourself, put the task on a separate “To Do Someday” list.

How to manage a lot of cases using the matrix

Most likely, you are a very busy person and the number of your cases is measured in dozens.

Trying to keep them in your head or write them down on paper is counterproductive.

We present you LeaderTask - a specialized program for analyzing cases. LeaderTask supports Stephen Covey's time management methodology.

Create 4 folders (projects) in the program to work on the time matrix:

Start filling them with tasks:

Try LeaderTask to work on the Covey time management matrix.

Download LeaderTask

The Eisenhower Matrix (bearing the name of the 34th President of the United States, who invented it) is one of the time management methods for prioritizing the tasks of the day. 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 sort your tasks (for example, the tasks of the day) there according to their importance and urgency.

Important and urgent matters are those that are very important and cannot be delayed. Without them, everything will collapse, and it will be too late to make 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; an unscheduled trip to the dentist, traumatologist or other specialist; urgent phone 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.

Things that are important but not urgent are important things that will soon become urgent. If you do not plan to wait for this and arrange an unnecessary race for yourself, then pay close attention to these matters. Examples of such cases: current (planned) work on your projects; planning new projects; evaluation of the results obtained by projects.

Things are not important, but urgent. As a rule, things that do not bring you closer to the goal, whatever it may be, fall into this square, these are things that need to be done, but only in order to do them. Happy birthday (it turns out that Vasya was born today), the unexpected arrival of guests and other unplanned, imposed meetings that cannot be refused. If you can delegate something from this, instruct someone, do it by all means.

Not important and not urgent things - this is the most disgusting category of cases. They are not important, they are not urgent, but they are what you want to do. These are your time wasters - reading glossy magazines, computer games, TV viewing and Internet surfing.

Important: many people start doing garbage when they are just tired. When you want, you want. So, this is the wrong decision. That's right - plan a quality vacation (this category is Important, but not urgent) and have a quality rest, and not engage in garbage.

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 often empty for you: and this is quite real if you more often deal with the affairs of the "Important, but not Urgent" square. This is how professionals work!

It will be useful for you to determine how effectively you spend your time, whether you know how to set priorities and delegate responsibilities.

Write out a plan for one day from your weekly / diary. What did you do, what tasks
decided who you met with, who prevented you from working, how much time did it take? Divide what you have done into the four quadrants of the Eisenhower Matrix, indicating the time spent.

Calculate how the time was distributed over the four quadrants?

Processing of results.

Quadrant I - those cases that require immediate resolution. They are both urgent and important, and so
and shout about themselves: “Do it! Make up your mind! Answer the letter! Meeting! Prepare a report!

What did you receive?
If the I quadrant has grown disproportionately, this means that dates and dates control you, not you your life. Maybe you just dragged everything to the last limit? After all, it is very possible that the affairs of quadrant II, which are also important, but not urgent, have become urgent, because you did not have time to complete them in deadlines? You lack a strategic approach to the problem. The manager, and just a person who finds himself in such a situation, is under the daily sword of Damocles of stress caused by an enduring crisis situation. You have neither the time nor the strength to think about long-term plans, prepare proposals for a new product, your friends, with whom you value relationships so much, have forgotten how you look. You catch up with the departing train, and at one point you will find yourself on an empty platform with a broken heart.

Why?
You set priorities incorrectly, do not know how to delegate responsibilities, do not trust
to your employees, pull all the burdens on yourself. In this state of affairs, it is difficult for you to
count for an increase, because You do not have an opinion, a vision for the future of the company, you are completely busy
important issues of today.

What to do?
Learn to delegate responsibilities, educate yourself a deputy, an understudy, if you want, who will replace you if necessary. Prepare a list of duties that your employees can perform instead of you. Review the priority list. Move the center of gravity of your activity to quadrant II.

Golden rule: A crisis is easier to prevent than to resolve.

Quadrant II. Important, but not urgent - great philosophy! If you managed to allocate your time in such a way that quadrant II turned out to be the most filled with cases, you can be sincerely congratulated!

What did you receive?
You perfectly know how to “separate the wheat from the chaff”, concentrate on the main thing, have your own view on everything, because you have enough time to calmly think about current and future projects. You have good business relations with your colleagues, you have someone to turn to with a question and for advice, if necessary.

Why?
Your prioritization system is well suited to your particular activity.
You know how to delegate responsibilities and do not waste time solving other people's problems.

Quadrant III. No matter, but urgent? Insignificant trifles, short-term goals, momentary interests and problems.

What did you receive?
Don't you think that you plug up all the holes? Or did you arrange it yourself? Why are you doing the most unimportant part of the job? Who does everything else for you?

If, in addition, the second place in terms of time spent in your matrix is occupied by quadrant IV, then you are the first candidate for dismissal.

Why?
For some reason, you have chosen only unimportant ones from all your job responsibilities. Moreover, you yourself have determined what is the main thing for you, and what is vanity of vanities. If you yourself admit that you waste time on unimportant tasks, then why do you do this? You have neither clear goals nor plans, both for the near future and for the long term. It looks like sabotage, and you yourself will suffer from it first of all.

What to do?
If you are going to look for another job, think first, what recommendation from your current management can you count on with such labor enthusiasm? It's probably better to put things in order at your present place of work, so that your boss will let you go with tears in his eyes and a promise to take you as soon as you want to come back. To do this, you need to “simply” shift the center of gravity of your affairs to quadrant II, become an indispensable and really necessary employee. To do this, you need to immediately review the list of priorities, schedules for completing tasks, and master all the time-saving techniques. You have nowhere to retreat, you are in a crisis that can end badly!

Quadrant IV. Unimportant and non-urgent matters. What are you paid for? You don't mind spending
your life to do worthless deeds? Comments are superfluous.

"Urgent things are usually not the most important,
and the important ones are not the most urgent.”
D. Eisenhower

A preliminary analysis of your Eisenhower Matrix has shown that people who are striving and achieving success avoid doing things from quadrants III and IV.

If most of your cases are in quadrants I and III, it is useful for you to read the note: Quadrants I and III

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In the endless stream of everyday activities, you can easily get confused, because every day there are more and more of them. Yesterday's unfinished business becomes today's, and what we did not have time to do today is automatically shifted to tomorrow. As a result, so many things can accumulate that you can’t make out later: what has been done, what is in the process, and what else is just waiting in the wings.

Such or detailed situations often occur in 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 do not really know how to plan their activities themselves, although this is not at all difficult. It just doesn't get the attention it deserves.

However, today there are many excellent planning techniques that allow you to learn how to rationally use your time resource and extract the 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 and is used by many people around the world: from ordinary employees and middle managers to CEOs 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 a lot of all sorts of things related to his activities. For this reason, he was engaged in optimizing his work schedule and to-do list. The result of his research was the matrix we are considering.

The meaning of the Eisenhower matrix is mainly to learn how to correctly distribute all your tasks, distinguish between important and urgent, not urgent from the least important, and also to reduce the time to the maximum for doing any business that does not give any significant results. Let's talk about how it all works in practice.

The essence of the Eisenhower matrix

The Eisenhower matrix consists of four quadrants, the basis of which are two axes - this is the axis of importance (vertically) and the axis of urgency (horizontally). As a result, it turns out that each quadrant differs in its qualitative indicators. All tasks and cases are recorded in each of the quadrants, thanks to which an extremely clear and objective picture of what should be done first, what should be done second, and what should not be done at all is formed. All this is quite simple, but it will not be superfluous to give a few explanations in any case.

Quadrant A: important and urgent matters

With ideal planning, this quadrant of the matrix should remain empty, since the appearance of important and urgent cases is an indicator of disorganization and the assumption of a blockage. This part of the schedule fills up for many people due to their inherent laziness and incorrect prioritization. Naturally, at times such cases can appear in every person, but if this happens daily, then it's time to pay attention to.

So, the appearance of cases in the A quadrant should be avoided. And for this, it is only necessary to fulfill the points of the remaining quadrants on time. But if something is still worth entering into the first quadrant, then this:

Cases, the failure of which adversely affects the achievement of goals
Things that, if not done, can cause difficulties and troubles
Cases related to health

It is also important to remember that there is such a thing as "delegation". This means that when there are cases in your A quadrant that can be delegated to someone, this opportunity should definitely be used in order to resolve other important and urgent matters as soon as possible.

Quadrant B: important but not urgent

The second quadrant deserves the most attention because the affairs that are in it are the most priority and promising, and it is from them that the daily tasks of any person should consist. It has been observed that people who are predominantly engaged in the affairs of this quadrant achieve the greatest success in life, get promoted, earn more money, have enough free time and live happy and fulfilling lives.

Pay attention also to the fact 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 potential to the fullest, independently think over all the nuances of his activity 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 they are 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 the B quadrant all current affairs related to the main activity, planning and analysis of work, training and, compliance with the optimal schedule and. Those. everything that makes up our daily routine.

Quadrant C: urgent but not important

The activities that are in this quadrant are for the most part distracting and do not bring the person closer to the intended results. Often they just get in the way of focusing on really important tasks and reduce efficiency. The main thing when working with the matrix is not to confuse urgent matters from the C quadrant with urgent matters from the A quadrant. Otherwise, confusion will arise and what should be done first remains in the background. Always remember your own and learn to distinguish the important from the secondary.

Things in the C quadrant include, for example, meetings or negotiations imposed by someone from the side, birthday celebrations of not very close people, sudden chores around the house, elimination of distractions that are not vital but require attention (a vase broke, a microwave broke a stove, a light bulb 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

Tasks related to the last quadrant do not bring any benefit at all. In many cases it is useful not only to deal with them last, but not to deal with them at all. Although you definitely need to know about them, because. they are the time wasters.

Another feature of the cases from this group is also interesting: they are very attractive to many people - these cases are easy to perform and give pleasure, allow you to relax and have a good time. Therefore, resisting the temptation to work out with them can be quite problematic. But it is absolutely necessary to do so.

In the D quadrant, 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 shows and various “stupefying” TV shows, computer games, etc. Of course, every person should periodically relax and somehow entertain himself, but there are more interesting and developing ways for this: reading, visiting gyms and swimming pools, trips to nature, etc. If you can’t or don’t want to completely rid yourself of doing things from the D quadrant, then you need to postpone their implementation at least until the moment when the things from the B and C quadrants are completed, and the time that will be devoted to the affairs of the D quadrant should be minimized. Here the well-known proverb will be appropriate for everyone: “Cause is time, fun is an hour.”

As soon as you master the Eisenhower matrix and learn how to correctly distribute your affairs within it, you will notice that you have quite a lot of new free time, you manage to do everything on time and without haste, all your affairs are in order, goals are achieved one after another, and you yourself are almost always in good mood and cheerful mood. It's all about being organized and focused. Probably, you yourself notice from time to time that disorganized people are always in the cycle of some incomprehensible affairs, they are always busy with something stupid, but “very important”, they look tired and annoyed. Many distinctive features can be cited. But this is not what is 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 great for this.

We wish you good luck and successful mastering your new skill!

Good afternoon, blog readers Your decision!

In this article I want to talk about the problem of an overloaded task list, which almost everyone encounters. modern man. How is it shown? The fact that we plan to complete all sorts of different tasks during the day or during the week, and at the end of this period we realize that we did not have time to do anything.

Why is it so? Why are we overwhelmed and do not have time to do what we planned?

Most often this is due to the fact that our planning is unrealistic. We overload our list of tasks, something needs to be deleted from it, but the question arises, “How can we delete something from it if we enter only necessary things into it?”

Special prioritization techniques can help us determine what needs to be done first, what we can delay, and what not to do at all.

One of the simplest and effective methods prioritization is the Eisenhower matrix. The idea belongs to US President Dwight Eisenhower. She became famous after Stephen Covey wrote about her in his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

Keeping busy is a form of laziness, lazy thinking, and indiscriminate action.
Tim Ferris

The Eisenhower matrix is based on, according to which 20% of our efforts give 80% of the result. Eisenhower improved on this principle.

The Eisenhower matrix is a square divided by two intersecting axes into 4 sectors or quadrants.
The vertical axis is “importance”, the horizontal axis is “urgency”.
Thus, we get 4 sectors:
sector A - "urgent and important"
sector B - "not urgent, but important"
sector C - "urgent, but not important"
sector D - "not urgent, not important"

Sector A: important, urgent

Combines things that need to be done first. They do not tolerate delay, to fulfill tomorrow - it will be too late. The regular appearance of such things on our list of tasks is usually the result of poor planning, disorganization, procrastination, etc. The ideal planning situation is an empty A quadrant.

Examples of Quadrant A cases:

loan payment
an unscheduled visit to the doctor when something already hurts a lot
call a plumber to repair a leaking pipe
laptop repair

Sector B: important, not urgent

This sector brings together cases that directly affect your personal effectiveness. The main difference between these cases and those in the A quadrant is the lack of urgency. This allows you to approach the solution of such problems more deliberately, which allows you to achieve greater results and efficiency. Quadrant B tasks should basically make up our to-do list for the day. You also need to remember that the affairs of sector B, if they are not given timely attention and time, can go to sector A.

Examples of quadrant B cases:

training, advanced training, courses and seminars, trainings
scheduled report
sports
quality rest
scheduled visit to the doctor (medical examination, preventive examinations)

Sector C: not important, urgent

Things that do not bring you closer to the goal, but you need to do them. The main mistake when working with the matrix is not to confuse the affairs of sector A and C, otherwise a situation will arise that you are spinning like a squirrel in a wheel, but the completed tasks do not bring you closer to the intended goal, and important tasks remain unresolved.

Examples of sector C cases:

email check
current calls
meetings
household chores (house cleaning)
meetings imposed by someone

Sector D: not important, not urgent

The sector brings together cases that waste our time, do not bring us any benefit at all. In other words, time wasted. But these tasks are very attractive for us, they are easy to perform, they allow us to have a good time and relax. Therefore, it is very difficult to resist them, but it is necessary to do it.

sit on social media
watching TV
chatting with colleagues

How can a matrix be useful in practice? There are two possible ways to use the Eisenhower matrix:

for planning
Often we do everything urgent, but unimportant things, and important and non-urgent things are postponed further and further. If we start planning our time and tasks according to the Eisenhower matrix, we can spend more time on important things that will bring us closer to the goal, and eliminate tasks that take time, effort, energy and rarely lead to the goal. How to use the matrix for planning, read in this article below.
to evaluate your effectiveness
The Eisenhower matrix clearly shows what tasks you perform. Such an analysis can be carried out at the end of the week or month. Regularly reviewing the tasks that you have been busy with during a certain period will increase your personal effectiveness.

What does it look like?

Write down the tasks that you completed during the day on a sheet of paper.
Divide the work done into four sectors with an indication of the time spent.
Calculate how the time and the number of tasks were distributed by sectors.
Result interpretation:
sector A
If sector A has grown, then you are not in control of your life. you are not engaged in strategic planning, do not know how to distribute the load among employees and delegate responsibilities.
sector B
If sector B is most filled with business, then you devote enough time to achieving your goals, you know how to concentrate on the main thing.
sector C
An increase in the affairs of sector C shows your lack of goals and plans. you waste your time on unimportant tasks.
sector D
The question arises, “What are you being paid for?”, and on a personal level, you are wasting your time.

The main difficulty in applying the Eisenhower matrix is the difficulty in determining the importance of a task. We often think that all tasks are important. how to determine the true importance of the task. How to highlight the really important tasks from all the tasks?

This is where the “Franklin method” comes in handy: the important is what is in line with the main goals of my life.

The main idea is that before prioritizing, you need to clearly define your goals for a certain period.
After that, we will supplement the Eisenhower matrix by placing our goals in its center. What is happening now? Now the assessment of the importance of all tasks for the day will be carried out relative to the goal.

The importance of the task is distinguished by the answer to 3 questions:

What happens if I don't do it today?
Can someone do it for me?
Is this task important to achieve the goal?

For example, your goal is to “pay off all loans and debts within a year.” We evaluate the importance of each task of the matrix precisely from the position of whether it will help to achieve the goal.

Practical implementation. Algorithm for applying the matrix for daily planning

Define goals. See if your goals match. From the list of your goals, select 1-3 goals that are more priority for this period. It is these goals that will be a beacon for you, which you need to focus on when classifying tasks by sectors.
Compose (day, week, month). Time management professionals advise you to plan your vacation as well.
Break it down.
Priority assessment. Distribute tasks by sectors, determining the importance of the task based on the goals set. Draw a sheet into 4 quadrants and fill in the matrix with tasks. If you are not inspired by the thought of drawing quadrants every day, you can mark the priorities with the letters: A, B, C and D. We put marks on your list opposite each task.
Three traffic light colors can be used for priorities: red (A quadrant), green (B quadrant), and yellow (C quadrant).
Fulfillment of assigned tasks:

important and urgent matters are done first. This is how the day should start.
after that, we move on to matters important, but not urgent. Most of our time and attention should be focused on the affairs of this sector.
only then to the rest of the cases.

Before you begin any task, first ask yourself the question “I have to do this?, “Can someone else do this?”.
The tasks of the C quadrant, as a rule, of a routine nature, which do not move you towards your goal, are recommended to be delegated or not done at all.

6. Monitoring the implementation of the plan
At this stage, analyze the implementation of the planned plan. Calculate in each quadrant of the matrix how many tasks are completed per day and how much time is spent on their execution. Rate your performance.

The more time you devote to the tasks of the B quadrant, the more effective you become and the faster you achieve your goals.

Move unfinished tasks to the list for the next day. If you've put off a task more than three times, consider whether it should be done at all. Chances are you'll be fine without it! Cross off such tasks from the list or do it immediately.

As you can see, the Eisenhower matrix is a simple working tool that facilitates planning and helps to monitor and analyze your activities. Leave your e-mail in the form at the end of the article and download the Eisenhower matrix daily planning template. The template is created in two formats: in an Excel spreadsheet and as a note template for Evernote.

To add a note with a template to your Evernote account, you need to right-click on the note in your Evernote account and select "Copy to Notebook" from the drop-down menu. Then select your notebook and click "Copy". Now you can make any changes to the template.
If you'll be using the matrix a lot, make the note template a shortcut! This will speed up note search and save you time!
Be sure to incorporate priorities into your case management system!

As soon as you learn how to properly distribute tasks within the Eisenhower matrix, you will have a considerable amount of extra time and, most importantly, you will quickly reach your goal.

Fill your every day with meaning and it will be YOUR DECISION!

It is very easy to get confused in the cycle of life events. Children are taught to distribute their time correctly by adults, who often put everything off until later. As a rule, this “later” never comes. All planned cases are smoothly pushed aside by others and in the end turn into one continuous lump of unresolved tasks.

The problem most often lies not in the number of cases, but in an irrationally drawn up schedule. People do not pay due attention to planning their activities. But, having spent quite a bit of personal time on learning the basics of time management, you can save a lot in the future. Then in life there will be a place not only for eternal problems, but also for yourself and your family. One of the simplest and most effective planning techniques is the Eisenhower principle.

What is the essence of technology?

The principle of the Eisenhower matrix is the competent distribution of tasks depending on the degree of their significance. It helps to break down the entire list of tasks into important and not important, urgent and not very important. Using the matrix, you can determine the period of time that will be needed to solve the problem, because something requires more attention, and some things are not worth five minutes spent on them.

To achieve success, you need to follow a certain algorithm. The order of necessary actions depends on the priority of tasks. As a rule, various factors prevent you from concentrating on one goal: personal problems, people around you, habits, and so on. The Eisenhower method can help to get rid of weaknesses and focus only on useful actions.

How did this principle come about, who formed it?

The thirty-fourth President of the United States of America, Dwight David Eisenhower, substantiated the described principle of time management. The politician could not leave a single task unsolved, so he tried to make his schedule as rational and optimized as possible. As a result, Eisenhower transformed all tasks into a matrix.

Today, the president's method is used by office workers, managers, and senior leaders. This suggests that this method of prioritization is indeed effective and relevant.

What is the Dwight Eisenhower Matrix?

The Eisenhower square (or principles is based on the construction of a matrix. The basis of the matrix is the axis of importance (abscissa) and the axis of urgency (ordinate). Their mutual intersection gives four squares, each of which is filled with tasks, according to their distribution.

So, for starters, it’s worth deciding what is important and what is urgent. Important tasks have the greatest impact, while urgent tasks require immediate execution. In general, a picture is formed that gives a complete picture of the state of affairs.

The matrix will allow you to set the right priorities - what can wait and what will not be delayed.

What is in box A?

The first square, located in the upper left corner, is called square A. The most important and urgent tasks are written in this cell. Ideally, this square should be empty, since a rationally distributed time allows you to avoid the presence of cases of this kind in principle.

Higher priority matters include:

health problems that usually occur at the most inopportune times;
something that can negatively affect the results of operations;
cases, failure to do which may lead to new problems.

Self-control of a person is responsible for the fullness of this square. After all, if new cases appear in cell A every day, the Eisenhower principle will not help. Here you should turn to time management in principle, but first you need to deal with all the cases that will fill square A in the short term.

Despite the highest priority of this square, it is possible to transfer the solution of the problems that fill the cell to someone else. But this is only if this is possible, and things do not necessarily require personal participation.

What tasks does square B involve?

This part of the matrix is filled with daily activities. As a rule, everything that deserves the most attention is included here. These are important, but not urgent matters, most of which are related to the main activity of a person. The low urgency of the tasks will allow you not to make sudden decisions, and a constructive and reasonable approach will make it possible to complete all matters more efficiently.

The activities of people who mainly solve problems from quadrant B are more productive. With good work results, such people have enough time for their personal lives, they do not experience constant stress. This square consists of tasks that are of little importance and, perhaps, to some extent everyday, but it is from them that human activity mainly consists.

Tasks from quadrant B have a strong impact on both morale and material condition. These are sports, diet, sleep, educational and work activities - those things that you can’t do without, but they usually pay the least attention, letting a lot go by themselves.

What cases are included in square C?

Square C includes those things that do not bring closer to the cherished goal, but, on the contrary, slow down events, postpone the implementation of really important tasks. Most often they require an urgent investment of time, but they distract and lead astray. Here it is important to always remember the results of your activities and goals and not switch to the secondary.

In this sector, you can safely include household chores and promises made to someone. In general, these matters are not so much important as urgent.

What is included in square D?

For people who do not know how to properly plan their time, things from this square take the most time. These tasks can rather be called not problems, but pleasant worries, which, moreover, do not bring absolutely any rational benefit. The influence of the square D must, if not be excluded, then at least try to reduce.

You should not replace rest with aimless monitoring of social networks, watching TV shows or series, empty chatter on the phone. You can also spend your free time for the benefit of yourself and those around you: family, relatives and friends.

Where is the Dwight Eisenhower principle used?

The described method of task distribution is used not only to rationalize time. Accelerated analysis according to the Eisenhower principle is used, for example, to determine the necessary functions of retail facilities. Product improvement at all stages of the life cycle is called This principle combines economic and technique by determining the relationship of product properties with the cost of it. The latter must be logical and payable.

What is the principle of Eisenhower in the FSA, studied by many experts from countries with market economies: France, Germany, Great Britain, USA. As a result, it was found that in order to determine the range of relevant functions of the object, it is important to observe the proportions between their necessity and cost. The Eisenhower principle in the FSA is to analyze the product and distribute its properties into three categories:

Category A. Main or fundamental functions: the direct purpose of the product, for the provision of which it is necessary to spend more money.
Category B. Secondary product features that are related to the main one. The presence of such additions is welcome, but the absence does not affect sales too much.
Category C. Extra features, the absence of which will in no way affect the quality of the product. By avoiding spending on add-ons that are completely unnecessary, you can save a lot.

The practice of applying the Eisenhower principle

It is absolutely not necessary to distribute tasks exactly in the form of a matrix - squared, but at first you can do just that to ensure visibility. It is convenient to convert the standard into several lists or overall plan, where cases from different squares are highlighted in color. So, for example, both urgent and important tasks (square A) can be written in red ink, important but not urgent in green (sector B), unimportant but urgent tasks (square C) in blue, and black - unimportant and non-urgent. At the same time, the degree of importance of a particular case should be assessed not in the mind, but on paper. In this way, the tasks take shape, and their implementation becomes more real.

Why should this method be used?

The principle can help change your life in terms of rationalizing your personal time. Using this method allows you to spend less time on unnecessary tasks and do the most promising things, as well as devote enough time to proper rest, avoiding the so-called time wasters: television, aimless wandering around the expanses of the Web, and the like.

A person who applies the principles of time management in his daily activities is not only more successful than others, according to statistics, but also healthier, as he does not experience constant stress associated with overload and constant deadlines. (the Eisenhower principle or any other) will help optimize your life activities in all areas.

Many of us multitask. We are constantly faced with situations where we have a lot to do. But how do you prioritize them? And how not to get confused in cases and deadlines?

Scheduling is not easy. Some of the work is carried over to the next day. And then new ones are added to them. As a result, the number of cases is growing. The skills of managing one's own working time are not taught either at school or in higher education. educational institutions. However, it is never too late to learn. We will talk about one of the most popular methods of task distribution. This technique is the Eisenhower Matrix. This method will allow you to plan things, separate priority tasks from less priority ones, and spend much less time clearing blockages.

This simple and popular Western countries, a method, is also spreading with us.

A bit of history

The Matrix was invented by none other than the 34th President of the United States of America, Dwight David Eisenhower. As a person in an extremely responsible position, he was constantly busy and every day had to perform a huge number of tasks of various kinds. In order not to accumulate constantly arising tasks, the president was constantly looking for a simple and understandable task scheduling tool that could be easily worked with. After numerous studies, Eisenhower finally found a method that has become universal for many.

So, what is the meaning of the matrix?

in the distribution of tasks. Based on simple examples, you will quickly learn to separate the main tasks from the less important ones and, finally, allocate space in the daily schedule for personal affairs.

The basis of the Eisenhower matrix is 4 quadrants. They are crossed by 2 axes:

importance axis
axis of urgency

In 4 squares, the matrix suggests entering all the cases that somehow excite you.

So the first quadrant. In it we enter the most important and urgent matters. The creator of this technique has always emphasized that if you correctly plan all your tasks, then this quadrant should be empty. But we are just starting to work on the matrix. If you write down tasks here, then you should pay attention to those that:

can not be omitted, because it will negatively affect the achievement of goals
cannot be omitted, because it will lead to negative consequences
cannot be omitted, because doing these things is related to health

Filling out this list, it's time to remember about delegation. If you can share an important and urgent problem with someone else: do it, do not hesitate to ask for help.

Second quadrant. It is proposed to enter important things in it, but the implementation of which does not require urgency. These are promising and really important tasks, on the fulfillment of which success depends. Although the urgency in completing these tasks is in second place, remember that this does not mean that you can forget about them before the deadline. Having a sufficient supply of time for execution, we approach solving problems more deliberately. What can be included here?

The following tasks:

related to sports
related to task planning and performance evaluation
that are related to work

Quadrant three. It includes urgent but unimportant matters. For the most part, on this list, you will have to put problems that distract you on the way to achieving your goals. For example, this list should include meetings and negotiations that you don’t need, but imposed by your superiors, that will not affect the achievement of your goals in any way. You can also write down sudden household problems associated with the breakdown of household appliances, etc.

Quadrant four. In it, Eisenhower suggests writing down unimportant and non-urgent matters. These are tasks that will not entail any benefit. They are offered to be dealt with only as a last resort, or not dealt with at all. Such tasks can be compared to elementary time wasters. So why not eliminate these cases altogether? These things seem to be pleasant to many. And time flies by imperceptibly.

What is the Eisenhower Matrix used for? The Eisenhower Matrix is a personal effectiveness tool. B - important but not urgent