Prioritization & Goal Setting

Eisenhower Matrix

Sort tasks by urgent and important so you know what to do now, schedule, delegate or drop.

Time: 10 to 15 min
With: Alone or with your team
You get: Tasks sorted into four quadrants and a clear next action

How to use this worksheet

Dump every open task in the "Do first" list (or the quadrant that fits best) without thinking too hard.
Ask two questions per task: does it need attention now (urgent)? does it move a goal forward (important)?
Move tasks to the right quadrant with the Move menu or by dragging.
Work from "Do first", block time for "Schedule", hand off "Delegate", and be ruthless with "Eliminate".

Your tasks

Add tasks to a quadrant, then move them until each one is where it belongs.

Do first

Urgent and important

Schedule

Not urgent, important

Delegate

Urgent, not important

Eliminate

Neither urgent nor important

Prompts

Ask yourself

Is it really urgent, or does it only feel urgent because someone is waiting?
What would happen if you did not do it at all?

Where your time goes

Before you finish

Each quadrant has a clear next action.
Important but not urgent work has time in your calendar.
Delegated tasks have an owner and a date.

About the Eisenhower Matrix

The method is attributed to Dwight D. Eisenhower, who is quoted as saying that what is important is seldom urgent and what is urgent is seldom important. Stephen Covey popularised the four quadrants in "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People".

Effective people spend most of their time in the "Schedule" quadrant, so that things rarely become urgent.