Eisenhower Matrix. Or how to prioritize things? The Eisenhower Matrix: Quick Goal Setting and Control of Current Affairs How to work with the Eisenhower Matrix

Hello! In this article, we will talk about one of the most effective time management tools - the Eisenhower matrix.

Today you will learn:

• What is the Eisenhower Matrix;
• How can the matrix be used in Everyday life(with examples);
• What are some tips to save time.

“The day is long until the evening, if there is nothing to do,” says folk wisdom. Quite different aphorisms are born from busy people who run a race against time: “How would you add a twenty-fifth hour to the day?”.

In conditions of multitasking, sooner or later, every business person faces the question of the proper distribution of time resources. The starting conditions are the same for every inhabitant on the planet - an hour includes sixty minutes for absolutely everyone. But how effectively people organize their time makes a big difference between successful person and eternal loser.

The Eisenhower matrix as a method of organizing time

Time management, or - is the conscious control over the amount of time spent on specific activities in order to increase their efficiency and productivity.

Eisenhower Matrix is one of the popular time management tools that is used to prioritize business and personal tasks. It is based on the principle of classifying all cases into four categories, depending on their degree of importance and urgency. The matrix is ​​most convenient to use for short-term and medium-term planning.

This approach was pioneered by Dwight David Eisenhower, a World War II Army General and later the 34th President of the United States. The politician has always admired those around him with his ability to keep up with everything.

Once upon a time, an American searched in vain for some effective way to manage time and, not finding it among the existing ones, developed it on his own. The time matrix is ​​still striking in its simplicity and genius, and millions of people around the world use it for planning.

Visually, the priority matrix is ​​divided into four quadrants, where cases fit into categories: important and urgent, important and non-urgent, unimportant and urgent, unimportant and non-urgent.

The user of the matrix is ​​asked to enter all their planned activities in these quadrants. The greatest work happens just when a person makes a choice between these fields, thus deciding which things to do first and which things to do second.

Characterization of quadrants

Quadrant A: important and urgent

In this field, cases should be recorded that relate to priority areas of a person’s life and do not tolerate delay. These areas are usually family, career (for students - study), health and safety.

These cases are consistent with the following statements:

1. Failure to do so soon will significantly distance you from one of your life's long-term goals.

Example. In the near future, you are looking forward to a promotion. The manager asks you to submit a report on the work done as soon as possible. It is important? Yes, because you don't want to miss out on a career opportunity. This is urgent? Yes, because now is the time to show your diligence.

1. Late application for medical care can have severe consequences.

Example. You have a toothache. Important? Everything related to health is always important. Urgently? You run the risk of losing a tooth and will not last long on painkillers.

Quadrant B: important and non-urgent

Successful people tend to do most of their work in this quadrant. These are everyday activities that invariably serve the cause of achieving the main goals in all areas of life. They are all important, but there is no rush, as in the case of the A quadrant.

A successful person does not bring his important things to a state of emergency, but does them gradually. He most often has time to deliberately make decisions, brick by brick building the building of his future.

This zone includes all everyday activities that directly relate to priority areas of life: work, family, self-development, health.

They are subject to the same criteria:

• The task must be completed, but it can be postponed for a while if something important and urgent appears.

Example. You are a programmer and must hand in the program you have written by Monday. It's only Thursday, and you've already got everything ready, but you've decided to put your hand in until Friday so you can double-check everything.

Things from the B quadrant, if left unattended, can migrate to the A quadrant. Your goal is to prevent this from happening. It happens that an important matter appears suddenly, for reasons beyond your control. But often we ourselves bring things to this state, ignoring preventive examinations at the doctor and postponing important tasks until the deadline.

Quadrant C: Unimportant and urgent

These things are some distance from your main priorities, but doing them makes your life more comfortable and can serve you well over time.

In this area are meetings and conversations that you go to out of courtesy or out of necessity, including birthdays of not very close people, suddenly appeared household chores, some work tasks.

This quadrant has the following characteristics:

1. Completing this task quickly will help.

Example. You were planning to buy an air conditioner and found out about the sale, which will run for only one day. Important? Not particularly. The world will not collapse if you do not buy an air conditioner cheaper than you planned. Urgently? Yes, the sale is valid for one day only. A nice bonus: an urgent purchase will save a little on the family budget.

1. Indirectly, the performance of these cases may benefit the main goals, although this is not guaranteed.

Example. You are a journalist. You are invited to a banquet, where the editor of the newspaper you are interested in can come. Important? Not really, everything is too vague. Urgently? Yes, because the banquet will not last forever, you need to make a decision - either go or not.

It is likely that you will find someone to delegate the case from this quadrant. Some unimportant urgent matter can be done for you by a spouse, acquaintance, colleague, subordinate.

Quadrant D: Unimportant and non-urgent

All the affairs of this quadrant can be conditionally divided into the actual business and entertainment. Tasks include tasks that ensure your comfort, make you and your life more beautiful (for example, taking care of your appearance), but it may take some time.

For a woman, this may be a visit to a manicurist, for a man, a car wash. Of course, these things are important in themselves, but not in relation to your main areas of life.

The second group includes a pleasant pastime. It is generally considered that there is no benefit from these deeds, they are called "time wasters", they are presented as things that people do at least they would rather not do, and getting rid of them is a laudable goal.

So categorically we can only speak about bad habits like smoking and the systematic use of strong alcohol. Examples of cases such as communication in in social networks, watching light films, hanging out in clubs, passion for computer games - all this has the right to be and is necessary for a person if it relaxes him and gives him pleasure.

Firstly, a person is not a robot, he needs to do something just like that, for the soul.

Secondly, unimportant and non-urgent things can be beneficial. Many computer games develop thinking, communication in social networks teaches to express thoughts, dancing in clubs helps to warm up. In addition, it has long been known that a change of activity is the best rest.

The main condition for this quadrant is not to let him take over for the most part of your time and ignore the main things that move you forward in life.

How to apply the Eisenhower matrix in practice

So, after reviewing the theoretical part, you can experience the effect of the matrix on yourself.

1. On the evening before your first day of experimentation, unfold your diary at the appropriate date and draw a four-field spread. Label them as shown in the matrix. In the absence of a diary, you can take a regular sheet. If you always carry a tablet or laptop with you, you can create a matrix in Excel.
2. On a separate sheet, write down in a column all the tasks that you intend to do tomorrow (when you acquire the skill of quickly distributing all the tasks in the matrix, you will no longer need this item).
3. Read the cases one at a time and copy each one into the appropriate quadrant of the matrix. To do this, you need to answer just two questions: is it important? Is it urgent?

1. In the case of the paper version, leave free space in each field - tomorrow you will remember other things to do and add them.
2. Highlight with a marker (color) already completed tasks.
3. At the end of the day, move the unfinished tasks to the next day (be sure to rewrite them on a new spread of the diary or copy them in a new Excel tab - otherwise they will be “lost”).
4. Do not deny yourself the pleasure at the end of the day to look through all the "color" parts of your matrix, that is, all the completed cases. You will feel the satisfaction of a business person whose day was not spent in vain.

An example of a completed Eisenhower matrix

With our example, we will do as we advised in the previous paragraph - first we write out all the cases in a row, and then distribute them in the matrix. In the first-person example, a professional massage therapist would be meditating.

Here is his list of tasks for the day (with commentary to let the reader appreciate the importance and urgency):

• Today 4 massages: at 9 o'clock, at 11 o'clock, at 15 o'clock, at 20 o'clock (I will take care of other things during breaks);
• Go to the accounting department (according to the contract for a massage, I should receive 60% of the cost, but in fact I receive only 50% - find out why);
• Buy cat food (it's good that I looked - there is only one feeding left);
• Visit a friend in the hospital (a close friend broke his arm yesterday, bring him something tasty);
• Call the bank, make a payment for the mortgage (today is the last day when you can pay without a penalty);
• Visit friends for a tent (today is Tuesday, we are planning a family trip on Saturday);
• Go to the pool (the more often I go, the better);
• Buy groceries (there’s something else in the fridge, we’ll last a couple of days);
• Reply to messages on WhatsApp and VKontakte (just conversations);
• Practice English for at least 20 minutes (there are many foreigners among the clients, it would be necessary to improve the language);
• Buy a new gasket for the faucet (the faucet is still dripping, but it is on the verge);
• Go to an appointment with an optometrist (every year, just in case, I go through an examination);
• Get a haircut (the look is still neat, but it’s better not to delay it);
• Throw a book about exercises for the back muscles to a colleague (I promised that I would send it right away as soon as I was at the computer).

	URGENTLY	DO NOT RUSH
IMPORTANT	Today 4 massages: at 9 a.m., at 11 a.m., at 3 p.m., at 8 p.m. Visit a friend in the hospital	Visit friends for a tent (family trip) Go to an appointment with an optometrist Go to accounting Practice English
DOES NOT MATTER	Go to the bank, make a mortgage payment Buy cat food Buy a new faucet gasket Send a book to a colleague	cut your hair Buy products Go to the pool Reply to messages in WhatsApp and VKontakte

Remember: the same thing for different people can inhabit different quadrants of the matrix. For example, for someone to work out their hobby can refer to both important and unimportant things. You and only you can distribute your affairs as you see your life priorities.

Under what conditions will the Eisenhower matrix be useful to you

Some skeptics believe that the Eisenhower matrix is ​​only suitable for managers, while a simple employee, worker or housewife will not be able to use it in practice (which is not true - the matrix is ​​\u200b\u200buniversal, we proved this by taking the case of a masseur as an example, not a businessman).

In reality, the question is not about the possibility or impossibility of using the matrix, but about the expediency of its use.

The Eisenhower system is used to plan for each day. That is, we are not talking about long-term plans (build a house, go on vacation, graduate from university), but about current tasks.

On the one hand, if a person has so few daily tasks that his memory can easily cope with them, there is no need to use the table. For example, all the plans of an employee for the day are to serve their eight hours at work and drink beer with friends in the evening. This table is not for such people.

On the other hand, if a person has goals in all aspects of his life - in work, study, self-development, family, hobbies, if he strives to be the master of his time, and not go with it - such a person always has a lot of daily tasks. And since he does not want to lose sight of them, this matrix is ​​for him.

The Eisenhower matrix is ​​no panacea for the eternal lack of time. It's more of a mini tutorial on prioritization.

Don't be surprised if you find it difficult to assign cases to quadrants at first. The moment you think and do it, you are learning. And learning something valuable always involves some effort.

Do not despair - after working with the table for several days in a row, you will acquire a skill that will turn into a skill. Subsequently, the prioritization will reach automatism.

So let's sum it up.

The Eisenhower Matrix is ​​for people like you if:

• You constantly have to choose which task to take on first;
• You are ready to get to know yourself better, ready to honestly answer questions like “what is really important to me?”;
• You want to do as much as possible - definitely more than you do now;
• You are ready to deal with such a quality of yours as procrastination - chronic postponing things “for later”.

Perhaps you are already good at managing your time.

Read the statements below and ask yourself if they are true for you. If the vast majority of points do not suit you, it is advisable for you to master time management techniques.

• You always have a clear to-do list for the day;
• You respond to business emails in a timely manner;
• You do not take work home and almost never stay late after the end of the working day;
• You don't let phone calls, visits, and social media significantly distract you from your main tasks;
• You do not do the work for your subordinates because you do not think that only you can do it really well;
• At the end of the day, you feel almost as energized as at the beginning.

If all the previous points seem logical to you, then the last one may cause an incredulous smile: “Yes, you are joking! A squeezed lemon feels more energized than I do at the end of a work day.” Nevertheless, there are a large number of people who not only do not get tired, but also feel a surge of energy. And there is no secret here.

We do not get tired of the amount of work done, but of stupid, disorderly actions, senseless throwing and feeling helpless in conditions of chronic time pressure.

Of course, sometimes we cannot foresee everything. And our well-proportioned plan can be shaken due to a sudden shutdown of office equipment, a late client or a truant employee. Leave that aside for now.

The first thing to work on is how not to be a source of chaos for yourself, and then you can think about the impact of external unforeseen circumstances.

1. Clean up your desktop from documents that you no longer work with. If they are not needed very often, put them in the closet. Not needed at all - send to the basket. In a pile of papers, you can hardly find the very sheet that you will spend long minutes searching for, irritated by fruitless efforts. Note that the desks of successful businessmen look like no one is working on them: most of their surface is not occupied by anything.
2. Get yourself a diary and don't part with it. It is impossible to remember everything, and business people have long understood the need to write down everything - the dates of meetings, business, questions for reflection. Mobile phones and laptops with their calendars are often used, but a paper diary will never become outdated - if only because it cannot break or run out of power.
3. Plan the most important thing at the time of the peak of your daily activity. We are all human beings, and even the toughest members of our species are overcome by sleep. Resisting your biorhythms is a waste of time, you will still lose. What you do in the afternoon in an hour, in the evening, with accumulated fatigue, will take you twice as much time. Therefore, do not postpone an urgent report until late in the evening, do not start important conversations before going to bed - both you and you will suffer from this approach.
4. Don't overload yourself. It's not just that your productivity will drop. With a merciless rhythm, you will definitely “burn out”, and your body, without your consent, will arrange a rest for itself, sending you to a hospital bed. This is where you will lose all your saved time.

Treat yourself like a thoroughbred horse - this, of course, is a strong animal, but which of the owners would dare to drive it with a frantic gallop?

1. Don't "slow down" projects and deeds. Remember famous phrase about the fact that the best is the enemy of the good? Do you feel like the more you test your project, the better it gets? It is very important here not to “overdo” the matter, otherwise you risk feeling chronic fatigue from the inability to achieve the ideal. Do not strive for the ideal - these actions will waste your time.
2. Don't try to be great at everything. It takes years to become an expert in any field. It is better to stand out in one thing than to be average in everything. This is what Ocean's 11 is about. It is important to have a team where everyone is good at something, then you can easily delegate things.

There were a lot of plans planned for the weekend, but in the end you spent time watching the series and did nothing? Or maybe you are overwhelmed with tasks at work, and the avalanche of urgent matters is increasing every day? You've probably heard that making to-do lists can get things moving. But sometimes it doesn’t help much and the tasks included in the to-do list remain unfulfilled. Why? Because the list is wrong and/or you are following things in the wrong order. Help solve these problems eisenhower matrix, she is priority matrix. It is about her that we propose to talk.

What is the Eisenhower Priority Matrix?

This prioritization and time management tool is named after its inventor, one of the American presidents - Dwight David Eisenhower. The main idea behind the priority matrix is ​​that tasks are sorted into four groups depending on two criteria - urgency and importance of their implementation. Wherein not all urgent things are important and not all important things are urgent. In order to successfully cope with the tasks, you need to understand which group to attribute this or that case to, and this will tell you when to take it on.

This method - when used correctly - will allow you to complete all tasks on time and avoid cases clinging to each other, forming an avalanche of unresolved problems.

How to make a to-do list based on the priority matrix?

We repeat: in order to outline an action plan in accordance with the Eisenhower matrix, all tasks from the list must be divided into 4 main categories:

• category A: important and urgent;
• category B: important but not urgent;
• category C: urgent but not important;
• category D: non-urgent and unimportant.

It is most convenient to draw a sheet of paper into four large squares and designate each of them with the appropriate color and letter, and then enter the tasks. Let's analyze each category in more detail, with examples.

1. Category A

Important and urgent matters- situations when lit deadline or come force majeure. Today is the last day to pay the mortgage this month, the report for the boss should have been sent yesterday, and in the evening you go to the doctor because of acute pain in the tooth - this is all category A. If you correctly distribute your cases, then this item will contain the fewest tasks, and even better if it is completely empty.

2. Category B

Important but non-urgent tasks- they must be the main part of the to-do list. These are the things that tomorrow or the day after tomorrow can move into category A if they are not done today. They are important, but there is a small slack and they can be put aside for a while. These include daily work tasks, replacing a still working, but already dripping faucet in the bathroom, buying concert tickets in advance. Also in this category are affairs related to your global life goals. For example, if you want to start your own business or find a new job and for this you need to learn a new skill, learn another foreign language, take an additional order to form capital, etc.

3. Category C

Urgent but unimportant matters. This is what follows finish today, because the next day will be too late or inappropriate. Group C plans may aim to create comfortable living conditions and establish social ties.

This may include timely congratulations to friends and colleagues on the holidays or a trip to the country to help parents pick crumbling berries. Another example is buying a new TV at a big discount. If it were not for the promotion, you would have purchased it much later, but if you get together in a short time, you will get what you want more quickly and cheaper. In other words, performing actions from category C is not critical, but it is better and more comfortable to do them on time.

4. Category D

Non-urgent and unimportant things. The most insidious category, which mainly includes "chronophages" or "time killers"(literally "time eaters", "time killers"). This item includes watching movies, talking on the phone with friends, reading books, scrolling through the news feed. To resist the desire to perform these actions instead of tasks from the first three categories, you need to have a well-developed willpower, be able to pull yourself together and concentrate on what you need, and not on what you want.

Once you have sorted your tasks into four columns, start doing them from the first point. If you learn to follow the Priority Matrix, you will not only meet deadlines, but also leave time for fun - for non-urgent and unimportant tasks.

1. At first it may be Difficulty in distributing things. To make the process easier, ask yourself the questions: “Is this task important? Is the matter within my sphere life priorities? Will it cause trouble if it is not done?” If yes, then it's important. To understand if the matter is urgent, think about whether it will lose relevance in the near future? If so, then the task is urgent.

2. Try to leave the category A list empty - remember that all unfulfilled plans from group B migrate here. In addition, various force majeures that you could not foresee in advance fall into the same group. We repeat that ideally, with the correct distribution of time, there should be no urgent and important tasks. The same force majeure will be an exception, as well as:

• health plans;
• actions on which the fulfillment of important goals depends (if you want to go abroad in the summer, it is better to issue a passport in advance);
• cases, the failure of which in the future threatens to turn into trouble (a fine not paid on time may prevent you from going abroad).

3.
Category B - for the most promising tasks. Statistics show that those who pay special attention to goals from this category are more successful, move up the career ladder more confidently and, accordingly, earn more. This is due, among other things, to the fact that due to the timely completion of tasks (at a calm pace, without haste), concentration and the ability to prioritize, a person can fully show his talents and consider this or that step.

4. Some tasks from category C it would be more correct to classify them as distractions, since they can reduce your efficiency and eat up quite a lot of time, although they are not important. This includes congratulations from distant relatives, buying a new sofa and other non-essential things. It is important to be able to distinguish them from category B cases and, if possible, delegate their execution to other people.

5. Tasks D, or time eaters, one can safely call unproductive. However, you can benefit from leisure hours. For example, read a good intellectual book instead of a dime novel, go in for sports when you want an emotional release. If you can’t resist the temptation to spend time on something useless, keep such spending to a minimum by first completing tasks from other categories.

When you master the principle of the Eisenhower matrix, you will become not only successful, but also a more balanced and optimistic person, as you will stop worrying about annoying, but important little things that you didn’t have time for before.

The Eisenhower Matrix is ​​one of the time management options, the creator of which is the American military and political leader Dwight David Eisenhower. The principle of its work is to divide all cases into four groups, depending on their degree of importance.

Plan according to the Eisenhower matrix

The first thing you need to learn in working with the matrix is ​​competently in business. Be able to distinguish the important from the urgent, not very urgent from the unimportant.

The time matrix is ​​divided into 4 quadrants, in which there are 2 axes of importance and the same number of axes of urgency. Cases and tasks fit into each of them, which helps to visually see the priority of each component: what to do first, what to do second, etc.

The matrix template looks like this:

Let's look at each quadrant in more detail.

Important and urgent

Ideal time management means that this quadrant will be empty. This is due to the fact that with proper prioritization and timely completion of cases, there will simply be no blockage. This may be normal only from time to time, but constant chaos in business is a sign of disorganization.

To avoid problems with the A quadrant, you need to organize competent planning in other areas and follow all the points exactly. However, if the need to fill it out nevertheless arises, then it fits here:

• Cases, the failure of which jeopardizes the achievement of the goal.
• Tasks, the failure of which contributes to the emergence of life's difficulties and difficulties.
• Tasks that are directly related to health.

Don't forget about. It often happens that things from the A quadrant can be entrusted to another person. If possible, use this right.

Don't forget about delegating responsibilities. It often happens that things from the A quadrant can be entrusted to another person.

Important but not urgent

The most priority cases and tasks are located here, so he needs to pay maximum attention. These are everyday activities, the urgency of which is not so high, but they are still important. Experts have noticed that people who work specifically with the “B” quadrant achieve greater success in life and achieve their goals. They earn more money and doing what they love, which makes them happy.

Since there is no urgency in cases, there is no panic, which makes the approach to their implementation balanced and reasonable. This in turn contributes to high efficiency and productivity. However, do not forget that late completion of tasks from the B quadrant moves them to the A quadrant.

So, all current activities that are related to daily affairs fit into this zone: the main activity, sports activities, plans for the day, etc.

Urgent but not important

The activities that “underlie” this quadrant tend to be distractions. Their implementation does not carry any utility in terms of achieving goals and does not lead to any results. Often they only interfere with focusing on truly important matters and reduce overall efficiency. When working with the matrix, the main thing is not to confuse the cases from the "A" and "C" quadrants, otherwise there will be confusion in the priority of cases.

Area "C" can include matters related to negotiations and meetings that are imposed by someone, with the celebration of birthdays of people not in a very close circle, household chores that arise suddenly. Since the things from this quadrant only slow down and “steal” time, they need to be given a minimum of time.

Not urgent and not important

There is absolutely no benefit to doing things that fit in this quadrant. They need to be dealt with last. Even if you do not deal with them at all, it will only get better. However, it is necessary to take into account such cases, as they say, you need to know the enemy by sight. These are the most “devourers” of useful time that you should get rid of.

Things that fit in the D quadrant are of absolutely no use.

But the most interesting thing is that the cases from this quadrant are very attractive to people. Here is the most pleasant and simple, over which you do not need to work. They relax and bring pleasure. A pleasant pastime makes it problematic to refuse them.

This includes talking on the phone with friends and relatives, sitting on social networks, surfing the Internet, playing computer games, watching TV, hanging out in clubs.

Of course, rest is important for productive work, as is oxygen for a person, but it should also be useful. Instead of sitting on the couch for the whole weekend, arrange outings and trips to nature, develop an active recreation plan, this, by the way, will help improve your health. Read an informative or simply interesting book for which there was no time before, this will spur the mind.

As you take control of your life, remember that rest must also be planned. It is unacceptable for it to be spontaneous. But don't neglect them either. This is fraught with protracted idleness, since overwork has not yet benefited anyone. Here the rule is appropriate: "Time for business - hour for fun."

An example schedule for each day might look like this:

You can draw the sheets yourself or download ready-made forms from the Internet.

Prioritization

At first, out of habit, it will be problematic to determine the urgency and importance of each case, but the end result is worth it. Try the following exercise:

1. Draw a table with columns: No. p / p, business, urgency, importance. Adjust the number of lines yourself, depending on the length of the list.
2. In the second column, "to do," write down all the tasks and activities that you usually do.
3. After that, move on to assessing how important each activity is or how urgent it is.

To make this easier, use the following importance criteria when asking questions for each case:

• Completing this task is necessary to achieve my key goal (Yes means important; No means not important).
• Failure to complete the task entails serious consequences for current activities (Yes - important; No - not important).

Urgency Criteria:

• If the task is not completed now, then it loses its relevance (Yes - urgent; No - non-urgent).

This prioritization tool will greatly simplify the entire workflow. As you go through this exploration, you will discover how much time you have been wasting up to this point and how much useful time appears to be freed up.

The Eisenhower Matrix is ​​a method of efficient time management that helps you achieve quick and significant results and always be on time.

You can’t buy time for money, but you would so much like to master the secrets of being and add at least an hour to the day. It's simple: planning is your ideal assistant on the path to well-being. It is planning that will help you get out of a constant state of time pressure and avoid irritability and disappointment.

The Eisenhower Matrix helps you achieve more and solves important planning problems. The state of a squeezed lemon is the standard state of most people at the end of the working day. The situation can be changed with a 180-degree turn.

For the first time, an outstanding politician, and in the past a talented military man, the 34th President of the United States, Dwight David Eisenhower, took up a serious search for a solution to the problem of efficient time management. Everything more people prefer to use the Eisenhower matrix to achieve efficiency in business.

Creator of the Eisenhower method

Dwight David Eisenhower was born in 1890 in an ordinary family. In 1909 he graduated from high school, then 4 years of study at the military academy. With particular predilection, Eisenhower studied the biography of Lincoln and the greats of this world. Parents supported their son in everything. The support of loved ones in his youth would have a positive effect on Eisenhower's career in the future.

The resignation of 1948 was not the end of active work. After Eisenhower became the rector of the Columbia Institute, and in early 1953 he served as president of the United States - he was later elected to this post more than once. The politician is faced with the question of effective time management, and Eisenhower solves it.

The Eisenhower matrix as a method of organizing time

Now we clearly understand that time management is a tool that helps to effectively plan tasks and manage time while conserving energy. In the 1950s, Eisenhower did not know this.

The Eisenhower matrix was created, which helped to solve urgent and important tasks. It is not recommended for use in long-term planning, but for daily goal setting, this method has no equal. The elementary nature of use makes the Eisenhower pyramid accessible to all people.

The Eisenhower Matrix will help you discard the irrelevant so you can focus on the important tasks as much as possible. You will see in practice that in order to achieve goals, it is not necessary to overcome mountains of tasks, wasting energy in vain. You will learn to classify cases by importance and urgency.

How to correctly distribute tasks in the table

We choose the main one from the above for the convenience of using the Eisenhower method. Distribute tasks in the table according to 4 quadrants:

• Priority important and urgent matters that should be done without delay.
• Important, but not urgent, tasks that should be completed as soon as possible. They have big influence to the final target, but do not "burn".
• Not important and urgent tasks that are unlikely to affect the positive outcome of something.
• Not important and not urgent things we allow ourselves when we want to be distracted.

You will become a master when there is a dash in the list of urgent and important tasks of the A quadrant. The haste is depressing, does not allow you to take a breath, and the quality of the completed task often leaves much to be desired. Do not rush to be upset if at first the to-do list in quadrant A is larger than in the other quadrants. You are not the first to learn from your mistakes. Given the experience, in the future you will be able to cope with difficulties and bring the filling of the Eisenhower table to automatism.

How to apply the Eisenhower matrix in practice

The time has come to implement the acquired knowledge. You know enough to start using the Eisenhower method of planning in your life.

Follow these simple rules to avoid common rookie mistakes:

• It is better to outline a list of tasks in the evening. Decide what is more convenient for you to use. It can be a notebook, a tablet, or an Eisenhower matrix in excel on a phone. Even an ordinary A4 sheet will do. The main thing is that the data is always at hand.
• While you are a beginner, write a list of all cases on a separate sheet and only then enter it into the Eisenhower table. Later, you can skip this step and immediately classify tasks by importance and necessity.
• Read the list of tasks carefully, while asking yourself the question of urgency.

When classifying cases on the Eisenhower Scale, ask yourself:

• Does this task lie in the sphere of priority values ​​for me? If the answer is yes, then it is important, if it is negative, it does not matter.
• Will there be negative consequences if I don't complete this task? This question will also determine the degree of importance.
• The degree of urgency is determined by the duration of the relevance of the task. If tomorrow it is impossible to complete the task, then urgency is paramount.

Be sure to leave free space on your to-do list if you made it on paper. You can supplement it. In the list of tasks for the next day, you need to transfer tasks that are not completed today. If you carefully read the article, you understand that unfinished business will be daily present in the Eisenhower table.

An example of a completed Eisenhower matrix

Let's take a day in the life as a basis school teacher geography.

1. Tomorrow there are 4 lessons in the senior classes: at 8.30, 10.00, 12.00 and 14.00 (between lessons I will take care of social affairs).
2. We need to find out why the advance payment did not come to the card last month (I don’t want to go to the accounting department for cash every time).
3. I want to change the haircut and correct the hair color (I have been thinking about this for a long time).
4. Send to a colleague from another city by mail (I promised that I would do it at the beginning of the week).
5. You need to go to the supermarket (food left for a couple of days).

In real life, there are much more tasks, but for the exercises we will manage with five points.

The result of the distribution of cases according to the Eisenhower method:

• As you already understood, the 1st point is important and necessary, we will write it in quadrant A.
• The B quadrant will fill in the important but not urgent business of the 2nd item.
• In the C quadrant, there will be an urgent but not important task of point 4.
• Things numbered 3 and 5 go to the D quadrant. They are not urgent and not the most important, but they will bring you pleasure and allow you to relax.

Now try to do it yourself.

Under what conditions will the Eisenhower matrix be useful to you

The matrix helps in planning complex and important tasks. Understand how the method works and apply it to short-term planning.

Feel free to use the Eisenhower table in if:

• it is difficult to determine the primary task, it is difficult to understand where to start;
• be honest with yourself and truthfully answer the questions asked when planning;
• you want to optimize time costs;
• you know that you are capable of more, but do not understand how to achieve a better result;
• Stop postponing things for tomorrow.

In order to achieve a result, it is not enough to study the Eisenhower matrix. Only by applying this knowledge in practice, you will see the effect.

Perhaps you are already good at managing your time.

What if you don't need Eisenhower's methods and can handle tasks just fine without tables? Ready to decide right now?

Then answer honestly the following questions:

• Do you always make a to-do list?
• Do you respond to emails promptly?
• Do you go home on time and weekend work is not for you?
• Social networks and chatter about anything does not interfere with the implementation of important tasks?
• At the end of the day, don't you feel irritable and feel like you could do more?
• Do you always pay due attention to your family?

Think about whether you want to change the current state of affairs or leave everything as it is. The Eisenhower table is your planning assistant.

Use the tips when implementing the Eisenhower Method:

1. Don't overburden yourself with non-essential things.
2. Keep your workplace clean and do not waste time looking for documents, accustom yourself to order.
3. Try to do important things in the morning, and not in the evening, when activity is on the decline.
4. Best the enemy of the good. Treat the matter with all seriousness, but without fanaticism.

And the last tip. Choose one direction in which you prefer to understand best. It is impossible to know everything.

Output

So, the Eisenhower matrix is ​​an example of the distribution of cases. Voltaire said: "In the morning I make plans, and in the afternoon I do stupid things." Eisenhower provided the perfect method for avoiding this nonsense. Help yourself to become happier and more successful. Use the table in practice, and the result will not be long in coming.

Time is not under our control, but we can manage our time effectively.

Every day we have to make hundreds of decisions, and the higher the position, the more decisions we have to make. How do you separate the important from the unimportant? One simple yet productive way is the Eisenhower Square, also known as the Eisenhower Matrix. This system, with , works great for both daily and long-term planning. Below you will learn about the author of this technique (he was an outstanding person), as well as about the features of using the Eisenhower Square technique itself.

Dwight Eisenhower has lived one of the most productive lives you can imagine.

Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, serving two terms from 1953 to 1961. During his tenure, he initiated programs that led directly to the development of the US Interstate Highway System, Internet Launch (DARPA), Space Exploration (NASA), and the peaceful use of alternative energy sources (Atomic Energy Act).

Before becoming president, Eisenhower was a five-star general ( highest rank), served as Supreme Allied Commander in Europe during World War II, was responsible for planning and executing the invasion of North Africa, France and Germany.

In addition, he served as president of Columbia University, became the first Supreme Commander of NATO, and in doing so somehow found time to pursue his hobbies: golfing and oil painting.

Eisenhower had an incredible ability to maintain his performance not only for weeks or months, but for many decades. And for this reason, his methods of time management, task management and productivity have been studied by many people.

His most famous performance strategy is known as the Eisenhower Square. This is a simple decision making tool that you can start using right now. Let's talk about how to be more productive and how the Eisenhower strategy works.

The Eisenhower Square: How to Be More Productive

Eisenhower's strategy for taking action and organizing tasks is very simple. It uses a decision matrix (in the picture below), in which you will distribute your actions based on four possibilities:

Urgent and important (tasks that should be done immediately).

Important but not urgent (tasks that can be scheduled to be done later).

Urgent but not important (tasks that can be delegated to someone else).

Not urgent and not important (tasks that can be eliminated).

The great thing about this matrix is ​​that it can be used both for making long-term plans for productivity ("How should I spend my time every week?") and for small daily tasks ("What should I do today?") .

Note: I created the Eisenhower Square template as a spreadsheet. You can download this template for your personal use at the bottom of the article. (By the way, I translated this template into Russian, and if you want to get it - .

The difference between urgent and important

Important is rarely urgent, and urgent is rarely important.

— Dwight Eisenhower

Urgent tasks are those tasks that you need to quickly respond to: letters, phone calls, texts, news. Meanwhile, in the words of Brett McKay: “Important tasks are tasks that contribute to our long-term mission, values ​​and goals.”

Separating these urgent and important things is easy enough to do once, but doing it all the time can be extremely difficult. The reason I like the Eisenhower Square method is that it provides a clear framework for making decisions on an ongoing basis. And like everything in life, consistency is the tricky part.

Here are some other observations I made using this method:

Liquidation before optimization

A few years ago, I was reading about programming and came across an interesting quote:

"There is no faster code than no code"

— Kevlin Henney

In other words, the fastest way to get something done - to have the computer read lines of code or cross a completed task off your to-do list - is to eliminate that task entirely. no more fast way do something than not do it at all. Of course, this is not a reason to be lazy, but a suggestion to force yourself to make difficult decisions and remove any task that doesn't lead you to your mission, values, or goals.

Too often we use performance, time management, and optimization techniques as an excuse to avoid the really important question: “Should I actually be doing this?”. It's much easier to stay busy and tell yourself that you just need to be a little more efficient or "work a little later tonight" than to eliminate a task that you're just comfortable doing. But in fact it is not the most effective method use of your time. (Personally, I like the test phrase "Are you busy or are you productive?").

As Tim Ferriss says, “Stay busy is a form of laziness—lazy thinking and indiscriminate action.”

I find the Eisenhower method particularly useful because it makes me question whether the action is really necessary, which ends up moving the task to the Delete quadrant rather than mindlessly repeating them. And frankly, if you just destroy all the things that you spend your time on every day, then you probably won't need any advice on how to be more productive at the jobs that really matter.

Will it help me reach my goal?

One final note: it can be very difficult for you to eliminate redundant actions if you are not sure which direction you are working in. In my experience, there are two questions that will clear up the whole Eisenhower method.

These two questions:

1. What am I working for? What am I working on? In what direction am I working?
2. What are the core values ​​I strive for in my life?

These are the questions I asked myself in my Annual Review and in my Progress Report. The answers to these questions helped me clarify the categories for certain tasks in my life. After that, deciding which tasks to do and which tasks to delete becomes much easier, because you will understand what is important to you.

The Eisenhower method is not an ideal strategy, but for myself I realized that it is useful tool making decisions to improve productivity and eliminating tasks that take up mental energy, time, and rarely lead me to my goal. I hope you find this method useful.

Original article: http://jamesclear.com/eisenhower-box

P.S.: A little bonus: the Eisenhower Square template: I have russified the Eisenhower Square template into a spreadsheet that you can download and use whenever you want to improve your productivity and eliminate wasted time. You can get it by contacting me and I will send you a copy of the table right away.