“What is important is seldom urgent and what is urgent is seldom important.”
– President Dwight D Eisenhower
The quoted maxim which describes Eisenhower’s beliefs gave rise to a method of organising tasks called the Eisenhower Principle, or the Eisenhower Matrix, a matrix that helps you manage time effectively and not just efficiently, and that is used by professionals from all fields.
For the purposes of this article, let us say that the difference between important and urgent is that: “important” activities have an outcome that leads to the achievement of one’s goals, whether these are professional or personal while “urgent” activities demand immediate attention, and are often associated with the achievement of someone else’s goals.
Best time management practices take into account the importance of being effective as well as efficient. Managing time effectively and getting everything done means spending time on things that are important, and not just urgent. Urgent activities are usually the ones we concentrate on; they demand attention because the consequences of not dealing with them are immediate.
Step-by-step use of the matrix
The Eisenhower Matrix is a fresh approach to priorities which helps you overcome the natural tendency to focus only on urgent, immediate activities so that you can clear enough time to focus on what’s important in the long run. Draw the matrix as shown in the figure. Follow the step by step method provided below to plot all your priorities in the matrix.
On a blank piece of paper, list out all the activities and projects that you have to do at work, no matter how unimportant. On a scale of 1 to 5, assign importance level to each of the activities. This is a measure of how important each activity is in meeting your goals and objectives, so don’t worry about urgency at this stage. After assigning importance, evaluate the urgency of each task. Once you’ve done this, plot each task on matrix according to the values you’ve given it. Study the matrix and schedule your priorities accordingly.Strategies for each quadrant
Urgent, Important: Urgent and important activities are ones that you could not foresee and others that you left to the last minute. Avoid last-minute activities by planning ahead and avoiding procrastination. Crises cannot always be foreseen; the best approach is to leave some time in your schedule to handle unexpected issues and unplanned important activities or to reschedule other events.
If you have a lot of urgent and important activities, identify which of these could have been foreseen, and think about how you could schedule similar activities ahead of time, so that they don't become urgent.
Urgent, Not Important: Urgent but not important activities stop you achieving your goals, and prevent you from completing your work. Ask yourself whether these tasks can be rescheduled, or whether you can delegate them. A common source of such interruptions is from colleagues or your supervisor. Sometimes it's more appropriate to say "No" or to encourage them to solve the problem themselves.
Not Urgent, Important: These are the tasks that help you achieve your personal and professional goals, and complete important work. Make sure you have plenty of time to do these things properly, so that they do not become urgent.
Not Urgent, Not Important: These activities are just a distraction, and should be avoided if possible. Some can simply be ignored or cancelled.
The Eisenhower Matrix helps you identify the activities you should focus on. By prioritising using the Matrix, you can deal with urgent issues while working towards important goals.
