ToDoopsEisenhower matrix examples: sort your tasks in five minutes
A simple two-question filter for a long list. Here are the four quadrants, examples for everyday life, and the mistakes to avoid.
The Eisenhower matrix is a 2 by 2 grid that sorts tasks by two questions: is it urgent, and is it important? It is named after Dwight D. Eisenhower, who is said to have used the distinction between urgent and important, and it was widely popularised later by Stephen Covey in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
If you just want to try it, use the free Eisenhower matrix tool. Read on for what each box means and how to fill it.
Eisenhower Matrix OnlineSort tasks into do, schedule, delegate and drop. Free, in your browser.The four quadrants
| Urgent | Not urgent | |
|---|---|---|
| Important | 1. Do now | 2. Schedule |
| Not important | 3. Delegate | 4. Drop |
Urgent means it needs attention soon: a deadline, or someone waiting. Important means it moves forward something you care about, whenever it is due.
Examples
Work
- Do now: a client deliverable due today.
- Schedule: planning the next month, learning a skill you need.
- Delegate: scheduling a meeting, a routine report someone else can prepare.
- Drop: refreshing your inbox, meetings with no decision to make.
Study
- Do now: an exam tomorrow.
- Schedule: reviewing notes weekly, starting the long project early.
- Delegate: splitting off the formatting work of a group project.
- Drop: rewriting notes to make them pretty.
Home
- Do now: a bill due today, a sick pet.
- Schedule: exercise, a monthly budget check, calling family.
- Delegate: a household chore that someone else can take.
- Drop: a hobby purchase you have already forgotten about.
The mistakes that make it stop working
- Marking everything urgent. If every task is urgent, none is. Ask "what happens if it waits until tomorrow?"
- Living in quadrant 1. Constant firefighting means quadrant 2 never happens. Planning and prevention feel optional, so they get skipped, and then they come back as emergencies.
- Never scheduling quadrant 2. Important and not urgent tasks do not push back. Put them on the calendar with a time.
- Delegating with no clarity. Say what done looks like and by when.
- Not deleting quadrant 4. Dropping a task is a decision, and it frees attention.
Turn the result into a day
Pick up to three tasks from quadrant 1 and 2 for today. Put the quadrant 2 task on the calendar. Everything else waits. Repeating tasks, such as weekly planning, belong in an app that renews them for you. ToDoops does that with daily and weekly recurring tasks, a streak and friends who can see you finish.
FAQ
What is the Eisenhower matrix?
A decision grid that sorts tasks by urgency and importance into four groups: do now, schedule, delegate and drop.
Who invented the Eisenhower matrix?
It is named after Dwight D. Eisenhower, who is said to have used the idea of separating urgent from important work. Stephen Covey made it popular in the late 1980s.
How is it different from a normal to-do list?
A list shows everything in one order. The matrix forces a decision on each task.
How often should I redo it?
Once a week for planning and a quick pass each morning works for most people.
ToDoops
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