Eisenhower Matrix

What is the Eisenhower Matrix?

The Eisenhower Matrix, also known as the Eisenhower Decision Matrix or the Important/Urgent Matrix, is a time management tool used to prioritize tasks by categorizing them based on their urgency and importance123.

This matrix was developed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who recognized that great time management involves balancing your time between tasks that are urgent and tasks that are important1. Before becoming president, Eisenhower was a general in the United States Army and the supreme commander of the Allied Forces during World War II. He experienced tough decisions daily about which of the many tasks he should focus on, which led him to develop a method for organizing decisions by urgency and importance1.

The matrix is divided into four quadrants12:

1. Urgent and important: Tasks that you need to do immediately.

2. Important but not urgent: Tasks that are important, but you can afford to complete them later.

3. Urgent but not important: Tasks that need to be completed immediately but aren’t overly important and you can delegate them to someone else.

4. Not urgent or important: Tasks that you can eliminate.

By using the Eisenhower Matrix, you can become more effective and productive in your work1. It helps you determine which tasks need to be completed immediately and which ones you can eliminate1.