Eisenhower matrix
Sort every task by two questions — is it urgent, is it important? — and you'll know what to do now, what to schedule, what to hand off and what to drop.
Do first
Urgent + important · Block it today, early.
Schedule
Important, not urgent · Give it a deep-work block this week.
Delegate
Urgent, not important · Hand it off or batch it into an admin block.
Delete
Neither · Drop it, or park it on a someday list.
The four quadrants
1. Do first — urgent and important
Crises, real deadlines, the broken thing customers are waiting on. Do them, but notice how many arrive here because a quadrant-2 task was ignored until it became urgent.
2. Schedule — important, not urgent
Planning, skill-building, exercise, the project that will matter next quarter. Nobody chases you for these, which is why they need a time block or they never happen.
3. Delegate — urgent, not important
Interruptions, many meetings, requests that matter more to someone else. Hand them off where you can; otherwise batch them into one admin block.
4. Delete — neither
Busywork and time-fillers. Dropping them is the fastest productivity gain available.
Eisenhower is credited with the line, quoting a university president, "What is important is seldom urgent and what is urgent is seldom important." The grid version came later, through Stephen Covey's 7 Habits.
Questions people ask
What is the Eisenhower matrix?
A 2×2 grid that sorts tasks by two questions: is it urgent, and is it important? The four boxes are Do (urgent and important), Schedule (important, not urgent), Delegate (urgent, not important) and Delete (neither). It is named after US President Dwight D. Eisenhower and was popularised by Stephen Covey in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
What is the difference between urgent and important?
Urgent means it demands attention now, usually because someone else is waiting or a deadline is close. Important means it contributes to your own goals and values. Many urgent things are not important, and many important things are never urgent until it is too late.
Which quadrant matters most?
Quadrant 2, "Schedule": important but not urgent. It holds planning, learning, health, relationships and the long-term projects that never shout. Covey argued effective people spend most of their time there. Time blocking is how you actually give those tasks a slot.
Is my list saved?
Yes, in this browser only. Nothing is uploaded. You can clear it any time.