Eisenhower Matrix
The Eisenhower matrix is associated with former U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower. This method of time management is less about managing time and more about prioritizing your work.
The matrix is made up of four quadrants:
Quadrant 1 – Important and Urgent.
Quadrant 2 – Important and Not Urgent
Quadrant 3 – Not important and urgent
Quadrant 4 – Neither important nor urgent
The idea is to stay as far away from quadrants 3 and 4 as possible and try to spend as much time as you can in quadrant 2. It is quadrant 2 that will help you manage your time better and reduce the tasks that fall into quadrant 1.
Quadrant 2 tasks are related to health care, anticipating future problems, and planning. Quadrant 1 tasks are the tasks that are happening right now and need your attention.
You cannot avoid tasks from all four quadrants. For example, many things that will fall into quadrant 4 will be related to rest and relaxation time, but too much of that and it won’t move anything important forward.