How to be More Productive by Using the “Eisenhower Box”

His most famous productivity strategy is known as the Eisenhower Box (or Eisenhower Matrix) and it's a simple decision-making tool that you can use right ... Books Articles Newsletter Speaking About HowtobeMoreProductiveandEliminateTimeWastingActivitiesbyUsingthe“EisenhowerBox” writtenbyJamesClear DecisionMaking Minimalism Productivity DwightEisenhowerlivedoneofthemostproductivelivesyoucanimagine. Eisenhowerwasthe34thPresidentoftheUnitedStates,servingtwotermsfrom1953to1961.Duringhistimeinoffice,helaunchedprogramsthatdirectlyledtothedevelopmentoftheInterstateHighwaySystemintheUnitedStates,thelaunchoftheinternet(DARPA),theexplorationofspace(NASA),andthepeacefuluseofalternativeenergysources(AtomicEnergyAct). Beforebecomingpresident,Eisenhowerwasafive-stargeneralintheUnitedStatesArmy,servedastheSupremeCommanderoftheAlliedForcesinEuropeduringWorldWarII,andwasresponsibleforplanningandexecutinginvasionsofNorthAfrica,France,andGermany. Atotherpointsalongtheway,heservedasPresidentofColumbiaUniversity,becamethefirstSupremeCommanderofNATO,andsomehowfoundtimetopursuehobbieslikegolfingandoilpainting. Eisenhowerhadanincredibleabilitytosustainhisproductivitynotjustforweeksormonths,butfordecades.Andforthatreason,itisnosurprisethathismethodsfortimemanagement,taskmanagement,andproductivityhavebeenstudiedbymanypeople. HismostfamousproductivitystrategyisknownastheEisenhowerBox(orEisenhowerMatrix)andit’sasimpledecision-makingtoolthatyoucanuserightnow.Let'stalkabouthowtobemoreproductiveandhowEisenhower'sstrategyworks. TheEisenhowerBox:HowtobeMoreProductive Eisenhower’sstrategyfortakingactionandorganizingyourtasksissimple.Usingthedecisionmatrixbelow,youwillseparateyouractionsbasedonfourpossibilities. Urgentandimportant(tasksyouwilldoimmediately). Important,butnoturgent(tasksyouwillscheduletodolater). Urgent,butnotimportant(tasksyouwilldelegatetosomeoneelse). Neitherurgentnorimportant(tasksthatyouwilleliminate). Thegreatthingaboutthismatrixisthatitcanbeusedforbroadproductivityplans(“HowshouldIspendmytimeeachweek?”)andforsmaller,dailyplans(“WhatshouldIdotoday?”). HereisanexampleofwhatmyEisenhowerBoxlookslikefortoday. TheDifferenceBetweenUrgentandImportant Whatisimportantisseldomurgentandwhatisurgentisseldomimportant. -DwightEisenhower Urgenttasksarethingsthatyoufeellikeyouneedtoreactto:emails,phonecalls,texts,newsstories.Meanwhile,inthewordsofBrettMcKay,“Importanttasksarethingsthatcontributetoourlong-termmission,values,andgoals.”1 Separatingthesedifferencesissimpleenoughtodoonce,butdoingsocontinuallycanbetough.ThereasonIliketheEisenhowerMatrixisthatitprovidesaclearframeworkformakingthedecisionsoverandoveragain.Andlikeanythinginlife,consistencyisthehardpart. HerearesomeotherobservationsI’vemadefromusingthismethod. EliminationBeforeOptimization Afewyearsago,IwasreadingaboutcomputerprogrammingwhenIcameacrossaninterestingquote: “Thereisnocodefasterthannocode.” –KevlinHenney Inotherwords,thefastestwaytogetsomethingdone—whetheritishavingacomputerreadalineofcodeorcrossingataskoffyourto-dolist—istoeliminatethattaskentirely.Thereisnofasterwaytodosomethingthannotdoingitatall.That’snotareasontobelazy,butratherasuggestiontoforceyourselftomakeharddecisionsanddeleteanytaskthatdoesnotleadyoutowardyourmission,yourvalues,andyourgoals. Toooften,weuseproductivity,timemanagement,andoptimizationasanexcusetoavoidthereallydifficultquestion:“DoIactuallyneedtobedoingthis?”Itismucheasiertoremainbusyandtellyourselfthatyoujustneedtobealittlemoreefficientorto“workalittlelatertonight”thantoendurethepainofeliminatingataskthatyouarecomfortablewithdoing,butthatisn’tthehighestandbestuseofyourtime.2 AsTimFerrisssays,“Beingbusyisaformoflaziness—lazythinkingandindiscriminateaction.” IfindthattheEisenhowerMatrixisparticularlyusefulbecauseitpushesmetoquestionwhetheranactionisreallynecessary,whichmeansI’mmorelikelytomovetaskstothe“Delete”quadrantratherthanmindlesslyrepeatingthem.Andtobehonest,ifyousimplyeliminatedallofthethingsyouwastetimeoneachdaythenyouprobablywouldn'tneedanytipsonhowtobemoreproductiveatthethingsthatmatter. DoesThisHelpMeAccomplishMyGoal? Onefinalnote:itcanbehardtoeliminatetimewastingactivitiesifyouaren’tsurewhatyouareworkingtoward.Inmyexperience,therearetwoquestionsthatcanhelpclarifytheentireprocessbehindtheEisenhowerBox. Thosetwoquestionsare… WhatamIworkingtoward? Whatarethecorevaluesthatdrivemylife? ThesearequestionsthatIhaveaskedmyselfinmyAnnualReviewandmyIntegrityReport.Answeringthesequestionshashelpedmeclarifythecategoriesforcertaintasksinmylife.Decidingwhichtaskstodoandwhichtaskstodeletebecomesmucheasierwhenyouareclearaboutwhatisimportanttoyou. TheEisenhowerMatrixisn’taperfectstrategy,butIhavefoundittobeausefuldecision-makingtoolforincreasingmyproductivityandeliminatingthebehaviorsthattakeupmentalenergy,wastetime,andrarelymovemetowardmygoals.Ihopeyou’llfinditusefultoo.3 FootnotesThankstoBrettMcKayatTheArtofManlinessforhispostontheEisenhowerBox.Theterm“highestandbestuse”isarealestateconceptforfindingthemostvaluableuseofapieceofproperty.MyfriendMarkHeckmannisafanofusingthephraseforpersonaltimemanagementandIlikeittoo.ThanksMark!Forotherusefulproductivitytips,checkoutthisarticlesummarizingScottHansleman'swork. Thanksforreading.Youcangetmoreactionableideasinmypopularemailnewsletter.Eachweek,Ishare3shortideasfromme,2quotesfromothers,and1questiontothinkabout.Over1,000,000peoplesubscribe.Enteryouremailnowandjoinus. AbouttheAuthor JamesClearwritesabouthabits,decisionmaking,andcontinuousimprovement.Heistheauthorofthe#1NewYorkTimesbestseller,AtomicHabits.Thebookhassoldover8millioncopiesworldwideandhasbeentranslatedintomorethan50languages. Clickheretolearnmore→ ReadNext HowtoChangeYourBeliefsandSticktoYourGoalsforGood StopWastingTimeontheDetailsandCommittotheFundamentals I’mUsingThese3SimpleStepstoActuallyStickwithGoodHabits My2014IntegrityReport HowtoEliminateProcrastination(TheSurprisingStrategyOneManUsed) AllArticles [class^="wpforms-"][class^="wpforms-"][class^="wpforms-"][class^="wpforms-"][class^="wpforms-"][class^="wpforms-"][class^="wpforms-"][class^="wpforms-"]