What is the Eisenhower matrix?

The Eisenhower matrix is a way to sort tasks by two questions: is it urgent? and is it important? That gives four boxes:

	Urgent	Not urgent
Important	Do it now	Schedule it
Not important	Delegate it	Drop it

It is named after US President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who is often quoted as saying that what is important is seldom urgent and what is urgent is seldom important.

Why it helps

Urgent tasks shout; important ones often don’t. The matrix pushes you to notice the important-but-not-urgent box (exercise, planning, learning, the project with a deadline next month), which is where most real progress happens and which is easy to neglect.

How to use it

1. List what’s on your plate.
2. Put each task in one of the four boxes.
3. Do the urgent and important ones first.
4. Give the important-not-urgent ones a time this week.
5. Hand off or batch the urgent-not-important ones.
6. Delete the rest without guilt.

A caution

Sorting a long list into boxes can become its own way to avoid starting. Keep it quick: a few minutes, then pick what to do next.

In Thendoo: use priority and dates to mark what matters, and Plan my day to give the important tasks a time. Thendoo doesn’t have a dedicated matrix view.