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The Eisenhower Matrix

The core principles of prioritizing, planning, scheduling, and delegating.

By Carlos VettorazziPublished 3 years ago 2 min read
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Source: Pexel

The year is 1953, and a former general in the United States Army has just become the 34th President of the United States.

His name is Dwight D. Eisenhower.

During his time as general in the United States Army, and as President Eisenhower had to continuously make decisions about which of the many tasks he should focus on each day.

Making so many tough decisions led him to invent the world-famous Eisenhower principle, which today helps millions of people prioritize urgency and importance.

How to start using the Eisenhower Matrix

By using the Eisenhower principles of planning, prioritizing, delegating, and scheduling, you will be able to Identify the essential things to do in the correct order to achieve your goals and be more productive.

Prioritize your tasks by urgency and importance by using the four quadrants below:

The First Quadrant (green)

The first quadrant has the color green and represents “you're clear to go” or “do first.”

Green tasks are the ones that have the highest priority level, and these tasks should be your primary focus to complete during your workday.

Examples of the “Do” quadrant can be crises, deadlines, and urgent problems.

NOTE: Start by implementing ONE Eisenhower Matrix for your work life and private life, not two at the same time.

The Second Quadrant (Blue)

The second quadrant has the color blue as in “clear blue sky” or “clear those tasks” out of the way(Schedule).

The blue tasks are important but less urgent.

You should list lees urgent tasks you need to put in your calendar here.

I always leave as few things as possible unplanned and manage most of my workload in the second quadrant; this gives me a clear overview of the urgent and important to-dos and, at the same time, reduces stress.

The third quadrant(Orange)

The third quadrant has the color orange as in “STOP!.. the light is about to turn red” or “what's urgent?”

In the orange quadrant, I delete the less critical but still pretty urgent tasks.

If possible, you should always delegate in-person to avoid misunderstandings and send a confirmation of your conversation (what you agreed on regarding delegated task) by e-mail.

The fourth(Red)

The fourth and last quadrant has the color red as in “Don’t cross” or “Stop!”

Absolute efficiency is not about doing more. It is about knowing what doesn't need to be done.

When we feel overwhelmed in an era in our lives, we humans tend to react by over Overfunction or Underfunction.

Overfunctioners are prone to burnout because of their rapid and consta pace of work.

Underfunctioners often get so overwhelmed, that they experience fatigue by the obstacles in front of them.

While neither personality tendency is particularly bad or negative, they both present some challenges.

It will serve you well to notice your triggers and find coping strategies when faced with a stressful situation.

Five tips when working with the Eisenhower Matrix

-Always question what is worth doing first.

-Don't add more than four-six tasks per quadrant. Before adding another one, always complete the most important one in order of importance.

-Start by implementing ONE Eisenhower Matrix for your work life and private life, not two at the same time. Keep it simple!

-Remove distractions, you and all Time thieves. If possible, plan your morning the even before, or else in the morning, then do your magic.

Remember: When you catch yourself slipping into overfunctioning or underfunctioning, Breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system and tells your brain and body to calm down.

Keep Creating yourself!

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About the Creator

Carlos Vettorazzi

Nursing science educator currently building a community that educates, empowers, and enables people to be the best version of themselves.

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