How to be More Productive by Using the “Eisenhower Box”
Use this principle to figure out which tasks are super important and need your immediate attention, and which ones you can pass off or just forget about altogether.
Let’s transport ourselves to 1953 to 1961, when Eisenhower, the 34th President of the United States, served two terms.
For most of us, born a long time after that period, it is hard to imagine what the world was like back then, yet to this day, we use the principle to guide our workload and decision-making, which was well-formed in those times.
So what was the world like?
Let’s look at some world events that shaped present moments and perhaps were the driving force behind Eisenhower’s formation of the Eisenhower matrix.
March 5, 1953, was a good day for the world overall as Joseph Stalin, the long-time leader of the Soviet Union, died. After more than 30 years in power, marking the end of an era and leading to significant changes in Soviet leadership and policy, brutality, dictatorship and mass murder. If you have not watched the recent Netflix documentary covering the Cold War, consider it— it’ll give you a good idea of Stalin’s unthinkable crimes against humanity.
The Korean War, which began in 1950, concluded with the signing of an armistice agreement on July 27, 1953, bringing a ceasefire to the conflict. However, a formal peace treaty was never signed, leaving North and South Korea technically still at war.
Following the death of her father, King George VI, Queen Elizabeth II was crowned on June 2, 1953, in a significant event in British history, marking the beginning of her long reign.
In a landmark decision on May 17, 1954, the United States Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Board of Education that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional, playing a significant role in the civil rights movement in the United States.
The Montgomery Bus Boycott, which lasted for over a year, was a pivotal event in the civil rights movement, sparked by the arrest of Rosa Parks for refusing to give up her seat to a white man, leading to the desegregation of public transportation in Montgomery, Alabama.
The Space Race between the United States and the Soviet Union officially began with the launch of the Soviet satellite Sputnik 1 on October 4, 1957, marking the first artificial satellite to orbit the Earth and intensifying the competition between the two superpowers in space exploration.
The Treaty of Rome, signed on March 25, 1957, marked a significant turning point in European history. The treaty established the European Economic Community (EEC)(1957), which aimed to create a common market and promote economic integration among its member states. The EEC laid the groundwork for what would eventually become the European Union, an entity that has transformed the economic and political landscape of Europe.
The Bay of Pigs Invasion was a failed attempt by the United States to overthrow the government of Fidel Castro in Cuba. In April 1961, a CIA-backed paramilitary force of Cuban exiles launched an invasion of Cuba at the Bay of Pigs. The invasion was met with fierce resistance from Cuban forces, and it ended in defeat and embarrassment for the United States. The Bay of Pigs Invasion highlighted the limits of American power and the complexities of foreign policy in the Cold War era.
The construction of the Berlin Wall was a momentous event that symbolized the division between East and West during the Cold War. In August 1961, East German authorities began constructing a barrier separating East and West Berlin, effectively sealing off East Berlin from the rest of the world. The wall became a physical and psychological barrier between East and West, and it remained in place for nearly three decades. The construction of the Berlin Wall was a stark reminder of the tensions and divisions of the Cold War era.
That is a short overview of only SOME of the world's events while Eisenhower was in charge and when we presumably think Eisenhower's principle was formed.
Not quite Eisenhower's matrix
Although Eisenhower is commonly credited with creating the Urgent/Important Principle, there is no evidence to suggest that he actually coined the term. The principle is said to have been inspired by a quote from Dr. J. Roscoe Miller, who was President of Northwestern University in the 1940s. Miller said, "The urgent is seldom important, and the important is seldom urgent." Regardless of its origins, the principle remains a widely recognized and effective approach to managing time and productivity.1
What is the Eisenhower matrix and why should you need to use it?
It's a simple and powerful way to prioritize your tasks and make the most of your time.
It helps you determine which tasks to tackle first and which ones to delegate, put off, or even forget about. By focusing on the important and urgent tasks, you can get more done and feel less stressed out.
When you're in charge of the country in world events such as the ones I listed at the start, you have to find a way to avoid getting bogged down with less important stuff or sidetracked by things that seem urgent but aren't really all that important.
You can't afford to get caught up in the little things confronting you daily and forget about the bigger picture.
When you use a matrix to sort your tasks by their urgency and importance, you gain a clearer idea of what you need to prioritize. This way, we can make smarter decisions about how to spend our time and resources.
To prioritize tasks, we use a 2x2 matrix that classifies them based on their urgency and importance. If a task is both—urgent and important, it goes to the top of the list. On the other hand, if it's not urgent and not important, it's a low priority.
What is important is seldom urgent and what is urgent is seldom important.
Determine what’s important and what’s urgent.
Before using this tool, understand the difference between important and urgent tasks:
Important tasks are the ones that help us reach our goals, whether they're related to work or our personal lives.
Urgent tasks, on the other hand, demand our immediate attention and are usually about fulfilling someone else's goals. We tend to focus on these tasks because we know the consequences of not dealing with them are pretty serious.
This principle became super popular thanks to Steven Covey. Covey included it in his bestselling book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People in 1989. These days, people often call it Steven Covey's Urgent vs. Important matrix, even though it wasn't actually his idea. Nonetheless, Covey played a crucial role in making it popular.
High Urgency / High Importance – Crisis management, some behaviour issues, some communication issues, and imminent customer deadlines.
High Urgency / Low Importance – Some interruptions, some emails, and other peoples’ urgent and important tasks.
Low Urgency / Low Importance – Most emails, filing, some reading.
Low Urgency / High Importance – Communication, teambuilding, managing performance, planning, personal development, review and recognition, rest.
How to use the “Eisenhower Principle”
Step 1 | First things first, make a list of everything you need to do at work, even if it's just small stuff. Think of it as your ultimate to-do list.
Step 2 | Consider each task and put it into one of four categories:
A | Important and Urgent (Do First)
So, in the first quadrant, you'll find all the tasks that are really important for your life and career. These are the ones that need your attention today or tomorrow, so you can't put them off any longer. They're super important, so make sure you deal with them as soon as possible.
There are two types of tasks that always seem to pop up: the ones you couldn't see coming, and the ones you've put off until the last minute.
You can't always predict or avoid issues or crises, but you can plan for them by keeping some extra time in your schedule. That way, you'll be able to handle unexpected situations without getting too overwhelmed.
So, if you're someone who always puts things off until the last minute, you're probably a procrastinator. But don't worry, there are ways to overcome procrastination! One of the best things you can do is plan ahead and learn how to avoid putting things off.
B | Important but Not Urgent (Schedule)
When you work towards your personal or professional goals, you'll encounter various activities, tasks, projects, and development opportunities that are crucial to your success. We call this 'important work.'
Now, you might think that you need to deal with these tasks immediately, but the truth is, most of them aren't that urgent. They may seem important, but they're not as critical as they appear.
Give yourself enough time to complete your tasks properly so they don't become urgent and stressful. Remember to leave some extra space in your schedule for any unexpected issues that might come up. Scheduling your activities can help you stay on track and avoid feeling overwhelmed by a lot of work.
So, don't forget to plan ahead and take things one step at a time!
C | Not Important but Urgent (Delegate)
It's really important to make sure you're using your time wisely and not getting bogged down by urgent but ultimately unimportant tasks. You don't want to miss out on working on the stuff that really matters!
Take a sec to think through which tasks really need to be done right away and which ones can be put off or delegated. This handy tool can help you learn to say "no" when you need to, instead of always saying "yes" and overcommitting yourself.
Did you know that most of us end up spending our time on tasks that are urgent but not important? That's because these tasks often pop up as emergencies, which triggers our natural "fight or flight" response, and we end up taking action without even stopping to think if it's necessary.
D | Not Important and Not Urgent (Don’t Do)
Some activities can be real time-wasters and are often just distractions. So, it's best to avoid them altogether by ignoring, cancelling or crossing them off your to-do list.
That brings us to your weekly action. Spend one week organizing your workload in the four quadrants and counting your results, then let me know in the comments below if you found it useful.
Until next Wednesday,
Jana
Mind Tools Content Team. (n.d.). Eisenhower’s Urgent/Important Principle. https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newHTE_91.htm