Eisenhower matrix for time management: a new look at managing priorities

Eisenhower matrix for time management

The Eisenhower matrix for time management: a tool without limits

In this article, I’ll talk about the Eisenhower matrix for time management and how it can help you :

  • improve the way you manage your priorities
  • become aware of what you need to focus on in order to improve the quality of your life

What is the Eisenhower matrix?

According to Wikipedia it is a time management and analysis tool.

It is indeed an analysis tool because it allows you to understand an individual’s behavior and it is also a time management tool because it enables you to assess what kind of activities a person spends their time on.

But the Eisenhower matrix is also a tool to help people become aware of their choices and actions.

Behind these choices and actions are essential elements such as:

  • personal values
  • beliefs
  • habits

You’ve already read other articles on this topic with the same chart and more or less identical advice.

Here is another slightly different chart that sums up my understanding of this tool as a coach and how to use it to your advantage to achieve your goals.

Contrary to what you may have read elsewhere, the Eisenhower Matrix is much more than a time management tool.

While it does help you become aware of your current way of organizing yourself, it has many more applications if you go beyond what is obvious.

To illustrate my point, I propose that you go through the 4 principles of this tool.

Before moving on to the tips, if you want to dive deeper into the topic of time management, I recommend reading the article 7 Easy Tips to Overcome Time Management Obstacles.

Important but not urgent

The first part is all about what is important and not urgent in a person’s life.

In the table, I linked these tasks to the concept of value.

Values represent what is most important to a person and each person has different values.

If a person knows their values, in order to be most productive they will need to prioritize them and set goals that are consistent with their values.

If, on the other hand, an individual does not know his values, he will need to identify them quickly to avoid pursuing goals that will not bring them anything meaningful in the long run.

The tool therefore not only helps to focus on the important activities related to the values but also to check the consistency between :

  • values
  • goals
  • planned tasks
  • actions that have been carried out

Important and urgent

These are activities that were important but were not immediately addressed.

To explain this form of procrastination we can again rely on values, and more specifically on values conflict.

It is possible that a person may be initially motivated to perform a particular task, but that this is related to a value that is in conflict with another value of similar importance.

If so, that person will need to identify the value related to that task and then become aware of that conflict in order to resolve it so that they can plan and complete that important task.

Urgent but not important

These are activities that you or others consider urgent and you put off because you have a limiting belief.

For example, some people may put psychological pressure on you to meet their expectations immediately.

This may be a manager, customer, supplier, or colleague.

But this kind of pressure also exists in your personal life.

You find yourself giving in to these demands when you believe that you must respond quickly to the requests of others, and therefore place more importance on their needs rather than on your own priorities.

Awareness of this belief is necessary to take back control of your choices, actions, and goals.

To learn more about the concept of belief, I suggest you read my post on how to overcome limiting beliefs.

In some cases, in addition to coaching on this limiting belief, the person may need support in learning how to say no and be more assertive in their work and personal life.

Not important and not urgent

These are activities that not only do not bring anything positive but can sometimes have negative consequences.

Most commonly, these actions are related to unproductive or negative habits.

For example, a person may spend two hours of their time each day checking bad news on television or the internet.

This is not important or urgent and moreover, this habit has a negative impact on their mind and also on their health.

However, this person does not realize their behavior and continues until they experience negative health consequences.

In order to get out of this negative spiral, the person will have to become aware of the unproductive habit and its consequences before they can change.

In some cases, the individual may still repeat the unproductive behavior to satisfy an unconscious need.

In this particular case, following bad news would give him an illusion of control over events over which he has no real power.

Summarizing on the Eisenhower Matrix

In this article, I proposed a new interpretation of the Eisenhower matrix.

In addition to being a time management tool, it allows you to :

  • check if the actions you plan are consistent with your most important values
  • become aware of possible conflicts of values that lead to stressful situations
  • identify beliefs that cause you to prefer the priorities of others to your own
  • identify unproductive or even negative habits that hold you back from greater success and accomplishment

To learn more about how to become more productive, I suggest you read the following two articles: 14 Tips to Be More Productive at Work and in Your Personal Life and 13 Scientifically Proven Tips to Become Organized at Work.

If you are interested in the topic of productivity, I invite you to discover all my articles on productivity.

If you are looking for tools to improve your time management skills, I recommend you read my article on the best time management apps.

If you want to learn how to manage your time, I invite you to find out more about our online time management course.

To take advantage of the expertise of a time management coach, write to us now via our contact form, call us at +33 6 69 46 03 79 or contact us on WhatsApp at +33 6 69 46 03 79.

If you are ready to take action, check out our life coaching packages:

Read this article in other languages

Français Matrice d’Eisenhower : une nouvelle approche à la gestion des priorités
ItalianoMatrice di Eisenhower: un nuovo approccio alla gestione delle priorità

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