{"id":1884,"date":"2017-11-29T15:35:09","date_gmt":"2017-11-29T14:35:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/178.62\/?p=18"},"modified":"2017-11-29T15:35:09","modified_gmt":"2017-11-29T14:35:09","slug":"practicality-eisenhower-matrix","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fabiocicerchia.it\/time-management\/practicality-eisenhower-matrix","title":{"rendered":"The practicality of the Eisenhower Matrix"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p>The Eisenhower Matrix\u00a0helps you decide and prioritise tasks based on urgency and importance. In fact, it is also referred to as the Urgent-Important Matrix.<\/p>\n<div class=\"\" data-block=\"true\" data-editor=\"80ija\" data-offset-key=\"8r79r-0-0\">\n<div class=\"public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr\" data-offset-key=\"8r79r-0-0\"><span class=\"hardreadability\"><span data-offset-key=\"8r79r-2-0\">If you find yourself fire-fighting throughout the day, then you should apply this concept to improve your productivity<\/span><\/span><span data-offset-key=\"8r79r-3-0\">.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<div>The matrix takes the name from Dwight Eisenhower, a five-star general in the US Army, the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe during World War II, President of Columbia University, and the 34<sup>th<\/sup> President of United States.<\/div>\n<blockquote>\n<div>What is important is seldom urgent and what is urgent is seldom important.<br \/>\n\u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/quoteinvestigator.com\/2014\/05\/09\/urgent\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dwight Eisenhower<\/a><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div>Here it is the matrix, which divides tasks into 4 simple categories:<\/div>\n<div>\n<figure id=\"attachment_285\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-285\" style=\"width: 990px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/jamesclear.com\/eisenhower-box\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-285\" src=\"https:\/\/fabiocicerchia.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/eisenhower-box.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"990\" height=\"800\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-285\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u00a9 James Clear<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div>Let&#8217;s clarify some meanings of the two main keywords:<\/div>\n<div>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><em>Urgent tasks<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0are tasks that have to be dealt with immediately.<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Important tasks<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0are tasks that contribute to long-term goals.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div>\n<div class=\"\" data-block=\"true\" data-editor=\"80ija\" data-offset-key=\"1eml-0-0\">\n<div class=\"public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr\" data-offset-key=\"1eml-0-0\"><span class=\"veryhardreadability\"><span data-offset-key=\"1eml-0-0\">The urgency of a task is <\/span><\/span><span class=\"adverb\"><span data-offset-key=\"1eml-1-0\">mainly<\/span><\/span><span class=\"veryhardreadability\"><span data-offset-key=\"1eml-2-0\"> driven by deadlines whereas the\u00a0importance of a task is change based on the impact or significant change it can have on your life<\/span><\/span><span data-offset-key=\"1eml-3-0\">.\u00a0What you consider important can be different from what other people think.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<h2><b>#1: Urgent &amp; Important<\/b><\/h2>\n<div>This quadrant of the matrix contains the highest priority tasks, the ones that need to be done now. Either because\u00a0you could not have foreseen them or because you&#8217;ve left them until the last minute.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Try to have as few tasks as possible. If you spend too much time working on this kind of tasks, you are working solely as a trouble-shooter, and never finding time to work on longer-term plans.<\/p>\n<p>If two or more tasks appear to be equally urgent, you might want to re-assess\u00a0them with the help of other team members connected to the tasks.<\/p>\n<h2><b>#2: Not Urgent &amp; Important<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>You should spend most of your time working on this kind of tasks. Those tasks allow you to work on something important and have the time to do it properly without rush and focusing on quality work in an efficient manner.<\/p>\n<p>Probably are the most neglected tasks but the most crucial ones for success,\u00a0this quadrant\u00a0<span style=\"font-size: 0.95em;\">can include strategic thinking, deciding on goals or general direction and planning.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>#3: Urgent &amp; Not Important<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>You need to minimise these tasks, they are undermining your productivity, often they are mistaken to be important when most of the times are not.<\/p>\n<p>Try always to question them, so if you can avoid these tasks do it by delegating them to another person.<\/p>\n<h2><b>#4: Not Urgent &amp; Not Important<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>You want to reduce the trivial tasks in this quadrant.<\/p>\n<div class=\"\" data-block=\"true\" data-editor=\"80ija\" data-offset-key=\"8d01c-0-0\">\n<div class=\"public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr\" data-offset-key=\"8d01c-0-0\"><span data-offset-key=\"8d01c-0-0\">This quadrant includes tasks that will prevent you to optimise your time management.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>To reduce these activities and remove the temptation to go back to them, it helps to create a clear structure for your day by focusing on the tasks in quadrant 2.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><strong>Further Reading<\/strong><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mindtools.com\/pages\/article\/newHTE_91.htm\">Eisenhower&#8217;s Urgent\/Important Principle<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.artofmanliness.com\/2013\/10\/23\/eisenhower-decision-matrix\/\">The Eisenhower Decision Matrix: How to Distinguish Between Urgent and Important Tasks and Make Real Progress in Your Life<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/blog.sandglaz.com\/the-urgent-important-matrix\/\">How to improve your time management skills with the urgent-important matrix<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/jamesclear.com\/eisenhower-box\">How to be More Productive and Eliminate Time Wasting Activities by Using the \u201cEisenhower Box\u201d<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.business2community.com\/leadership\/eisenhower-decision-matrix-important-vs-urgent-01372854\">The Eisenhower Decision Matrix: Important vs. Urgent<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Eisenhower Matrix\u00a0helps you decide and prioritise tasks based on urgency and importance. In fact, it is also referred to as the Urgent-Important Matrix. If you find yourself fire-fighting throughout the day, then you should apply this concept to improve your productivity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[57],"tags":[53,54,55,56,58],"aioseo_notices":[],"author_meta":{"display_name":"fabio","author_link":"https:\/\/fabiocicerchia.it\/author\/fabio"},"featured_img":null,"coauthors":[],"tax_additional":{"categories":{"linked":["<a href=\"https:\/\/fabiocicerchia.it\/category\/time-management\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Time Management<\/a>"],"unlinked":["<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Time Management<\/span>"]},"tags":{"linked":["<a href=\"https:\/\/fabiocicerchia.it\/category\/time-management\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">decision making<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/fabiocicerchia.it\/category\/time-management\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">leadership<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/fabiocicerchia.it\/category\/time-management\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">prioritisation<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/fabiocicerchia.it\/category\/time-management\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">productivity<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/fabiocicerchia.it\/category\/time-management\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">time-management<\/a>"],"unlinked":["<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">decision making<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">leadership<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">prioritisation<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">productivity<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">time-management<\/span>"]}},"comment_count":"0","relative_dates":{"created":"Posted 6 years ago","modified":"Updated 6 years ago"},"absolute_dates":{"created":"Posted on November 29, 2017","modified":"Updated on November 29, 2017"},"absolute_dates_time":{"created":"Posted on November 29, 2017 3:35 pm","modified":"Updated on November 29, 2017 3:35 pm"},"featured_img_caption":"","series_order":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fabiocicerchia.it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1884"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fabiocicerchia.it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fabiocicerchia.it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fabiocicerchia.it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fabiocicerchia.it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1884"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/fabiocicerchia.it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1884\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fabiocicerchia.it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1884"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fabiocicerchia.it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1884"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fabiocicerchia.it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1884"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}