Eisenhower Matrix
Sort tasks into Do, Schedule, Delegate and Delete by urgency and importance.
About this tool
Type a task, tick Important and/or Urgent, and add it. It lands in the right quadrant. Each task can be ticked off, moved to another quadrant or removed, and each quadrant shows how many tasks are still open. Clear completed tasks, copy the matrix as a checklist, or print it. Your tasks are saved in your browser.
How to use the Eisenhower matrix
The Eisenhower matrix is named after President Dwight Eisenhower and was popularised by Stephen Covey's book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. It sorts tasks by two questions. Is it important, meaning it moves your goals forward? Is it urgent, meaning it needs doing now? Urgent and important tasks, such as a bug customers are hitting, go in Do first. Important but not urgent tasks, such as planning, learning, exercise and relationships, go in Schedule. This is where the most valuable work lives, and it is the quadrant people neglect. Urgent but unimportant tasks, such as many emails and requests, can be delegated, batched or automated. Tasks that are neither can usually be dropped. If Do first is always full, too much is being left until it becomes a crisis, so the fix is to block time for the Schedule quadrant. Review the matrix daily or weekly and be honest about what "important" means for your goals. The to-do list tracks everything else, the daily planner blocks time for the Schedule quadrant and the Pomodoro timer helps you focus on it. To-do list methods that actually work compares other approaches.
Frequently asked questions
What are the four quadrants of the Eisenhower matrix?
Do first (urgent and important), Schedule (important, not urgent), Delegate (urgent, not important) and Delete (neither).
What is the difference between urgent and important?
Urgent tasks demand attention now. Important tasks contribute to your long-term goals. Many urgent tasks are not important, and many important ones are never urgent.
Which quadrant matters most?
Schedule โ important but not urgent. Investing time there prevents tasks from becoming crises.
Are my tasks saved?
Yes, in your browser only. They are never uploaded, and Start over replaces them with the example.