Eisenhower Matrix

The idea

Sort tasks by importance and urgency. Important work contributes to your goals; urgent work needs timely attention. Protect time for important work before it becomes a crisis.

How to use it

1. Write your tasks down.
2. Place each task in one of the four quadrants.
3. Do urgent, important work. Schedule important work with no immediate deadline. Delegate where possible; remove low-value distractions.

In practice

A client deadline goes in Do. Planning your next offer goes in Schedule. A routine status request may be delegated. Aimless feed scrolling belongs in Eliminate.