How to Use the Eisenhower Matrix to Help You with Decision Making and Prioritizing

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how to use the Eisenhower Matrix for decision making

 

Life is complex with many important tasks competing daily. How do we know what is most important and when we should act on that task or project? We have heard of the Eisenhower Matrix for years.  The Eisenhower Matrix is a task management tool that helps you organize and prioritize tasks by urgency and importance, using the ideas of General Eisenhower and put into practice by David Allen. By applying the tools to the tasks and projects you are working on, you can decide more easily about your priorities and actions for your day, week, and month. See how this works for you!

 

Understanding the Eisenhower Matrix

The Eisenhower Matrix looks like a series of squares. The matrix consists of four quadrants with each quadrant focusing on two concepts simultaneously, urgent and important. Urgent tasks require quick action. Important tasks contribute to your long-term goals, mission, and values.  The alignment of “Urgent and Important” is where the highest level of response to the most important tasks occurs.

  • Urgent and Important (Do First): Tasks in this quadrant are both urgent and important and require immediate attention. Handle these first since these are critical to achieving your goals.
  • Important, but Not Urgent (Schedule): Tasks in this quadrant are important for your long-term goals but may not be time-sensitive. Schedule these tasks to be sure of completion.
  • Urgent, but Not Important (Delegate): Tasks in this quadrant are urgent but not necessarily important for you to do. Either delegate tasks to others to free up your time for more important activities or set up a routine to complete.
  • Not Urgent and Not Important (Eliminate): Tasks in this quadrant are neither urgent nor important. Minimize or eliminate these distractions or time-wasters.

Assign each of your tasks or projects to a quadrant. As you plan your week, you can use this system to categorize your tasks first, then assign them to your time blocks. 

Effectively using the Eisenhower Matrix

Your tasks and projects might feel overwhelming each week as you review them. This tool will help you decide what is most important, so you know when to work on which tasks. Let’s review this system starting with where you have the biggest obstacles to overcome in your prioritizing, which is focusing on tasks that are not urgent or important.

 

Neither Urgent Nor Important (Eliminate)
These are tasks that are such low priority that you can eliminate them as much as possible. Tasks that fall into the category are often also “someday/maybe” as well as tasks that take you away from your goals. Examples of these tasks are social media scrolling and other procrastinating activities. These actions tend to align with a need for a refresher like taking a walk or taking a sip of water. Start being more aware of the distractions and time wasters in your day to set a limit on these activities.

 

Urgent but Not Important (Delegate)

A task might be urgent but not so important as to take you away from other work.  Tasks that fall into the category can be delegated with direction or can be accomplished at low energy. Administrative tasks that require a low level of detail and some meetings fall into this category. Unnecessary interruptions, checking email randomly, and checking social media appear urgent. Urgent but not important tasks are tricky to handle and assess. Start by applying rules for when to check email and when to turn off notifications as these interrupt your workflow. Know which tasks can be delegated or automated, such as ordering groceries or using Chat GPT to create a meal plan. Keep aware of urgent feeling conversations with co-workers or drama with friends that feel urgent but take you off course.

 

Important but Not Urgent (Schedule)

These tasks are that are often required and often help you achieve long-term goals. These may have big consequences and appear to have no deadlines until the deadline is imminent. Tasks that fall into this category are marketing plans, expense reports, health-related, educational, and most importantly building relationships. Having a weekly planning time and using time blocks for these tasks helps you keep up with them. Routines are an important way to handle important but not urgent tasks.

 

Urgent and Important (Do)

These tasks require immediate action, have an immediate deadline, and have significant consequences. These are typically also the daily crises that happen such as a flat tire, a sick kiddo, or a last-minute request at work. Do these tasks during your first time block of the day to be sure you have time and energy. Even the best of planning cannot prevent last-minute emergencies. However, you can add in flexibility in your schedule by leaving white space in your calendar.

 

There are several ways to use this tool.

  • During weekly planning time, list out all the tasks or next steps in your projects. Then, categorize each task into one of the four quadrants of the Eisenhower Matrix based on its urgency and importance. This will give you a clear overview of what needs to be done and help you prioritize your time accordingly. From there, you can allocate time blocks in your calendar for each task, ensuring that you dedicate sufficient time to important and urgent tasks while also scheduling time for tasks that are important but not urgent.
  • As your week progresses, there will be interruptions or new tasks that need to be worked on. When this happens, assign these tasks to the appropriate quadrant of the Eisenhower Matrix to ensure that you continue to focus on your priorities. If a new task is both urgent and important, it may require immediate attention and adjustment of your schedule. If a task is neither urgent nor important, you may choose to delegate it or eliminate it altogether to maintain your focus on more critical activities.

 

By using the Eisenhower Matrix for both weekly planning and adaptation during the week, you can effectively manage your time, prioritize your tasks, and stay focused on what matters most, ultimately enhancing your productivity and achieving your goals more efficiently. The Eisenhower Matrix decision-making method can be a great tool to help you choose which items on your to-do list to prioritize immediately and which you can delegate later.

 

 

How to Manage Any Overwhelming, Large Project

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Undertaking a large project can be overwhelming and intimidating. That large project could be a wedding, volunteering with an association, starting a business, or completing a major work assignment.  The size and complexity of the task can paralyze your thinking and prevent you from getting started. Here are some effective strategies to help you manage any overwhelming, large project.

 

Start with a Clear Plan

The first step in managing any large project is to create a clear and detailed plan with deadlines. Break the project down into smaller, more manageable tasks, and create a timeline for completing each one. Make your timeline visual to help you see the steps along the way to manage anxiety and perfectionism. Work backward from the original deadline to ensure completion ahead of time. This will help you stay organized and focused as you work towards your goal. Use project management tools like Trello, Asana, or a Gantt chart to help you keep track of tasks and deadlines.

Assess obstacles

No project goes along without a glitch. Assessing these challenges early in the project will help you be aware of situations that will arise. Be prepared for needing additional resources to complete the project. The obstacles also include competing projects, changing timelines, and unclear outcomes.

Prioritize Tasks

Not all tasks are equal in the amount of time required, the resources needed, or the placement in the timeline. Prioritize your tasks based on their importance and deadlines. Focus on completing high-priority tasks first, and then move on to less critical ones. This will help you make steady progress and avoid feeling overwhelmed. Early on in a project you have the most energy, enthusiasm, and resources to use. Be sure you are front-loading the most important tasks so make significant progress early in the project.

 

Break it Down

Breaking the project down into smaller, more manageable tasks is crucial. This makes the project seem less overwhelming and allows you to focus on one task at a time. Divide the project into smaller milestones, and celebrate your achievements as you reach each one. This will help keep you motivated and on track. Use your tracking tool

 

Use Time Management Techniques

Effective time management is essential when managing a large project. Distraction and complexity come into play in any project. Use techniques like the Pomodoro Technique and time blocking to help you stay focused and productive. Set aside specific blocks of time to work on your project, and eliminate distractions during these times. Regularly monitor your progress. You can identify issues with time management by assessing how long parts of the project are taking and re-evaluating your original plan. You can adjust and adapt accordingly when monitoring regularly.

 

Collaborate and Delegate Responsibilities

You may have been assigned this project solely, but don’t go it alone. Bring in team members as needed to learn new skills, build energy, and move forward. Delegate tasks to team members or enlist the help of friends and family members if possible. Working as a team not only lightens your workload but also allows you to benefit from the skills and expertise of others. Routinely over-communicate, review resources, and bring together any loose pieces as you work together on the project.

 

Celebrate Successes

Celebrate the milestones along the way. Each step is an important step so acknowledge this. Treat yourself to a moment of gratulations, a small reward, or a celebration with your team to mark each step as well as the completion of the project. Assess what went well, and what could be improved on to learn best about project management.

 

 

Navigating Project Overload: Finding Your Capacity (Especially with ADHD)

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It is common to find ourselves juggling multiple projects simultaneously all the time. Whether at work, school or in our personal lives, the demands of life usually require us to wear many hats at once. Finding the right capacity and balance between productivity and overwhelm can be a challenge, especially for individuals with ADHD. We typically have too many projects to do well and without stress. Here are some strategies for managing project overload, determining your capacity, and tracking tasks effectively.

Understanding Your Capacity

Capacity refers to the maximum amount of projects or tasks you can effectively manage without becoming overwhelmed or experiencing a decline in performance. It’s crucial to recognize that this threshold varies from person to person and can even fluctuate based on factors such as stress levels, life transitions, emotional regulation, and sleep quality.  Your capacity depends on your self-awareness of how much you can handle. It also depends on the level of performance you expect of yourself and the amount of time required to meet your project goals.  Often the only signs you have of reaching capacity are feelings of anxiety and stress. For people with ADHD, there can be some magical thinking being limitless. Enthusiasm for possibilities is exciting. Big projects such as creating a beautiful home environment and DIY solutions to house projects can lead to too many incomplete projects and stress. Knowing your capacity plays a part in this.

 

Strategies for Managing Project Overload

You might have already realized that you are over your capacity. The signals of stress are there. If so, there are strategies to use to move forward.

  • Start by prioritizing your tasks and your goals. Not all projects are equally important, even if that seems to be the case due to emotional regulation. Identify the tasks that are most urgent or important and focus your energy on those first. You can use Eisenhower’s Urgent/Important Principle or the ABCDE method can help you prioritize effectively. Use your intuition as well as data to determine priorities.
  • A little planning goes a long way. Make your plan using a visual guide. Use a calendar or Gantt chart to help you organize the projects into sequence. These visual aids help you allocate your entire self to one project at a time. This applies at work and at home.
  • Establish micro-steps to chunk larger projects into manageable sections. With each step accomplished, you feel the sense of accomplishment of moving forward. You can use Asana or Trello to help you manage these microsteps.
  • Set aside time each day or week to review your tasks, priorities, and progress. This allows you to make adjustments as needed and ensure nothing falls through the cracks.
  • Once a project is complete, review your capacity. Pause before adding more projects to complete the existing projects. Review what was successful and why and create a system for the capacity you have set.
  • Delegate and collaborate with those on your team at home and work. Ask for help or delegate tasks when necessary. Whether it’s a trusted colleague, friend, or family member, having a support system can make managing project overload feel less daunting.
  • Decide if you not going to complete the project. Can you let go of the parts that have become clutter from the abandoned project? I encourage you to give this some strong thought to do so.
  • Remember that the key to all energy and productivity is your self-care. The foundation of a good night’s rest, hydration, exercise and nutrition make all the difference when you are feeling overwhelmed and overloaded.

 

Navigating project overload can be challenging in self-awareness and self-concept. Remember that finding the right balance takes time and experimentation, so be patient with yourself and celebrate small victories along the way. With dedication and knowledge, you can conquer project overload and thrive in both your personal and professional endeavors.