Page 242 - Foundations of Learning, 4th Edition (Revised)

Time Management Matrix: Importance and Urgency

President Dwight D. Eisenhower said, “Most things which are urgent are not important, and most
things which are important are not urgent.” He is known to have made use of a matrix which is now
sometimes called the Eisenhower Matrix or Importance-Urgency Matrix. Author and professional
speaker Stephen Covey included a revised version of the matrix in his best-selling book, The Seven
Habits of Highly Effective People, shining a well-deserved spotlight on this useful analytical tool.

We have already considered the trap of confusing what is interesting with what is important. Given
the sense of urgency that pervades so much of modern life, where messages, as well as coffee are
“instant,” another and perhaps more pernicious trap is: confusing what is important with that which
is merely urgent. Covey writes,

It’s important to realize that urgency itself is not the problem. The problem is that when
urgency is the dominant factor in our lives, importance isn’t. What we regard as ‘first things’
are urgent things. We’re so caught up in doing, we don’t even stop to ask if what we’re
doing really needs to be done.

The Time Management Matrix (shown below) can help you focus your time and energy on what’s
most important and avoid those activities that are less important or not important to you. While
that’s a great strategy for making decisions about prioritizing concrete tasks, it is an invaluable
guide for the much larger issue of realizing the life goals you have and will set for yourself.

Time Management Matrix Urgent NOT Urgent

NOT Important Important I stress II value

crises education
preparation
pressing problems relationship-building
new opportunities
deadline-driven
projects

III IVdeception regret

popular activities trivia
some communication timewasters

most interruptions

Let’s examine the individual quadrants of the Time Management Matrix:
Quadrant I: Urgent and Important

These tasks or activities must be done immediately and they are important; they also tend to
cause stress. Ignoring activities in this quadrant can cause problems that range from serious
(jeopardizing your life goals) to life-threatening.

236 Foundations of Learning