How the Eisenhower Matrix can fix your Procrastination issues

As with anything we find resistance towards, It’s easier to overcome the inertia of getting started if it’s reduced to smaller chunks of time.
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This was initially published as an article on Medium.com by Cody McLain: / how-the-eisenhower-mat...
Author: Cody McLain | www.codymclain...
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[@TheArtofImprovement]

So what's your strategy? How do you prioritise and cope with your own tasks?

[@soumenin]

Measure what matters by John Doerr

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

Usually over coffee... and sometimes a really REALLY messy Danish. ;o)

[@m4ckm4n59]

I write lists. delete tasks as and when they have been completed. Add more to the list as new tasks need completing. It works wonderfully for me. By nature I am a procrastinator but I actually get quite a bit done. Sometimes I allott times to certain jobs. Ie 1 hour to drive to blah or 30 mins to tidy something. Writing lists is an amazing way of keeping your attention on the things that are important to you. If I write my list whilst in a calm and relaxed state I find I might think through the jobs in a clear, calm and slightly detached fashion. So jobs that you really would rather not do seem easier as you calmy think through the processes. Yes, writing lists has done wonders for my productivity. Didn't Lincoln say something about.. If it takes 8 hours to chop a tree down. he'd spend the first hour sharpening his axe.. or something like that. Well the odd bit of attention and time spent on your list will probably double your results. Give it a try for a week or two good luck:)

[@advancetotabletop5328]

Blank weekly calendar with areas for notes, golden retriever, yelling at others. :P

[@refreshinglycalm]

This video was a great reminder of the importance of prioritizing tasks! We often get caught up in doing things that are urgent but not important. Let's all be more mindful of this in the future and focus on the tasks that truly matter.🍃

[@juanm.urbina8272]

I saw a video by Dave Crenshaw questioning this method and it made a lot of sense. This matrix worked in the 1960s and before the internet era, right now with emails, messages, social media everything is urgent and everything is important. So it is more a matter of WHEN you need to schedule it in your calendar (sooner or later).

[@ArturoCabello]

Start with the most difficult task of the day first. You'll be far more productive as a result.

[@VioletEmerald]

Certain things many productivity gurus consider both unimportant and not urgent are actually things that should be reconsidered to be quite important - leisure time/relaxation/having time for fun or joy in your day...

[@ryan_rue]

I've been procrastinating an important project with homework for the past day. This couldn't have come at a better time, thank you.

[@MgtowRubicon]

Procrastination is a lack of motivation. "If you need motivation, that means you don't want to do something." -- Dale Carnegie

[@MotiveVideoBook]

Prioritization and the execution is indeed vital. Useful tool the Eisenhower matrix.

[@TheLifeFormulaa]

Prioritizing tasks is a great way to be more productive during the day

[@Graham_Wideman]

Who's here watching youtube instead of getting their tasks done?

[@tonynes3577]

You watch KZbin to learn And Do new things.

[@kevinmbabazi3402]

This is what I am doing 😂

[@mrmensa1096]

Love the format of the videos - the visual aspect and of course the message

[@farhanaannushka22]

Eisenhower matrix really helps me to decide faster...helps clear my confusion and indecision!

[@TheArtofImprovement]

It's been a great help for me too

[@madyati]

I like your videos as you describe the complex things in the most simplistic way

[@sarahandgeorge]

Great summary. I knew about this method - but it was a great reminder, thanks😀 . At the moment we have a system where we single out the 3 most important tasks to be done that week. It can be far too easy to be constantly dealing with the urgent tasks that come up - and lose sight of the larger important projects. . Also focusing on the IGT (income generating tasks) can be very helpful.

[@coachbahman]

Can imagine a man who comes up with this to be a man who goes down in history as a legend..

[@sichwenkoh6947]

Looks great. I will watch this later.

[@maggi-nh8zo]

Eisenhour warned us in his last speech as president to beware of the 'military industrial complex' Google that!! Legendary

[@hadror13]

I recommend the GTD methodology

[@Muslim-cs6ri]

Jazaku lahu kheiran brother from another Motha thanks for everything

[@toddgattfry5405]

This matrix looks exactly like Steven Covey's (7 habits of effective people) matrix? ?

[@TheArtofImprovement]

Yes, Stephen Covey talks about the matrix in his books

[@gordonwilson1631]

Oh to be a president or general or boss or not have a boss. The worst situation is knowing what has to be prioritised but the delegated tasks from on high are deemed a priority. The workers’ paradox.

[@huvanshemmarbaniang7127]

I was just searching about this content a few days back 🤔 and now I followed this channel a few months back , what a coincidence no?

[@TheArtofImprovement]

Serendipity

[@huvanshemmarbaniang7127]

Thanks though

[@TheDarkOne9942]

lol, “delegate”. I’m all by myself and can’t delegate tasks to anyone, what do I do now?

[@VioletEmerald]

The real thing about the "delegate" box to keep in mind is that if they aren't important, to constantly be reconsidering how urgent they are. Your spouse might think the dishes are important and urgent which makes it urgent and important for you to do them for the health of your marriage, but if you're thinking the dishes can wait, maybe they're important and not urgent to you, or if you did then right away because they're urgent but are internally feeling they aren't important, it's... Well it's all pretty relative. In a workplace if people are acting like everything is urgent and you're not a manager or boss and don't really have the power to delegate per se, what you can do instead is figure out of all those urgent things which are not things "only you could do" and which are not actually as urgent as others think they are, often because they aren't "important". Then approach your own boss with a suggestion of how to better spend your own time or why you don't have time to get everything done and ideally even explain this Eisenhower matrix to your boss and how it's usually applied to work issues. See if your boss is willing to delegate certain tasks to others for you. If you're at home, delegating tasks can include hiring a housekeeper if you can afford it but I do think you raise a very good point there and it doesn't fully make sense. But creatively strategize to try to not have any unimportant things seem "urgent" in your life again because why in the world are they urgent if they're not important? And then... Yeah don't delegate the urgent and important things, but figure out a better way to do them in the future before they get to the urgent point.

[@PahlaB]

Totally watched this while I was procrastinating an important but not urgent task. 😂 Thank you, though. This is a really helpful way of looking at things!

[@michaeljohnson2922]

Excellent!

[@TheArtofImprovement]

Thanks

[@jessewood3196]

How can one 'delegate' anything if they live alone and/or are not a manager in the work place? To delegate requires people & or subordinates, am I wrong? It also seems wrong to delegate 'urgent but not important' tasks to say; a roommate or partner just to make yourself more efficient.

[@VioletEmerald]

The real thing about the "delegate" box to keep in mind is that if they aren't important, to constantly be reconsidering how urgent they are. Your spouse might think the dishes are important and urgent which makes it urgent and important for you to do them for the health of your marriage, but if you're thinking the dishes can wait, maybe they're important and not urgent to you, or if you did then right away because they're urgent but are internally feeling they aren't important, it's... Well it's all pretty relative. In a workplace if people are acting like everything is urgent and you're not a manager or boss and don't really have the power to delegate per se, what you can do instead is figure out of all those urgent things which are not things "only you could do" and which are not actually as urgent as others think they are, often because they aren't "important". Then approach your own boss with a suggestion of how to better spend your own time or why you don't have time to get everything done and ideally even explain this Eisenhower matrix to your boss and how it's usually applied to work issues. See if your boss is willing to delegate certain tasks to others for you. If you're at home, delegating tasks can include hiring a housekeeper if you can afford it but I do think you raise a very good point there and it doesn't fully make sense. But creatively strategize to try to not have any unimportant things seem "urgent" in your life again because why in the world are they urgent if they're not important? And then... Yeah don't delegate the urgent and important things, but figure out a better way to do them in the future before they get to the urgent point.

[@Tatemade]

let’s say sunday you want to have a day off so you can enjoy it with family , you could ask someone to cover your shift , or you want to take a vacation and there is urgent things to take care of but are not important since your vacation is more important , you’ll probably want to delegate certain things to take the Load off you.

[@adriyan1525]

must be nice to have an assistant to delegate tasks to. like wheres my task butler wtf

[@VioletEmerald]

The real thing about the "delegate" box to keep in mind is that if they aren't important, to constantly be reconsidering how urgent they are. Your spouse might think the dishes are important and urgent which makes it urgent and important for you to do them for the health of your marriage, but if you're thinking the dishes can wait, maybe they're important and not urgent to you, or if you did then right away because they're urgent but are internally feeling they aren't important, it's... Well it's all pretty relative. In a workplace if people are acting like everything is urgent and you're not a manager or boss and don't really have the power to delegate per se, what you can do instead is figure out of all those urgent things which are not things "only you could do" and which are not actually as urgent as others think they are, often because they aren't "important". Then approach your own boss with a suggestion of how to better spend your own time or why you don't have time to get everything done and ideally even explain this Eisenhower matrix to your boss and how it's usually applied to work issues. See if your boss is willing to delegate certain tasks to others for you. If you're at home, delegating tasks can include hiring a housekeeper if you can afford it but I do think you raise a very good point there and it doesn't fully make sense. But creatively strategize to try to not have any unimportant things seem "urgent" in your life again because why in the world are they urgent if they're not important? And then... Yeah don't delegate the urgent and important things, but figure out a better way to do them in the future before they get to the urgent point.

[@mmawilldesha]

I was just thinking about how much I procrastinate, and boom this pops up.

[@auro1986]

is there an eisenhower box app?

[@vdiitd]

Any solution for people who dont have anyone to delegate their tasks to? :(

[@FenryrGrey]

delegate it to FUTURE YOU! /jk ;)

[@homedoghappiness]

hire someone? elicit help?

[@VioletEmerald]

The real thing about the "delegate" box to keep in mind is that if they aren't important, to constantly be reconsidering how urgent they are. Your spouse might think the dishes are important and urgent which makes it urgent and important for you to do them for the health of your marriage, but if you're thinking the dishes can wait, maybe they're important and not urgent to you, or if you did then right away because they're urgent but are internally feeling they aren't important, it's... Well it's all pretty relative. In a workplace if people are acting like everything is urgent and you're not a manager or boss and don't really have the power to delegate per se, what you can do instead is figure out of all those urgent things which are not things "only you could do" and which are not actually as urgent as others think they are, often because they aren't "important". Then approach your own boss with a suggestion of how to better spend your own time or why you don't have time to get everything done and ideally even explain this Eisenhower matrix to your boss and how it's usually applied to work issues. See if your boss is willing to delegate certain tasks to others for you. If you're at home, delegating tasks can include hiring a housekeeper if you can afford it but I do think you raise a very good point there and it doesn't fully make sense. But creatively strategize to try to not have any unimportant things seem "urgent" in your life again because why in the world are they urgent if they're not important? And then... Yeah don't delegate the urgent and important things, but figure out a better way to do them in the future before they get to the urgent point.

[@tonynes3577]

I myself work in an hourly paid job so I don't really need such a matrix.. But there are certain things in life other than my job that I would like to do, or that I need to do. So the matrix can be useful.

[@thekingofdale990]

my friends found out i was using the eisenhower box on them and now i have no more friends

[@GetThePicture]

Is this matrix made by Eisenhover?

[@antonnovo695]

This is priceless

[@TheDavidlloydjones]

The real secret of getting things done? The Eisenhower method: you should "Beetle!" and Beadle Smith rushes in and does it for you.

[@vmizzell]

What do you do about a supervisor who rushes around asking you to perform urgent-unimportant tasks?

[@etrogneux]

Work on your negotiation skills.

[@etrogneux]

Become the supervisor yourself

[@shybound5905]

what if you have a loop of delegates passing the unimportant tasks in a circle then

[@maggi-nh8zo]

'SHEDDULE' UR TASKS or 'SKEDULE' THEM???

[@TheArtofImprovement]

Depends on which part of the world you're from 😀

[@maggi-nh8zo]

The Art of Improvement 😄

[@traviszachery9672]

Hmmm...

[@farisabdurrahman8416]

Now thats german efficiency

[@youneslahjaiji5739]

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[@cbone6754]

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[@youneslahjaiji5739]

@@cbone6754 call center

[@cbone6754]

@@youneslahjaiji5739 what about a call center?

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[@etrogneux]

@grahamwideman8045 Serious? Do you pretend to decide for me what is important AND urgent for myself?

[@AjayPawar-py4or]

..

[@milllo9935]

I just came here to add this to "watch later"

[@jesus.aventura3824]

Can change the voice

[@nedimkamil3950]

WHY ARE YOU TALKING THAT FAST? DON'T WORRY, WE ARE LISTENING TO YOU, YOU CAN SLOW DOWN.

[@jarrodyuki7081]

shut down this video once you criticize someone about procrastination you break heisenbergs uncertainty principle.