Eisenhower Matrix

The Eisenhower Matrix sorts your to-do list by two questions: is it urgent, and is it important? Every task lands in one of four boxes: Do first, Schedule, Delegate or Delete. This online matrix lets you type tasks straight into the boxes or paste a whole list and sort it in seconds, drag tasks between boxes, add due dates, and download, print or copy the result. Everything is saved in your browser, with no sign-up.

How to Use the Eisenhower Matrix

1. Get everything out of your head. Press Sort a list and paste or type your tasks, one per line. Bullets and numbers are removed for you.
2. Answer two questions per task. Is it urgent? and Is it important? Two taps and the task moves to its box.
3. Fine-tune. Drag a task to another box, or tap ⋯ to move it, rename it, add a due date or write who you will hand it to.
4. Work the plan. Your plan lists what to do now, what is coming up and what to hand over. Tick tasks off as you finish them.
5. Save or share it. Download the matrix as an image, print it or save it as PDF, copy it as a checklist, or print a blank template to fill in by hand.

The Four Quadrants

Urgent or Important? How to Tell

Urgent tasks shout: a deadline, a notification, a person waiting at your desk. Important tasks are quiet: they move your goals, your work or your people forward, and they rarely have a deadline until they become a crisis. A useful test: what happens if this is not done this week? If the answer is "nothing much", it is not urgent. If the answer is "it does not matter in a month", it is not important.

Tips for Getting the Most Out of It

• Grow the Schedule box. Time spent on important but not urgent work, such as planning, preparation and health, is what makes the Do first box shrink.
• Keep Do first short. If it holds more than three to five tasks, some of them are probably urgent but not important. Move them to Delegate.
• Give Schedule tasks a date. A task without a date in Schedule tends to stay there forever. Use the due date to book it.
• Name the person in Delegate. Writing who will take the task makes the hand-over real and easy to follow up.
• Be honest with Delete. Dropping a task is a decision, not a failure. Clear the box at your weekly review.
• Use one board per area. A work board and a home board keep each list short enough to act on.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Eisenhower Matrix?

The Eisenhower Matrix is a way to prioritize tasks by two questions: is it urgent, and is it important? The answers sort every task into four boxes: Do first (urgent and important), Schedule (important, not urgent), Delegate (urgent, not important) and Delete (neither). It is named after US President Dwight D. Eisenhower and was made popular by Stephen Covey.

What is the difference between urgent and important?

Urgent means it needs attention soon: a deadline, a ringing phone, someone waiting. Important means it moves your goals, your work or the people you care about forward. Many urgent things are not important, and the most important things, like planning, health and learning, are rarely urgent until they become a crisis.

How do I use this Eisenhower Matrix online?

Type a task into the box it belongs to and press Enter, or press Sort a list, paste all your tasks and answer two questions for each one. Drag tasks between boxes, tick them off when done, and add a due date or a name to delegate to with the ⋯ button. Your board is saved in this browser.

Which quadrant should I spend the most time in?

Schedule, the important but not urgent box. Time spent there on planning, preparation, learning and health prevents tomorrow's emergencies, so the Do first box gets smaller over time. Do the Do first tasks, then protect time in your calendar for Schedule.

What goes in the Delegate box if I have no one to delegate to?

Delegate means the task is urgent for someone but does not need you. If no one can take it, make it smaller: automate it, batch it with similar tasks, answer with a template, or set a short time limit. Students and freelancers can also ask whether the task really has to be done this way.

Can I print or download my Eisenhower Matrix?

Yes. Download image saves the board as a PNG picture, and Print or save PDF prints a one-page landscape matrix; choose Save as PDF in the print window for a PDF file. Print blank template gives you an empty Eisenhower Matrix to fill in by hand.

Are my tasks private?

Yes. Your boards and tasks are saved only in this browser on this device and are never uploaded. Clearing your browser data removes them, so download an image or copy your plan if you want a backup.

How often should I update my matrix?

A quick review each morning and a longer one once a week works for most people. Tick off finished tasks, clear the done ones, move tasks whose deadline came closer into Do first, and drop what has stayed in Delete.

Is it free?

Yes. The Eisenhower Matrix is free with no sign-up, on phones, tablets and computers. You can keep several boards, for example one for work and one for home.