A simple guide to mastering the prioritization matrix

New Year is the perfect time to make plans for the future. Maybe you’d like to write a novel, get a promotion at work, or learn a new language?

Whatever your goals, when you’ve got a fresh new year stretching out ahead of you, it’s easy to feel hopeful. But come March, most of us have slipped into the daily grind, drowning in a flurry of small, urgent tasks that eat up our time and energy. 

Sound familiar? You’re not alone. Whether in work or your personal life, one of the biggest challenges is finding a balance between urgent jobs and setting time aside to invest in your long-term success. Luckily, a prioritization matrix could be what you need to strike the right balance. Best of all? It’s easy to make and simple to use. So let’s get into it! 

What is a prioritization matrix?

A prioritization matrix, aka an impact effort matrix, aka an Eisenhower Matrix, is a tool to help you decide what to work on first. 

It breaks tasks into four groups based on urgency and importance. This helps you focus on what matters most and avoid wasting time on things that don’t. It’s a clear, visual way to sort through a busy list of things to do.

The matrix has two key questions:

1. Is it urgent? (Does it need to be done STAT?)
2. Is it important? (Does it matter to your long-term goals or values?)

By answering these, you can place each task into one of four boxes:

• Do it now: Urgent and important.
• Plan it: Important but not urgent.
• Delegate it: Urgent but not important.
• Drop it: Neither urgent nor important.

This system works because it stops you from confusing “urgent” with “important.” Not all urgent tasks are worth your energy. The matrix keeps you focused on what carries you towards your goals.

Where does the Eisenhower name come from?

The Eisenhower Matrix is named after Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th President of the United States. Prior to becoming president, he was a five-star general in the US Army during World War II. 

He was known for his ability to make tough decisions and thrive in high-pressure roles. Eisenhower famously said, “What is important is seldom urgent, and what is urgent is seldom important.”

This insight became the foundation of the matrix. Eisenhower knew that not all tasks deserve equal attention and that focusing on urgent-but-unimportant activities can be a drain on what truly matters. 

He didn’t create the matrix itself. The method is named in honor of his stellar approach to leadership.

How to distinguish between urgent and important tasks

This is key to using the matrix well. Here’s how to break it down:

What makes a task urgent?

Urgent tasks need your attention right away. These are things with tight deadlines or immediate consequences if you don’t act. Urgent tasks often feel stressful because they call for fast action.

Examples of urgent tasks:

• Answering a critical email from your boss.
• Fixing a sudden problem, like a broken system at work.
• Meeting a deadline that is due today.

What makes a task important?

Important tasks help you reach your goals. These tasks may not feel pressing, but they matter most for your success. They demand thought and focus but don’t always need to be done right away.

Examples of important tasks:

• Planning a project that will boost your career.
• Spending time with family or improving your health.
• Learning a skill that will help you grow.

The key difference

Urgent tasks are about time, while important tasks are about impact.  Urgency nudges you to act fast, but importance pushes you to think ahead. Many urgent tasks can seem important in the heat of the moment, but they often distract you from what really matters.

By separating these two, you can avoid being busy without being productive. The goal is to spend more time on important tasks and less time reacting to urgent ones.

The 4 quadrants of the productivity matrix

The matrix divides tasks into four quadrants. Each section tells you how to handle a task based on its urgency and importance. 

Quadrant 1: Do it now (urgent and important)

This is the most critical quadrant. Tasks here need your attention right away and directly impact your goals or well-being. Ignoring them can create problems. 

Because they need immediate attention, they often feel stressful. But tackling them right away will help lower the pressure and clear your schedule for more meaningful work. You should handle these tasks first.

Examples:

• Fixing a major issue at work.
• Preparing for a meeting happening today.
• Taking care of an emergency, like a health problem.

Tip: Stay calm and act fast. Break these tasks into smaller steps if they feel overwhelming. Focus fully on completing them before moving to other jobs.

Quadrant 2: Plan it (important but not urgent)

This quadrant is the sweet spot for growth. It’s where you make real progress toward your big goals. 

These tasks don’t demand your attention right now, so it’s tempting to delay them. But spending time here is a proactive move, lowering the risk of future crises while building long-term success. Prioritizing these tasks is key to working smarter, not harder.

Examples:

• Setting goals for the next year.
• Building relationships or networking.
• Starting a new fitness routine or skill.

Tip: Block time in your schedule to work on these jobs.

Quadrant 3: Delegate it (urgent but not important)

Tasks in this quadrant create the illusion of importance. They feel urgent, so they grab your attention, but they don’t help you grow or achieve much. 

You can free up time by handing these tasks to someone else or limiting how much energy you spend on them.

Examples:

• Responding to minor emails or messages.
• Handling someone else’s rushed request.
• Attending unimportant meetings.

Tip: Learn to say no or ask for help with these tasks.

Quadrant 4: Drop it (neither urgent nor important)

This is the waste zone. Tasks here are distractions that don’t add value. They don’t push you closer to your goals, and they don’t need to be done now — or ever. 

These are time Hoovers that keep you busy instead of productive. Cutting these out is one of the fastest ways to reclaim your time.

Examples:

• Scrolling social media for hours.
• Watching TV instead of doing planned work.
• Doing tasks just to feel busy.
• Going down rabbit holes or getting side-tracked by unimportant details. 

Tip: Cut these tasks out completely or limit them to your free time.

A step-by-step guide to creating your own prioritization framework

Ready to reclaim your time and get more done? Here’s how to get started.

Step 1: Get everyone working together 

If you’re working as part of a team, start by reminding the group that even though different tasks and teams are involved,  you all work toward the same overall goal. You’re not competing — you’re collaborating.

When you prioritize with a shared purpose in mind, it’s easier to agree on what’s actually important.

Step 2: Set up the matrix 

Draw a large 2×2 grid on a big sheet of paper or in a diagramming tool (our top recommendation for sharing and editing ease). 

• Label the X-axis as “Urgency,” with “Sooner” on the left and “Later” on the right. 
• Label the Y-axis as “Impact,” with “Low” at the bottom and “High” at the top.

Above the matrix, write down your team’s top goal (or two). This helps keep everyone focused while you fill out the sections.

Tip: If your team hasn’t clearly defined its main goals, spend time doing that first. Tools like OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) or an Elevator Pitch exercise can help.

Step 3: Prioritize your team’s work 

Write each task or project on a separate card or sticky note. Place the cards on the matrix based on two factors:

1. How much impact the task will have on your goal.
2. How soon you need to complete the task. 

Discuss as a group and move the cards around until you have an even spread across the grid. It’s normal to start with most tasks in the top-left corner (high urgency, high impact), but spreading them out ensures a more balanced plan.

Step 4: Draw feasibility lines (10 min)

Next, draw two curves across the grid to divide the tasks into three groups:

1. Must-haves: These are in the top-left and must be done no matter what.
2. Nice-to-haves: These fall in the middle and can be done if there’s enough time or resources.
3. Won’t do for now: These tasks, often in the bottom-right, aren’t a priority right now but might be tackled later.

Try to keep the “must-haves” limited to about 40% of your team’s capacity and the “nice-to-haves” to around 30%. This leaves room for unexpected tasks or requests from other teams.

Tip: Deciding what not to do can feel tough, but staying focused on your team’s key goal helps keep everyone aligned.

Step 5: Add requests from other teams (15 min)

When considering tasks from other teams, ask yourselves:

• Is the other team’s goal critical to the company’s success?
• What happens if you don’t take on their request?

Place their request on the matrix alongside your tasks. Then, redraw your feasibility lines based on what’s realistic. If taking on the request would put your own goal at risk, raise this with leadership and discuss options.

Tips for handling requests:

• If both your team’s and the other team’s goals are critical, ask for more resources.
• If the other team’s goal is more important than yours, adjust your plan to prioritize their request.
• If neither goal is critical, collaborate to find a solution that works for both sides.

Example productivity matrix template 

Here’s how a personal prioritization matrix might look with tasks filled in:

Quadrant 1: Do it now (urgent and important)

• Submit the project report due by the end of the day.
• Call the mechanic to fix the office aircon.
• Prepare for the meeting happening in one hour.

Quadrant 2: Plan it (important but not urgent)

• Schedule a meeting with a new supplier next week.
• Work on the presentation for next month’s conference.
• Plan and start a new onboarding project.
• Spend 30 minutes learning a new skill (e.g., coding, design).

Quadrant 3: Delegate it (urgent but not important)

• Reply to a client’s non-urgent email (delegate to a colleague).
• Order office supplies for the team (ask an assistant to handle it).
• Review a co-worker’s report (give feedback later or ask someone else to check).

Quadrant 4: Drop it (neither urgent nor important)

• Scroll through Instagram for an hour.
• Watch a random YouTube video unrelated to work.
• Organize old files that no one uses anymore.

Top tips for prioritizing tasks

Here are some insider tips to help you fine-tune the process.  

Use color coding

Assign a color to each quadrant to quickly see where tasks fit. This helps you focus and stay organized. 

For example:

• Red for Quadrant 1 (Do it now): Urgent and critical tasks that need action fast.
• Blue for Quadrant 2 (Plan it): Tasks that matter but can be scheduled.
• Yellow for Quadrant 3 (Delegate it): Urgent but low-impact tasks to pass on.
• Green for Quadrant 4 (Drop it): Tasks to avoid or cut out.

Focus on one task at a time

Avoid multitasking. Pick one task, tick it off the list, and then move to the next. This works especially well for Quadrant 1 tasks, where speed and accuracy are essential. 

For important but not urgent tasks, there’s more room to work on several things at once — but be strict and don’t bite off more than you can chew.

Limit tasks per quadrant

Don’t overload each quadrant with too many tasks. By capping tasks, you stay realistic and avoid feeling overwhelmed. Aim for:

• 3–5 tasks in Quadrant 1 (your main focus).
• 3–7 tasks in Quadrant 2 (your growth zone).
• A few in Quadrant 3 (to delegate).
• None or very few in Quadrant 4 (eliminate distractions).

Keep a to-do list

Write all tasks in one place first. Then sort them into the matrix. Keeping a list helps ensure you don’t forget anything and makes it easier to assign tasks to the right quadrant.  Cross out tasks as you finish them for a sense of progress.

Block time for Quadrant 2

Set aside time each day to work on important but not urgent tasks. Use a planner or calendar to schedule them, just like meetings. Treat this time as non-negotiable to build long-term success.

Review your matrix daily

At the start or end of each day, review your tasks in your workflow and adjust as needed. Some tasks may move between quadrants as deadlines approach or priorities change.  A daily check keeps you on track.

Learn to say no

For Quadrant 3 (urgent but not important), practice saying no to tasks that aren’t worth your time. Offer alternatives, delegate, or politely decline. Saying no protects your focus for higher-priority work.

Use tools to stay organized

Using paper is fine, but it’s difficult to edit and share, and let’s face it — it’ll only end up forgotten and dusty in your desk drawer. You could also use MS Word or Docs, but the less said about the formatting issues there, the better. Our tip? Try software designed to help you create and manage your matrix digitally. 

With Cacoo, our own tool, you can grab a premade template, brainstorm ideas via the online whiteboard feature, and then edit your creation with a few clicks. The drag-and-drop interface makes moving tasks around a breeze — and because it’s cloud-based, you can log in as a team and work on it together, whether they’re in the same room or a different continent. Ready to take it for a spin?