From a remark by Dwight D. Eisenhower (Address to the World Council of Churches, 1954), made a matrix by Stephen R. Covey (The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, 1989) and with A. Roger Merrill and Rebecca R. Merrill (First Things First, 1994).
Sorts tasks into four boxes by urgency and importance, and sets a different response for each: do, schedule, hand off, or drop.
When to reach for it
Everything on the list feels urgent, reactive work is crowding out the work that matters, and the week needs a plan.
How it runs
- List current tasks and projects.
- Mark each urgent or not, then important or not.
- Place each task in its box.
- Hand off or cut what is urgent but unimportant.
- Block time on the calendar for important, non-urgent work.
Where it sits in SOLVE eX
Go to the source
- Address at the Second Assembly of the World Council of Churches, 1954
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, 1989
- First Things First, 1994