Being busy doesn’t make you productive.
Productivity comes from understanding which tasks create the most value for the least amount of effort and doing those first.
The Eisenhower Matrix can help you with that.
Here’s how to prioritize your work:
Do: Urgent and Important Tasks
Tasks with deadlines or consequences.
Example:
- Getting taxes done before the Tax Deadline.
- Fixing a bug that brought down a website.
Schedule: Important but Not Urgent Tasks
Tasks with unclear deadlines but are valuable to finish long-term.
Example:
- Defining your product vision.
- Meeting a prospect for lunch.
Delegate: Urgent but Not Important Tasks
Tasks that must get done that can be done by someone other than you.
Examples:
- Responding to customer support requests.
- Taking care of your lawn.
Delete: Neither Urgent Nor Important Tasks
Tasks that aren’t important and not urgent are useless.
Examples:
- Attending non-essential meetings.
- Writing a long response to a Twitter thread about a political issue.
Use the Eisenhower Matrix to help you prioritize your work and 10x your productivity.