- The Eisenhower Matrix sorts tasks by two questions: is it urgent, and is it important?
- Do the urgent + important now; Schedule the important-but-not-urgent; Delegate the urgent-but-unimportant; Delete the rest.
- Fill in the four boxes above, then print or save as PDF. Most progress lives in the Schedule box — protect it.
How to use the Eisenhower Matrix
- Dump every task first. Get them out of your head before sorting.
- Ask two questions per task: Is it urgent (does it need attention soon)? Is it important (does it move something that matters)?
- Drop each into a box. Do, Schedule, Delegate, or Delete — be honest about what's actually important versus just loud.
- Act on the boxes: do the top-left now, block time for the top-right, hand off the bottom-left, and cut the bottom-right without guilt.
The quadrant that actually matters
Most people live in the Do box — urgent and important — lurching from deadline to deadline. But the real leverage is in Schedule: the important things that aren't urgent yet (planning, deep work, health, relationships). They never scream for attention, so they get crowded out — until they become urgent crises. The whole point of the matrix is to protect that second box. Give those tasks a home on your calendar with the free time-blocking planner, and see our guide to simple task management for keeping the whole list under control.
Tired of re-prioritizing by hand every day? Mo, the AI coach in Productivity Genie, sorts your tasks and plans the important ones into your day. Free to start.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Eisenhower Matrix?
A prioritization method that sorts tasks by urgency and importance into four quadrants: Do, Schedule, Delegate, and Delete.
How do I use this maker?
Type each task into the box that matches its urgency and importance, then print it or save it as a PDF.
Is it free?
Yes — no sign-up, no email, no ads. A free tool from the team behind Productivity Genie.