Time Management Matrix: Focus on Priorities

The time management matrix is a time management tool that focuses you on your urgent and important tasks.

It's the day before your big presentation at work and you still haven't started! Your report is due tomorrow and there is so much more to do!

"Oh no"...your heart is thumping and the adrenaline is pumping...that sinking feeling....you're under pressure again!

"If only I had done this earlier!"

Does this sound familiar?

Many of us have experienced these crises at work or in our personal lives.

There just isn't enough time in the day!

This can be very stressful.

The time management matrix shows you how to use your time more effectively and identifies your time-wasters are and the time management techniques that may be useful for you.

In short, this time management activity can help you to take control!

The time management matrix

The time management matrix gets you to question what is important/not important and urgent/not urgent in your life.

When I first used the time management matrix, my inclination was to do everything in Quadrant 1 - the important and urgent tasks.

Why?

I wanted to do these things first because these were the things that were stressful in my life at the moment.

These were the tasks that I had to address.

From a tactical perspective, I agree.

However, the more time you spend in Quadrant 1 the more stressed and pressured for time you feel.

That's why....from a strategic point of view.... your overall objective should be to spend most of your time in Quadrant 2 of the time management matrix - doing the important and non-urgent tasks.

These types of tasks involve planning, relationship building, looking after your health, training, and personal development.

That way, you can do those tasks that are most important to you, and assign the right resources and fix mistakes, without the added pressure of urgency.

The question then becomes - how do you move from being tactical (Quadrant 1) to being strategic (Quadrant 2)?

By asking this question and acting on it, you greatly enhance your time management, become more effective, and reduce stress levels.

Why not draw up your own time management matrix and ask yourself the following questions?

Important tasks are those that are essential for achieving your goals and living a life of purpose and meaning. I write more about personal goal setting to achieve this.

Sharing time with your family, professional development and training, socializing, and being active and healthy may be important for setting personal goals or achieving career goal setting success.

Activities that contribute to your vision and goals exist in Quadrants 1 or 2.

On the other hand, spending time on routine emails and phone calls, attending some meetings, and watching TV, may not be so important to your personal and professional goals.

These activities reside in Quadrants 3 or 4 of the time management matrix.

A time management activity that you can conduct is to fill out a time management log or download free time tracking software and track your time for a few days.

How much time you spend in each of the quadrants?

Can you identify changes that you can make to become more effective?

Are you reacting to the environment around you or are you doing things proactively?

The way that you answer this question is a good indicator of the amount of stress you are likely to feel in your life.

Urgent tasks are those that cannot be put off.

Phone calls and snap deadlines from your boss are things that you have to do now. The reality is that things will pop up unannounced that will demand your immediate attention.

Non-urgent tasks are those things that don’t demand our immediate attention.

They may include making some types of phone calls, watching TV, some forms of socializing, planning your time, and setting goals.

Making the time management matrix work for you

From a time management point of view, you want to spend most of our time in Quadrant 2, proactively pursuing those things that are important.

What activities do you do that fall in Quadrant 2?

These are tasks that are important but not urgent.

They are prevention-related activities, such as computer maintenance, relationship building, strategic planning such as training and goal setting, recognizing new opportunities, and true relaxation and recuperation activities.

By doing these important tasks in Quadrant 2 of the time management matrix, you are able to devote the time that is needed before they become urgent.

However, often urgent things crowd out the important things – it happens easily and results in stress and ineffective use of time.

Moving from Quadrant 2 to Quadrant 1 increases your stress

Do you feel like you are spending most of your time on a treadmill overcoming crises? If so, then you are likely to be spending most of your time in Quadrant 1.

What activities do you do that fall into Quadrant 1?

Typically these tasks are done because they are urgent, and their importance means they have to be done.

Being in Quadrant 1 is stressful!

Below is a list of important things that are best done in a proactive way (in Quadrant 2), but if you don't attend to these things, then these important things become urgent and may turn out to be crises (Quadrant 1).

• build your relationships with family and friends (Quadrant 2). If not attended to you will have to spend time to repair relationship problems (Quadrant 1). Here are some tips to achieve work life balance and strategies to focus on the family

Overcoming Procrastination Procrastination can rob you of your potential and increase stress. These tips for overcoming procrastination help you get things done and work proactively.

• provide professional development for employees (Quadrant 2). If not attended to you will need to quickly train employees because of inadequate knowledge to do the job (Quadrant 1)
• exercise and eat healthily (Quadrant 2). If not attended to, may lead to the doctor ordering you to exercise and eat well to keep your cholesterol down (Quadrant 1);
• plan and work diligently on an essay or exam study (Quadrant 2). If put off, it will result in you cramming the night before (Quadrant 1). I talk more about student time management and the importance of student planners
• do routine maintenance on computers (Quadrant 2). If not attended to, it will lead to having to repair a broken computer and loss in productivity (Quadrant 1)
• take time out to relax (Quadrant 2). If not respected, it may result in you taking a sick day from work because you need to de-stress (Quadrant 1). Here are some relaxation and stress management techniques

These examples show how important tasks can be crowded out due to urgent and non-important activities, resulting in:

• Lack of control and confidence –you are reacting to the situation rather than planning – this can mean you are not moving towards your goals
• Higher levels of stress levels that reduce ability to make decisions (research suggests optimal functioning is a relaxed alert state)

Putting out bushfires in a constant state of crisis management

Quadrant 3 tasks are urgent but unimportant.

What activities do you do that fall into Quadrant 3?

These may be a task that lands on your desk or an unimportant phone call.

You will find that there are many tasks that fall into Quadrant 3 and it is a good idea to examine whether the tasks have to be done, as more benefit will come from spending time on those things that move you towards your goals.

Quadrant 4 tasks are those that are not urgent and not important.

Unfortunately these do get done at the expense of more important tasks.

Watching TV, Facebook, surfing the Net....

Quadrant 4 tasks offer a change of pace.

They are generally easier to do and have less stress associated with them.

While enjoyable these tasks do not move you towards your goals.

If super busy and looking for a way to use your time more effectively these are the tasks that could be targeted and minimized so that you can do more value-added tasks.

What activities do you do that fall in Quadrant 4?

Use the time management matrix to reduce stress

By now you should have a clear idea that Quadrant 2 of the time management matrix is the area that moves you in the most effective way towards your goals - whether it is work, study, or spending quality time with your family and friends.

It does this by focusing you on the most important tasks with minimal stress (unlike Quadrant 1).

But what time management tools can you use to spend more time in Quadrant 2 of the time management matrix?

If you are like most of the people you feel pressured by time so cutting those important and urgent tasks is just not an option!

However, you can’t continue to focus on Quadrant 1 as it is like "spinning your wheels and going nowhere." You will just spend your day putting out fires, and at the end of the day retreat to Quadrant 4.

That is living life from crisis to crisis!

By spending more time in Quadrant 2 you reduce the time you spend putting out fires. This can be done in a couple of ways:

1. Drop those things that are not important to you. These time management strategies may be helpful.
2. Build upon your values and the vision. What type of person do you want to be? Through a goal setting plan you can put today's vision of your career, health, or business, and make it into tomorrow's reality.

   A goal setting plan provides direction and helps you to prioritize your time.

3. Set up a time management schedule. This can be done by purchasing the right time management planner or personal organizer and planning your work and then working your plan.

   I find it most beneficial to think quarterly, plan weekly, and act daily!

4. Know your time-wasters. Track your time and be objective about how you are using your time. If procrastination is a problem, then take these steps to overcome procrastination.
5. Use time management systems. Time management is about managing yourself in relation to time. These proven time management systems help you to put in place time management techniques that become automatic.
6. Practice delegation. One of the most talked about yet underutilized time management skills is delegation. Delegating effectively can train the people around you, boost morale and free up your time for more Quadrant 2 activities. Learn how to delegate effectively.

Related time management articles

To Do List: Download a To Do List and Put Into Place Good Time Management Habits

Time Management Quotes: Inspirational Time Management Quotes

Personal Organizer: Keep a Track of Your Plans with a Personal Organizer