Defining Activities(level of urgency)

• How urgent is the activity?• When must we work on it?

– If we define the task as urgent, it requires immediate attention

• Urgent tasks often act on us & we react to them• Drop everything else to work on it

– However, these activities may or may not be important

Defining Activities(level of importance)

• How important is the activity?– Is the task related to achieving desirable

results?– Is it a high priority?

• Meaning, does the activity contribute to reaching your goals?

How are spending your time?

• How much of your day is spent on activities of low importance?

• How much time do you spend on urgent activities?

THE TIME MANAGEMENT MATRIX

ACTIVITIES:CrisesPressing problemsProjects driven by deadlines which surprise us

IIIACTIVITIES:Interruptions, some callsSome mail, some reportsSome meetingsProximate mattersPopular activities

IVACTIVITIES:Trivia, busy workSome mailSome phone callsTime wastersPleasant activities

IIACTIVITIES:PreventionRelationship buildingRecognizing new opportunitiesPlanning

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• If spending time on important things makes sense, how can you do it?

• How do important tasks that are urgent differ from important tasks that are not urgent?