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
I
Urgent Not UrgentN
ot im
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ant
Impo
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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?