Eisenhower Matrix / Priority Matrix
Sort tasks by urgent vs. important. Runs entirely in your browser; nothing you type is sent anywhere.
Prefer paper? Blank PDF: A4 · US Letter. Or fill it in below and print your own.
The Eisenhower Matrix sorts tasks by urgency and importance instead of doing whatever feels loudest — see Eat the Frog for a related way to pick what matters first, or Eisenhower matrix examples for 32 everyday tasks already sorted into quadrants.
How it works: ask two questions of each task. Is it urgent (a deadline or a cost if it waits)? Is it important (it moves a goal or protects your health, money or people)? Both: do it now. Important only: schedule it. Urgent only: delegate it. Neither: delete it.
Not sure how to start?
Add a task
Type a task, then click the quadrant it belongs in.
Do now
Urgent + important — Handle these yourself, today.
No tasks yet.
Schedule
Important, not urgent — Put time on the calendar for these.
No tasks yet.
Delegate
Urgent, not important — Hand these off if you can.
No tasks yet.
Delete
Neither urgent nor important — Drop these — they're not worth the time.
No tasks yet.
To track it, open GoalTracker, press Restore at the top of the tracker and pick the .json file — each "Do now" task becomes a subgoal — or break one down further with the goal planner.
Want a blank one to fill in by hand? Download the PDF: A4 or US Letter. Free to reuse with credit (CC BY 4.0). What is on the sheet and how to print it: A4 guide, US Letter guide.
Example: one week sorted into the matrix
| Task | Quadrant |
|---|---|
| Finish the report due tomorrow | Do now |
| Pay the electricity bill (due Friday) | Do now |
| Book a dentist check-up | Schedule |
| Plan next month's budget | Schedule |
| Go for a 30-minute run | Schedule |
| Reply to the group chat about Saturday | Delegate |
| Order office supplies | Delegate |
| Reorganise old photos | Delete |
The run and the budget feel optional this week, which is why they land in Schedule: they matter, nothing forces them, so they only happen if they get a time slot. More sorted lists for students, work and home are in 32 Eisenhower matrix examples.
Frequently asked questions
How do I decide if a task is urgent or important?
Urgent means it has a deadline or a cost if it waits a few days. Important means it moves one of your goals or protects something you care about, such as health, money or a relationship. Ask both questions separately; most tasks feel urgent because someone is waiting, not because they matter.
What goes in each quadrant of the Eisenhower Matrix?
Do now: urgent and important, such as a bill due tomorrow. Schedule: important but not urgent, such as exercise, planning or learning; this is where long-term goals live. Delegate: urgent but not important to you, such as routine requests someone else can handle. Delete: neither, such as busywork and endless scrolling.
What if I have no one to delegate to?
Treat Delegate as "do it fast or make it smaller": batch these tasks into one short slot, automate them, say no, or lower the standard. The point is to stop them from taking the time that Schedule tasks need.
How often should I redo my priority matrix?
Once a week is enough for most people, with a quick look each morning at the Do-now box. Tasks move between quadrants as deadlines get closer, so a Schedule task left too long turns into a Do-now task.
Related: Eat the Frog method, daily planner template (plan one day around your Do-now tasks), OKR template generator, weekly review template.