What's Important Is Rarely Urgent, and What's Urgent Is Rarely Important

One of the greatest challenges nowadays is managing time effectively — learning to separate what truly matters from what merely feels like it needs your immediate attention. 

Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th President of the United States, devised a simple yet incredibly effective method for decision-making: the Eisenhower Matrix. 

What Is the Eisenhower Matrix? 

The Eisenhower Matrix categorises tasks into four quadrants based on two key criteria: 

• Importance: How much a task contributes to your long-term goals. 
• Urgency: How much a task demands immediate action. 

This gives rise to four categories:

1. Important and Urgent (Do It Now)
   
   These are tasks with direct, immediate impact — they must be addressed straight away.
   
   Examples include:
   
   • A fast-approaching deadline for a key project.
   • A business crisis that requires a quick solution.
   • A family or medical emergency.
   
   Strategy: Take immediate action.
   
   
   
2. Important but Not Urgent (Schedule It)
   
   These tasks support your long-term goals but don’t need to be done right now. Often, they’re neglected due to daily firefighting.
   
   Examples include:
   
   • Long-term business or career planning.
   • Learning new skills or professional development.
   • Exercise and personal wellbeing.
   
   Strategy: Block time for these in your calendar to ensure they get done.
   
   
   
3. Urgent but Not Important (Delegate It)
   
   These feel pressing but add little real value. They’re often interruptions or tasks offloaded by others.
   
   Examples include:
   
   • Responding to non-critical emails or phone calls.
   • Routine admin tasks.
   
   Strategy: Delegate where possible and focus your time elsewhere.
   
   
   
4. Neither Important Nor Urgent (Eliminate It)
   
   These are time-wasters with no tangible benefit.
   
   Examples include:
   
   • Mindless scrolling on social media.
   • Busywork that leads nowhere.
   
   Strategy: Cut these out or keep them to an absolute minimum. 

Real-World Use: The Busy Professional’s Daily Life 

Take a manager with a full schedule of meetings, emails, and random requests. By applying the Eisenhower Matrix, they identify which emails can be delegated (Quadrant 3), which meetings can be dropped altogether (Quadrant 4), and realise that time needs to be protected for strategic planning (Quadrant 2). 

The Eisenhower Matrix encourages intentional decision-making, helping you focus on what delivers real value. 

So often, what feels urgent isn’t actually important — and what is important doesn’t get the attention it deserves because it isn’t screaming for it. 

Adopting this approach daily can seriously improve how you manage time, cut the noise, and boost productivity.


Daniele Martino
Associate Certified Coach I