Eisenhower Matrix: Prioritize Tasks by Urgency
Sort each task by urgency and importance to see what to do now, what to schedule, what to delegate or drop.
Prioritising tasks with the Eisenhower matrix: the four quadrants
The Eisenhower matrix sorts each task with two questions, urgent or not and important or not, which gives four quadrants: do first (urgent and important), schedule (important, not urgent), delegate (urgent, not important) and eliminate (neither). The tool files your tasks in these four boxes and keeps them in your browser.
The sorting rule
| Urgent | Not urgent | |
|---|---|---|
| Important | Q1: do it now (crises, deadlines) | Q2: schedule (strategy, planning, self-development) |
| Not important | Q3: delegate (interruptions, some emails and meetings) | Q4: eliminate (time wasters) |
A task is urgent when its deadline is close or it demands an immediate response; it is important when it serves your goals. Q2 is the quadrant the method tries to protect: what gets scheduled there in time does not end up in Q1.
Example
Monday morning, five tasks: a filing due that evening and a blocking production bug go in Q1; preparing a training session planned in three months goes in Q2; a quote request a colleague can handle goes in Q3; sorting old newsletters goes in Q4. Only two tasks therefore need your immediate attention.
How the tool works
- Type a task, pick Q1 to Q4 (Q1 by default), then click Add.
- Tasks are saved in the browser's local storage: they survive closing the tab but do not sync across devices, and they disappear if you clear the site's data or browse in private mode.
- To move a task to another quadrant, drag it with the mouse onto the quadrant you want; on a touch screen, delete it, then create it again in the right place.
- The tool has no due dates, sorting or export.
The method is named after Dwight D. Eisenhower, who is credited with the distinction between urgent and important; Stephen Covey popularised it as a matrix.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between an urgent task and an important one?
An urgent task has a close deadline or demands an immediate response; an important task moves your goals forward. The two criteria combine into four quadrants: only a task that is both urgent and important goes in Q1, to be done right away.
What belongs in the “Schedule” quadrant?
Important tasks with no immediate deadline: strategy, training, prevention, preparing a project. Block time for them in your calendar, otherwise they end up becoming urgent and slip into Q1.
Are my tasks still saved if I close the page?
Yes, in the local storage of the browser you used. They are not synced with another device or browser, and they disappear if you clear the site's data or use private browsing.
How do I move a task to another quadrant?
With a mouse, drag the task and drop it onto another quadrant. On a touch screen, where drag and drop is not available, delete it with the bin icon, choose the new quadrant (Q1 to Q4) in the Priority selector, then add it again.
Is this tool really free?
Yes, all tools on Kristools are 100% free and accessible without registration.
Is my data protected?
Yes. All processing is performed directly and securely inside your browser. No personal data is sent to our servers.