The Time Management Matrix
The Time Management Matrix is from The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven Covey. This book really saved my sanity. I found myself daily getting sidetracked and diverted from my To Do list by what everyone else thought was the top priority. It was their priority, of course, not mine, and I had a bad habit of wanting to please everyone. So what happens is that the last person to hand you a “priority” gets bumped to the top of the list. If you don’t set your own priorities, you will be tossed like a bottle on the sea. Stephen Covey simplified it immensely with his 4 quadrants in the Time Management Matrix.
Important |
IActivities: |
IIActivities: |
Not Important |
IIIActivities: |
IVActivities: |
Covey says that many of us spend most of our time in Quadrant IV and almost no time in Quadrant II.
Consider the activities shown in each quadrant:
I. URGENT and IMPORTANT
Clearly, these activities should take first priority. However, your long term goal should be to reduce time spent here by prevention, preparation, etc. (see Quadrant II).
II. NOT URGENT but IMPORTANT
The key to success in gaining control of your time priorities is to focus on activities in this quadrant . If you are currently doing very little here, begin by carving out a small amount of time each day and building on it.
III. URGENT and NOT IMPORTANT
Many of us get trapped by other people’s sense of urgency telling us what is important. Allowing your priorities to fall here can result in a frenzied rush to get “things” done, followed by a sense of emptiness and lack of satisfaction.
IV. NOT URGENT and NOT IMPORTANT
Obviously, minimize time spent in activities in this quadrant.
I wish you luck with this and warn you that you have to be ever vigilant about it. There will always be someone who wants to revise your priorities.
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Great article! I would definitely bookmark this! The main points & the quadrant is so important (great reference to keep on my desk).
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Jackie. I really have to go back to the quadrant again and again, because we are SO prone to fall into the crisis [not important] quadrants and not put enough time into the important quadrant II. The results = waste of time on unproductive activities.
When I was younger time management wasn’t an issue. I didn’t have that much to do (although I thought I did). Today I have three young children and two businesses that I created, which are both taking off nicely. In addition I have a few hundred emails that flood my email each day, three social networking sites I maintain and various online groups that I manage.
Today time management is critical.
I can tell you that spending a lot of time in quadrant IV is death. If I did that, I wouldn’t get the mountain of work done each day that I need to get done.
I have learned one trick. Well, I’m not sure it is a trick, but I can tell you that it has helped me a lot.
Finish one thing before going on to the next, especially when it comes to small tasks. For instance if I am checking emails I will try to answer all the new ones immediately. If I put them off, I often “lose” them. Then, weeks later, I realize that I never did answer a friend’s question. I hate that.
Same with replying to a thread or a comment on my blog. I have learned to just handle it immediately. It is so much faster than reading it once, putting it off, reading it over later, putting it off and then finally reading it a third time and answering.
So, my advice is to sit down and handle one area before moving on to the next!
I am much more time efficient when have too much to do. If I am busy I am forced to make a list of activities I and II.
I dont plan very well for unexpected time. We recently had several days off due to the snow and I was not nearly as productive. I run a business out of my home when I am not working my full time job. I typically do all of the paperwork for the business at night or on weekends. With 2 unexpected days off from my full time job I should have accomplished alot of work. Since I didnt have my “list” I spent alot of time reading e-mail, searching on the internet and just wasting time.
It is important for me to make a list of items I want to get done first thing in the morning or the night before so that I can mentally be prepared for the day. It always keeps me focused.
Laura, I do the same with my emails, because I used to have them get “lost” on me. I flag things I have to get back to later.
Julia, I know what you mean about managing time better in a 9-5 environment. I find that without a fixed schedule, things start to spread out and I find myself working more hours that I had planned. The more time I have, the more it gets used up. I think I will always struggle with time management in one way or another. I have a short to-do list of things I MUST do daily and I try to get those out of the way first thing. That list includes checking with affiliates, looking at Google Analytics reports, answering any emails that require an immediate reply. When those chores are done, I have my ongoing list of writing an article or post draft. I usually have something I want to research, some forums I want to hit, some blogs I read frequently.
It’s too bad we can’t be in quadrant II most of the time, but unfortunately, quadrants I and III get in the way and, as Laura points out, quadrant IV is death!
As evidenced by the article and the comments, this is always a topic worth revisiting. I read Covey’s book a number of years ago and ended up giving copies of it to new hires. There have been many other books and article written on this, but Covey’s stands out.
When I am explaining the concept I also find it helpful to refer back to an old Harvard Business Review piece about the monkey on your back – can’t remember the title, but obviously I remember the vivid image. The gist of the article was that most people that walk into your office (or cubicle), or call you on the phone, have a monkey (problem) on their back. Their goal, usually subliminal and unstated, is to transfer the monkey onto your back. Effective time management dictates that you want them to keep the monkey and learn how to deal with it themselves. So keep the bananas out of sight!
It seems to be a lesson that we have to be constantly aware of, but we also don’t want to lose our humanity either. There are times when a good dose of empathy is in order. Just don’t take the monkey if you want to get your things done.
I really need to put this in to practice. It’s usually not other people distracting me but myself. I am constantly finding ways to distract myself from what I should be doing. Right now I should be trying to apply for a job but I’m stuck so I’ve wandered off to find something else to keep me entertained.
I often find that if I leave things to the last minute I work better but I may rush more and harm myself in the long run. I think only through constant planning can you ensure that you don’t get distracted easily.
Phil,
Thanks for your comments. I found it most interesting to have that vivid picture of the people who walk into your office having a monkey on their back and wanting to give it to you! As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words and I won’t forget the image you’ve presented. That is exactly what happens in most circumstances where people want to make their priority your priority. Those of us who want to help out whenever we can will buy into that, so we have to be on guard. Otherwise, everyone will be determining our priorities for us and we will be in danger of losing sight of our own priorities.
Mark, I have that problem as well – distracting myself. It works well for me when I’m researching something. I can follow paths down many roads and eventually find all the info I need. It’s not so good when you have a limited amount of time and a list of things to get done.
I pulled out my Franklin Planner today, the one my company provided after completing the Time Management course.
The closest I could find available to match my original is the Classic Breckenridge Zipper Binder – Brown. We received this in black, annual refills were delivered by our secretary.
My last refill is dated 2007. I was in a different industry and purchased my own refills. I was also 56 and chose early retirement that year.
My Franklin Planner went everywhere I did. It was the gold standard to work and live by. What I learned through Mr. Covey played a role in my ability to retire early.
Thank you, Mr. Covey. I keep everything in one virtual space today. Reluctantly I recently joined Facebook. It was highly recommended, but I kept it simple. It references a link right back to LinkedIn.
I use email, but I won’t twitter. I truly enjoy learning both how to self-publish, and build my blog. My life experiences are available to share with a larger audience, at their pace, not mine.
Mr. Covey gave us brilliant concepts, but they got lost over time. I had interviewed once for an internal position, and then withdrew my name from consideration. The interviewers had failed, lacking time management skills.
Two things remain constant, despite technology changes to make us faster and be first.
1. One day is still 24 hours.
2. Take nine women, each 1 month pregnant; it still takes 9 months to produce a baby.
It was a joy reading this blog!
Ginny, it seems like anyone who has experienced Covey’s work is impressed. I must have read his material a decade ago, but I still go back to it time and again. I am so envious of you that you were able to retire when you did. My own “retirement” was involuntary. However, I don’t consider myself retired — just someone with different career objectives.
I have known people in high positions who could not manage their time — or make decisions quickly, or respond to important requests in a timely manner.
I am glad you enjoyed the blog and hope you will come by frequently.
What an interesting analogy about the monkey! It is so true. I’ve seen friends take on other friends’ problems as if they were their own.
I remember reading that when you are interrupted, even for a second or two, it can take 10-20 mins to get back to where you were. If you count all the times you were interrupted during the course of a week, it is amazing how much time you waste.