1. Do first Urgent & important
Urgent and important. Crises, hard deadlines and problems that get worse if they wait. Do these yourself, today.
Examples: a production bug blocking customers, a tax return due this week, a sick child.
Eisenhower Matrix — free online tool
Type your tasks, sort them by urgency and importance, and see what to do first. Free, no sign-up, saved in your browser — and one click away from Google Tasks.
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Unsorted
0New tasks land here. Drag them into a quadrant, use the move menu, or try quick sort.
Do first
Urgent & important
Drop tasks here
Schedule
Important, not urgent
Drop tasks here
Delegate
Urgent, not important
Drop tasks here
Delete
Neither urgent nor important
Drop tasks here
Saved in this browser only
What is the Eisenhower Matrix?
The Eisenhower Matrix (also called the urgent-important matrix or Eisenhower Box) is a simple prioritization method: you sort every task by two questions — is it urgent, and is it important? The answers put each task in one of four quadrants, and each quadrant tells you what to do with it.
It's named after U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who is credited with the line "What is important is seldom urgent, and what is urgent is seldom important." Stephen Covey later popularized it in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. The point is to stop letting the loudest task win and to protect time for work that actually matters.
The four quadrants, with examples
2. Schedule Important, not urgent
Important, not urgent. Planning, learning, health, relationships and long-term projects. This is where real progress happens — put a date on it so it doesn't slide.
Examples: quarterly goals, a training course, exercise, a weekly 1:1, preventive maintenance.
3. Delegate Urgent, not important
Urgent, not important to you. Interruptions and requests that need doing soon but not necessarily by you. Hand them off, automate them, or batch them into one short slot.
Examples: scheduling meetings, most email, routine reports, ordering supplies, some calls.
4. Delete Neither urgent nor important
Neither urgent nor important. Busywork and distractions. Drop them, or leave them for genuine downtime.
Examples: endless scrolling, meetings you're only cc'd on, reorganizing things that already work.
How to use this Eisenhower Matrix tool
- Brain-dump everything into the input — one task per line, or paste a list from notes, email or a spreadsheet.
- Sort each task: drag it into a quadrant, use the move menu on mobile, or press Quick sort and answer two yes/no questions per task.
- Work top-left first. Block time in your calendar for "Schedule", hand off "Delegate", and clear out "Delete".
- Print it, export it as Markdown or CSV, or send it to Google Tasks to keep it with you on your phone.
Tip: if most of your tasks end up in "Do first", you're probably calling things urgent that aren't. Be strict — a healthy matrix has the most items in "Schedule".
Want the deeper version, with a free template and a step-by-step setup in Google Tasks? Read the full Eisenhower Matrix guide →
Frequently asked questions
What are the four quadrants of the Eisenhower Matrix?
Quadrant 1 is urgent and important (do it now), quadrant 2 is important but not urgent (schedule it), quadrant 3 is urgent but not important (delegate it), and quadrant 4 is neither urgent nor important (delete it).
What's the difference between urgent and important?
Urgent tasks demand attention now because of a deadline or a consequence. Important tasks contribute to your long-term goals and values. Many urgent tasks — like most notifications — aren't important, and many important tasks — like planning or learning — are never urgent until it's too late.
Is this Eisenhower Matrix tool free?
Yes. It's completely free, needs no account, and your tasks are saved in your browser's local storage on this device. Nothing is uploaded unless you choose to send your tasks to Google Tasks.
Can I use the Eisenhower Matrix with Google Tasks?
Yes. Click "Send to Google Tasks" to create one list per quadrant (or a single list with quadrant prefixes). Open those lists in TasksBoard and each quadrant becomes a column on a board, so you can keep prioritizing by dragging tasks between them.
How do I print the Eisenhower Matrix or save it as a PDF?
Open Export and choose "Print / PDF". The matrix prints as a clean 2×2 grid; pick "Save as PDF" in your browser's print dialog to get a PDF. You can also copy it as Markdown or download a CSV for Excel or Google Sheets.
Which quadrant should I spend the most time in?
Quadrant 2, "Schedule". Important but non-urgent work — planning, prevention, learning, relationships — is what keeps quadrant 1 from filling up with crises. Aim to handle quadrant 1 quickly and protect regular time for quadrant 2.
Turn your matrix into a board
TasksBoard shows your Google Tasks lists side by side as columns. Make one list per quadrant and prioritize by dragging tasks across — on a full-screen board, shared with your team if you like.