Let’s not kid ourselves: juggling tasks is no fun, especially when you have multiple projects, deadlines, and probably a few surprise meetings to attend. Whether you’re running a business or just trying to stay sane, task management is critical. And that’s where tools like the Planfix Eisenhower Matrix come in. The way we see it, this is the ultimate combination to help you stay on top of things.
What is Task Prioritization, and Why Should You Care?
Task prioritization means deciding which tasks deserve your attention and which can wait or be delegated – or as we like to say “are someone else’s problem.” It might seem like a pretty simple strategy, but task prioritization is key to helping you:
- Focus on what’s important (aside from your inbox).
- Stop obsessing about things that don’t get you anywhere.
- Get things done without working 24/7 (yes, it’s possible).
When you embrace task prioritization, you’re not just ticking off tasks – you’re moving your business toward those big, shiny goals.
Ways to Stay Ahead of the Game
The truth is that there’s no “one-size-fits-all” method for managing tasks. However, some classics can give you a head start. There are techniques like Eat That Frog (spoiler: doing the worst task first), Task Batching (grouping similar tasks together to save time), and our star today, the Eisenhower Matrix. Each of these strategies has its pros and cons, of course. But in this article, we focus on the Matrix (sadly, not the one with Keanu Reeves).
So, What’s an Eisenhower Matrix?
Think of the Eisenhower Matrix like having Marie Kondo evaluate your to-do list — it helps you organize your work by classifying tasks by “urgency” and “importance” categories. This is helpful for:
- Managing resources efficiently
- Prioritizing and delegating tasks
- Identifying and eliminating unnecessary tasks
- Completing more tasks in less time
The matrix divides tasks into four quadrants:
| Urgent and Important | Not Urgent, but Important |
| The tasks you need to do immediately, otherwise there will be repercussions. | These are the slow-burning projects that promote long-term success. |
| Urgent but Not Important | Not Urgent and Not Important |
| These tasks are ideal for delegating. I’m looking at you, office supplies. | Also known as “Why am I even doing this?” |
When you categorize your tasks this way, you no longer feel like you’re drowning in an endless to-do list. Instead, you can focus on what actually deserves your attention.
Using the Eisenhower Matrix in Your Business
If you’re a one-person show, you might still use a pen and paper to keep track of your to-do list. And hey, no judgment — we’ve all been there. As you move into a small team framework or start to adopt more complex projects, that’s where Excel comes in.
In this case, it’s pretty straightforward: you create a table with columns for everything — task names, the person responsible, deadlines, and the current status.
If you’re working with a larger team, Google Calendar could be the answer to your organizational prayers.
These tools can help keep you organized, but they don’t help you with prioritization. For that, you need the Eisenhower Matrix.
How to Set Up the Eisenhower Matrix in Planfix
First things first: with Planfix, you can digitize all your workflows. Imagine having all your tasks, employees, customers, and documents in one place! It would be like having a tidy, digital filing cabinet that you actually want to use.
To get started, you need two tools in particular: Tasks and Planner.
Tasks are the bread and butter of Planfix CRM system. They represent everything from customer meetings to team projects.
The planner is your visual tool for organizing everything inside the platform. And that’s where our friend, the Eisenhower Matrix, comes in.
Here’s a sneak peek of what it looks like when it’s all set up:
Now, we’ll go through the process step by step.
Setting Up Your Planner
First, you have to create a new Planner. Simple enough, right? Then, you need to make a task list to filter through the matrix method.
To do this, add a column in the form of “Cards.” Then fill in the title and choose a color (because we all know that looks matter). After that, you can set your selection parameters:
Priority Lists
Next, we create four lists — one for each Eisenhower quadrant. This is where Planfix’s “Favorites” feature comes into play. It’s like tagging emails in your inbox, only way more productive.
Here’s how to add a task to your favorites:
Now, create a separate list for both urgent and important tasks. Repeat this process for the other quadrants. If you’re feeling particularly efficient, you can copy an existing list and swap out the details. Trust me, your future self will thank you.
Once your lists are ready, you can start prioritizing the tasks. And that, my friend, is when the real magic happens.
Pro Tips for Using the Eisenhower Matrix
It’s crucial to remember that prioritizing tasks is not always black and white. It can be somewhat subjective, and not everyone on your team is going to agree on what’s “urgent” or “important.” Ever been in a meeting where people argue over whether or not reorganizing pens is on the agenda? If so, you know exactly what we’re talking about.
Luckily, Planfix helps you avoid such headaches. Because when a designated person (e.g., your team leader) oversees the prioritization of tasks, everyone ends up on the same page. This way, you avoid burnout and keep your productivity engine running.
Why Planfix Is a Game-Changer
Planfix isn’t just a task manager — it’s a full-fledged workspace where you and your team can chat, share files, assign tasks, and manage priorities.
Need to break down a big project? Create a checklist in Planfix to make it more manageable:
Are you the forgetful type? You can easily set reminders for important meetings and events so nothing gets overlooked.
Deal with a lot of recurring tasks? No problem! With Planfix, you can automate these, too — whether it’s weekly team meetings or monthly customer meetings.
Best of all, Planfix provides numerous integrations with other platforms so that you can:
- Effortlessly communicate with customers on platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, and Telegram.
- Automate your workflows, including email campaigns, sending SMS messages, or managing virtual PBX systems.
- Manage files like a pro by connecting to your favorite cloud storage services.
- Integrate mapping services and more without any coding. That means you get access to powerful features without having to be a tech whiz.
Wrapping It Up
The Eisenhower method is more than just a way to sort your tasks — it’s a lifesaver for anyone who feels like they’re managing a million moving parts. Naturally, this is not the only method for improving prioritization, explore the most extensive list of prioritization techniques that can help you take control of your workflow. With Planfix, you can easily customize a method to help you achieve your unique business needs.
So, set up your matrix, streamline your workflow, and get ready to hit those business goals faster than you can say “urgent and important.”
Once you get the hang of it, you’ll wonder how you ever survived without Planfix!
