Covey's Time Management Matrix

Coveys Time Management Matrix
http://sidsavara.com/personal-development/nerdy-productivity-coveys-ti...
Home Most Popular About Sid Hire Sid
tweets
70
Share on Twitter
Coveys Time Management Matrix (Illustrated with Comics)

The connection has timed out
Stephen Covey, author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People and First Things First popularized the concept of a Time Management Matrix for prioritizing that I love (Side note: I say popularized because it appears Eisenhower was originally credited with using it). The system advocates the use of four quadrants to determine the tasks you need to do and deciding what should be made a priority. For those who are not familiar with it, heres a picture and a brief overview.
1 of 8
16-May-12 9:05 PM
In Quadrant 1 (top left) we have important, urgent items items that need to be dealt with immediately. In Quadrant 2 (top right) we have important, but not urgent items items that are important but do not require your immediate attention, and need to be planned for. This quadrant is highlighted because Covey emphasizes this is the quadrant that we should focus on for long term achievement of goals In Quadrant 3 (bottom left) we have urgent, but unimportant items - items which should be minimized or eliminated. These are the time sucks, the poor planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part variety of tasks. In Quadrant 4 (bottom right) we have unimportant and also not urgent items items that dont have to be done anytime soon, perhaps add little to no value and also should be minimized or eliminated. These are often trivial time wasters In addition to providing text examples, Im going to have a little fun and illustrate items from each quadrant using one of my favorite comics, XKCD. Note: XKCD sometimes contains strong language and is not always safe for work. All the items in this post however are, though they do contain some swearing.
Quadrant 4 Not Urgent and Not Important
2 of 8
16-May-12 9:05 PM
Clearly, not urgent, not important and an obvious time waster. Other time wasters include: Mindless web browsing Too much television/channel surfing for the sake of channel surfing Reading lots of random RSS feeds (no matter how fast you may read them) Junk and low value email
Quadrant 3 Urgent and Not Important

My favorite examples, though I could have picked out more -
Other Urgent tasks that add little to no value Phone calls that are off topic Email that you have to reply to right away or it loses value (Do you want some donuts? I have some in my office!)
Quadrant 2 Not Urgent And Important
3 of 8
16-May-12 9:05 PM
Your overall health is something you may take for granted today, and may not see urgency in dealing with it but long term, we know its of supreme importance. There are some other important, yet not urgent, things that fall into this quadrant as well: Exercise Reviewing your career path Maintaining relationships with family/friends
Quadrant 1 Urgent and Important
4 of 8
16-May-12 9:05 PM
Perhaps not entirely rational, but at least her priorities are in order. Other examples: Family Emergencies Real, hard deadlines for important projects Enjoy this article? You should Tweet This and share it with your friends, or feel free to share it however you like using this shortened link: http://j.mp/coveymatrix
Further Reading
This isnt the end its only the beginning. If this article has struck a chord with you, first please tell someone else about it. Tweet it out, email it to a friend, send someone a message or an IM theyll be glad you did. Second, heres a hand picked selection of articles to continue with similar themes and lessons that youll enjoy. Check them out, and if you havent already done so, make sure you get your free copy of personal development 101. How To Actively Take Control of Your Time and Your Life More Important than Money Paying Myself First With My Time Get Up Early So You Can Chill Out The Secret To Massive Productivity In Only 15 Minutes A Day Today Is Your Golden Ticket You Cant Start a Fire Choosing Your Own Lifes Adventure How To Stop Wasting Your Time And Start Accomplishing Your Goals
Free Personal Development Training

Instant updates when new articles get published Your free copy of The Little Book Of Big Motivational Quotes Enter Your Email Address Now:
Are you ready for more? Read these reader favorites now: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. A Powerful Time Management Strategy The Time Budget 6 Bold Faced Time Management Lies We Tell Ourselves Every Day 5 Dead Simple Ways To Make Time For Your Dreams How to Track Where You Spend Time With A Time Log Time Travel 101 Techniques For Reliving The Past and Seeing The Future
5 of 8
16-May-12 9:05 PM

tweets
69
Share on Twitter
Read These Popular Articles Now:
6 Bold Faced Time Management Lies We Tell Ourselves Every Day
The Ultimate Productivity System
How To Use Gimme Tasks On Your Todo List To Kick Start Your Day
Free Personal Development Updates
Email (required):
Enter your email above and get 100% free instant access to: Instant Updates of New Articles Free Motivational Quotes Ebook
6 of 8
16-May-12 9:05 PM
Reader Favorites
How To Actively Take Control of Your Time and Your Life How to Create Your Personal Development Plan How To Get Motivated - 8 Tips to Break Your Motivational Funk 7 Reasons You Should Never Check Email First Thing In The Morning Covey's Time Management Matrix (Illustrated with Comics) Famous Failures - Michael Jordan, Abraham Lincoln and J.K. Rowling Writing Down Your Goals - The Harvard Written Goal Study. Fact or Fiction? Will Power: How To Improve Your Personal Self Discipline The Definitive Guide to Organize Your Life And Get Rid of Clutter The Best Personal Development Books Reading List 7 Common Procrastination Excuses Your Hunger Will Fade - Five Ways To Keep Your Dreams Alive A Powerful Time Management Strategy - The Time Budget 10 Essential Rules For Living Your Best Life Stop Wasting Time Online! Tips and Start Pages To Improve Concentration Online
Personal Development Product Reviews

7 Simple Steps by Jonathan Wells Reclaim Your Dreams by Jonathan Mead Source Control By David Walsh Zen To Done by Leo Babauta RescueTime: Free Time Tracking Software Tribes By Seth Godin TimeSvr Virtual Assistant Review The Simple Guide to a Minimalist Life By Leo Babauta The Essential Motivation Handbook By Leo Babauta and Eric Hamm The Power Of Less By Leo Babauta
Search SidSavara.com
Navigation
Top Personal Development Articles Contact Sitemap Comment Policy Privacy Policy Product Review Policy Amazon Store - Sid's Recommendations
7 of 8
16-May-12 9:05 PM
Advertise On SidSavara.com Personal Development Plan Template Personal Development Plan Personal Development Product Reviews
Personal Development Articles

Inspirational Quotes About Life Lincoln Jordan and other "Famous Failures" Best Personal Development Books The Harvard 3% Written Goal Study Covey's Time Management Matrix How to Stop Wasting Time Online How To Get Motivated Motivational Tips Techniques Speaking in Public Guide to Overcome Public Speaking Anxiety Life Rules: Rules For Life
Get On The List and Get Your Free Quotes Ebook!

Instant updates when new articles get published Your free copy of The Little Book Of Big Motivational Quotes Enter Your Email Address Now:
Copyright 2007 - 2012. All rights reserved.
8 of 8
16-May-12 9:05 PM

Covey's Time Management Matrix

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Covey's Time Management Matrix

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Coveys Time Management Matrix

Home Most Popular About Sid Hire Sid