Eisenhower Priority Matrix

Categorize tasks by urgency and importance.

The Four Quadrants

                    URGENT              NOT URGENT
             ┌─────────────────┬─────────────────┐
             │                 │                 │
  IMPORTANT  │   DO FIRST      │   SCHEDULE      │
             │   (Q1)          │   (Q2)          │
             │                 │                 │
             ├─────────────────┼─────────────────┤
             │                 │                 │
NOT IMPORTANT│   DELEGATE      │   ELIMINATE     │
             │   (Q3)          │   (Q4)          │
             │                 │                 │
             └─────────────────┴─────────────────┘

Quadrant Definitions

Q1: Do First (Urgent + Important)

Priority: !high Action: Do immediately, add to today.md

Signs of Q1 tasks:

• Deadlines today or tomorrow
• Blocking other people
• Production issues
• Client-facing problems
• Health/safety concerns

Q2: Schedule (Not Urgent + Important)

Priority: !medium Action: Add to backlog, schedule specific time

Signs of Q2 tasks:

• Long-term goals
• Skill development
• Relationship building
• Strategic planning
• Prevention and preparation

Q3: Delegate (Urgent + Not Important)

Priority: !low Action: Can someone else do this?

Signs of Q3 tasks:

• Interruptions
• Some meetings
• Some emails/messages
• Other people's priorities

Q4: Eliminate (Not Urgent + Not Important)

Priority: Consider removing Action: Delete or move to someday.md

Signs of Q4 tasks:

• Time wasters
• Pleasant but unproductive
• Busy work
• Outdated tasks

Decision Tree

Is this task aligned with my goals?
├── No → ELIMINATE or SOMEDAY
└── Yes → Does it have a hard deadline within 48h?
    ├── Yes → Is it blocking others or high-impact?
    │   ├── Yes → DO FIRST (!high)
    │   └── No → DELEGATE if possible, else DO FIRST
    └── No → Is it important for long-term success?
        ├── Yes → SCHEDULE (!medium)
        └── No → DELEGATE or ELIMINATE (!low)

Application Rules

1. Daily limit: Max 3 tasks in "Do First"
2. Weekly balance: 60% Q2, 30% Q1, 10% Q3
3. Review trigger: If Q1 > 5 tasks, something is wrong
4. Q2 protection: Block time for important-not-urgent work

Reprioritization Triggers

Run /prioritize when:

• New urgent task arrives
• Deadline changes
• Blocked on current task
• End of day review
• Weekly review