Eisenhower Matrix. Urgent is not the same as important.

How to use the Eisenhower Matrix

This board sorts tasks by two questions: is it urgent, and is it important. The answers place each task in one of four boxes, Do first, Schedule, Delegate or Eliminate, with an Inbox for tasks you have not sorted yet. It is for anyone with a long to-do list who needs to decide what to work on now.

Step by step

1. 1
   Add a task

   Type into New task, choose a box from Add to (it starts on Inbox (unsorted)), then press Add task or Enter. You can also type into the small box at the bottom of any quadrant and press + or Enter.

2. 2
   Sort with drag and drop

   Drag each task into the box it belongs in, or to a new spot in the same list to change the order. Do first is urgent and important, Schedule is important but not urgent, Delegate is urgent but not important, and Eliminate is neither.

3. 3
   Check off finished work

   Check the box on a task to mark it complete. It is struck through and counted as done in its box. Press Clear completed to remove every finished task at once.

4. 4
   Edit or delete a task

   Press the pencil button on a task to change its text in a small window, then press Save or Enter. The cross button deletes the task straight away, with no undo.

5. 5
   Export or print

   Press Copy outline to copy a plain text list of all five boxes, Download .txt to save the same outline, or Download .json to save the raw data. Print opens your browser's print dialog with only the matrix and the inbox on the page.

Reading the board

• Each box shows its name, what it means, such as Urgent · Important, and a counter of open tasks, followed by the number done once you have checked any off.
• The colored top edge marks the box: red for Do first, green for Schedule, amber for Delegate, gray for Eliminate and purple for the Inbox.
• The text outline lists each box in capitals with its task count, then every task as [x] when done or [ ] when open.

Tips and common mistakes

• Drop everything into the Inbox first, then sort. Deciding one task at a time is quicker than picking a box while you type.
• Download .json from time to time if the list matters. Tasks live in this browser only, and clearing site data removes them.
• The board stays in step across open tabs of this page in the same browser, but it does not sync to another browser or device.
• Moving tasks uses drag and drop, which can be unreliable on a touch screen. On a phone, pick the right box in Add to when you create the task, or type into the add box at the bottom of that quadrant.
• Keep Eliminate honest. If a task sits there for a week, delete it rather than letting the box fill up.

Privacy and limits

Your tasks are saved in this browser's local storage under the key dh_eisenhower_v1 and load again when you come back. Nothing is uploaded. Clearing site data, or closing a private window, removes them.

Back to the tool

Everything the matrix should do.

• Sort tasks into four quadrants by urgency and importance, Do first, Schedule, Delegate and Eliminate, the Eisenhower way.
• Drag and drop tasks between quadrants (and reorder within one) at any time; every quadrant also has its own quick-add input.
• Use the Inbox to capture tasks before you decide where they belong.
• Mark tasks complete with a checkbox, edit or delete any task, and bulk-clear finished work with one click.
• Export your matrix as a copyable outline, a .txt file or JSON, or print it as a clean one-page summary.
• Private by construction: everything saves automatically to your browser and syncs across your open tabs; nothing is uploaded.

Frequently asked questions.

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