Prioritize what matters. Add tasks, then drag them (or press 1-4) to sort by urgency and importance.
Click a task, then 1-4 move it · Alt+↑↓ reorder · Space done · Enter edit · Del delete · N new task
The Eisenhower Matrix (also called the Eisenhower Box or Urgent-Important Matrix) is a simple decision-making framework that helps you prioritize tasks based on two criteria: urgency and importance. By sorting every task into one of four quadrants, you can quickly see what deserves your attention right now, what to plan for later, what to hand off, and what to drop entirely.
This method cuts through the noise of an overwhelming to-do list and focuses your energy where it actually moves the needle.
Your matrix saves automatically in this browser, so it is still here when you come back. Deleted something by mistake? Use Undo in the message that appears.
| N or / | Jump to the new task box |
| Tab, ↑ ↓ | Move between tasks |
| 1 2 3 4 | Move the selected task to Q1, Q2, Q3 or Q4 |
| Alt+↑ ↓ | Move the task up or down within its quadrant |
| Space | Mark done / not done |
| Enter | Edit the task text (Enter saves, Esc cancels) |
| Delete | Delete the task |
| Ctrl+Z | Undo the last delete or clear |
These are crises, deadlines, and problems that demand immediate action. A client emergency, a report due tomorrow, or a broken production server all belong here. The goal is to handle these swiftly and keep this quadrant as small as possible.
This is the quadrant of growth. Long-term planning, skill development, relationship building, exercise, and strategic thinking live here. These tasks don't scream for attention, but they're the ones that create lasting results. Spending more time in Q2 is the single biggest productivity lever you have.
Interruptions, many emails, some meetings, and other people's minor priorities tend to land here. They feel urgent because someone is asking, but they don't contribute to your own goals. Delegate these when you can, batch them, or set boundaries to reduce their impact.
Time-wasters, mindless scrolling, busywork, and tasks you do out of habit rather than purpose. Be honest about what belongs here and cut it. Reclaiming even 30 minutes a day from Q4 gives you back over 180 hours a year.
Ask two questions. Important: would it matter in a month if this never got done? Urgent: is there a real deadline or consequence in the next day or two, or does it just feel pressing because someone is waiting? Two yeses is Q1, important only is Q2, urgent only is Q3, and neither is Q4.
"I have two kinds of problems, the urgent and the important. The urgent are not important, and the important are never urgent."
Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th President of the United States and Supreme Allied Commander in Europe during the Second World War, said this in a 1954 speech, crediting the line to a former college president. Stephen Covey later turned the idea into a four-quadrant time management matrix in his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, and it became one of the most widely used prioritization tools in the world.
Yes. There is no signup and no account. The matrix runs entirely in your browser.
In your browser's local storage on this device, saved automatically after every change. Nothing is sent to a server. Clearing your browser data removes them, so use Download CSV or Copy as text if you want a backup.
Yes. Click Print and the page prints just the four quadrants with your tasks, on a single page. Choose Save as PDF in the print dialog to keep a PDF copy.
For personal tasks, treat Delegate as minimise: batch them into one short slot, automate them, do a quicker version, or ask whether they need doing at all. The point is to stop urgent-but-unimportant tasks eating the time you planned for Schedule.
A to-do list shows everything with the same weight. The matrix makes you decide, for each task, whether it matters and whether it is time-sensitive, so the few tasks worth doing now stand out and the rest get scheduled, handed off or dropped.