As stated by Entrepreneur.com, the core idea of the Eisenhower Principle consists in categorising tasks into four distinct groups:
Category one: Urgent and important
These tasks include crisis management, handling urgent issues or meeting overdue deadlines. Address these first and tackle them right at the beginning of the workday so as to avoid having to deal with them in a rush caused by less pressing matters.
Category two: Important but not urgent
This category covers such tasks as strategic planning or team development, issues people often tend to postpone and neglect. While they may not be urgent, it is essential to allocate time for them and ensure they are not put off indefinitely.
Category three: Urgent but not important
These tasks require immediate attention but have a relatively low impact. Examples include responding to routine emails or approving minor decisions. While these should be handled continuously, the key is to delegate as many of them as possible to colleagues or subordinates.
Category four: Not important or urgent
These may include non-essential meetings or tasks that serve only as a form of procrastination. Over time, these routine and low-priority tasks should gradually decrease as you focus on resolving and completing the more significant ones. Before engaging in such tasks, consider whether they are really necessary. Those that cannot be eliminated should either be delegated or handled using automation tools.
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