This beautiful March morning has me pondering my blog idea for tomorrow. Don’t let the fact that this blog is a recycle from last year keep you from reviewing it. I thought it warranted resurrection, hence may I invite you to revisit “The Eisenhower Matrix” blog.
- PRESIDENT
Before I explain the “Eisenhower Matrix” idea, let’s review a brief bit of history. Dwight Eisenhower was the 34th president of the United States and served from 1953 to 1962. Before becoming our President, he was a five-star general in the United States Army.
A BIT MORE
He also served as president of Columbia University, became the first Supreme Commander of NATO, and yet found time to enjoy activities like golf and oil painting. He had an amazing ability to sustain his productivity not just weeks and months, but for decades. It is not surprising that his time and task management skills have been widely studied and emulated.
THE EISENHOWER MATRIX
His productivity strategy is known as the “Eisenhower Matrix.” It is a relatively simple decision-making tool you can start to use right now. This comes in handy for those who sometimes struggle with making decisions. The strategy for planning, taking action and organizing tasks is not complicated. It separates your actions based on four possibilities.
- Urgent and important (tasks you will do immediately)
- Important, but not urgent (tasks you will schedule to do later)
- Urgent, but not important (tasks you will delegate to someone else)
- Neither urgent nor important (tasks you can eliminate)
ACCORDING TO PLAN
We live our lives according to some sort of a plan. Is yours going accordingly? It can’t go according to plan if you don’t have one. Often procrastination and laziness prevent us from making a plan in the first place. The question for many is, how do I overcome procrastination? You can always use the “Eisenhower Matrix” to find out what is priority and what isn’t. Take inventory and find out the things you waste time on each day.
ACCOUNTABILITY
Spend a few minutes each morning going over the priorities for the day. Focus on those things that will have the biggest impact on your life. Somethings are unpleasant or uncomfortable. Discomfort isn’t always a bad thing and it can actually be healthy. Identify and track your procrastination impulses. Make sure your tasks have a goal and finally, create accountability for your tasks. When you have someone who is holding you accountable, you are less likely to give up.
PRIORITIES
Is your healthcare high or low on your priority list? If it involves your health, it simply must be priority. Hopefully, it isn’t urgent, but it is important. Do you have a test or screening that was recommended you get, that is still not done? WWED (What would Eisenhower do?) Remember the Eisenhower Matrix and prioritize. If it involves diagnostic ultrasound, call us at 505-350-3397.