Managing Your Resources
Task prioritisation
What is task prioritisation?
‘’Task prioritization is the process of assigning order to tasks based on their urgency and importance.
The goal is to improve your time management and productivity by focusing on and organizing the
tasks you need to complete’’
‘’Prioritizing tasks can often mean putting aside a task you want to do, and instead taking care of
harder or more challenging responsibility. Task prioritization is a process, and you can use several
steps, techniques, and tips to help you effectively focus your attention and manage your time’’
Source How to Master Task Prioritization | Smartsheet
Techniques for Task Prioritization
You can use many techniques for prioritizing tasks, such as creating a to-do list and limiting
distractions, that can improve productivity and performance. The following techniques can help
guide you through successfully organizing and completing your outstanding tasks.
1) Create a To-Do List
Create a to-do list that identifies and provides an overview of all your outstanding tasks. This will
help you keep track of and visualize the tasks you need to do. Making a daily to-do list can be crucial
for staying focused and meeting deadlines.
Example: You have what seems like a never-ending list of tasks floating around in your head. This list
seems impossible to tackle, and you have to draw on your memory to recall the different requests
and assignments. Organize your thoughts and jot down each task. By making a list, you realize there
is an end to your tasks and can visualize your progress.
2) Eisenhower Priority Matrix
"I have two kinds of problems: the urgent and the important. The urgent are not important, and the
important are never urgent." This "Eisenhower Principle" is said to be how he organized his
workload and priorities.
The Eisenhower Priority Matrix is a method that helps you choose which tasks should come first,
based on urgency and importance. The matrix consists of four quadrants that are designed to put
the priority level of a task into perspective.
Manage Your Tasks with the Eisenhower Matrix » The Process Hacker
Managing Your Resources
1) Identify what is URGENT & IMPORTANT (the upper left quadrant). Do these tasks right away.
Eisenhower matrix examples include tasks like:
Meeting a project deadline.
Making an important phone call
Going to a doctor’s appointment
2) Identify what is LESS/NOT URGENT but still IMPORTANT (the upper right quadrant). Delay
these tasks if needed; do them later. Eisenhower matrix examples include tasks like:
Taking an 8 weeks long course to receive an optional professional certification
Exercising and maintaining a healthy routine
Saving for a down payment
Routinely taking your car for maintenance
3) Identify what is URGENT but LESS/NON IMPORTANT (the lower left quadrant). Delegate
these tasks for your team to accomplish. Eisenhower matrix examples include tasks like:
Checking and responding to mail/messages every few minutes
Unnecessary interruptions and distractions
Attending a meeting where your presence is optional
4) Identify what is LESS/NOT URGENT and LESS IMPORTANT (the lower right quadrant). Don’t
do these tasks; eliminate them altogether from your priority list. Eisenhower matrix
examples include tasks like:
Binge-watching TV
Mindless social media scrolling
Procrastinating while avoiding a task
Excessive shopping or online browsing
3) Exercise 1 : You have a huge list of tasks to complete today and feel overwhelmed. Put each
task through the Eisenhower Priority Matrix to identify the most important and urgent tasks.
In doing so, you realise which tasks you need to address and plan out, and which tasks you
need to assign to someone else. You may need to use/draw the Eisenhower Priority Matrix
template below in OneDrive
Managing Your Resources
Exercise 2 : Apply The Eisenhower Matrix
I would suggest applying the Eisenhower Matrix during the planning session before starting a new
project or the next relevant period (week, month, year, etc.). At these moments in our life, we have
a bunch of new ideas about the things we want to accomplish during that project or period.
1) Write down all the tasks that you can think of for you to get done for that project or in that
month onto a sheet of paper or in your note application.
2) Sort the tasks into the four quadrants on the Eisenhower matrix.
3) Plan your project or month accordingly, the tasks that can be done immediately, planned
for, delegated, or deleted.
Color Code to quadrants
If you are a visual person then instead of using labels to sort your tasks, you can give color codes to
differentiate quadrants based on their priority level. Each quadrant can be colored according to the
priority level of the Eisenhower matrix:
Urgent & Important = Red
Not Urgent & Important = Green
Urgent & Not Important = Yellow
Not Urgent & Not Important No color
Draw the Eisenhower Matrix Template and complete the task in OneDrive
Managing Your Resources
