Upgraded Eisenhower Matrix

QUESTION

Note: This is a continuation of last week's question. I copied the Q below for easy reference. If you remember it, jump down to the Answer to see the new content.

Dear Joey, I am having a difficult time honoring my own time commitments to myself. For example, proactively calling customers that I have not been in touch with recently, or establishing new relationships for my business on a consistent basis.

I seem to get sucked into reactive mode fairly quickly. I try to “stay organized” but sometimes feel like my attempts are futile. Any advice?

Thanks!

—Eric

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ANSWER

Dear Eric, last week I shared a few strategies you can use to hold yourself accountable. But your question kept tugging at me, like I’d missed something.

Then it dawned on me. I addressed how to stay committed, but I didn’t talk about what to choose to commit to. Figuring out what to give your attention to is important in not just business, but life.

Thanks, in part, to Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th President of the United States, there’s a solution to get you started.

In 1954, Eisenhower gave a speech in which he noted, “The urgent are not important, and the important are never urgent.” Over 30 years later, author Stephen Covey took the meaning behind Eisenhower’s words and created the tool we now know as “The Eisenhower Matrix.” Here it is:

The Eisenhower Matrix with an upgrade (in blue text) by yours truly.

The Eisenhower Matrix isn’t perfect, though. For example, not everyone can simply delegate tasks to others. Often, you’re just an army of one, doing everything yourself. And depending on your business, you may or may not be able to delegate.

Good news: Even if you can’t delegate, you can—and this one is a Joey Cofone original—relegate those tasks to a specific portion of your day or week.

In a past email we discussed optimal work times (mine is 8 AM to 1 PM); use that time for your Urgent/Important tasks, and relegate your Urgent/Not Important work to the hours outside of that.

Hopefully, between last week’s answer and this week’s, you have a better grasp on what to prioritize and how to stay committed.

—Joey