Managing our day to day activities to make best use of our time is not an easy task and not many are skilled at managing it well. These days, time seems to be at a premium. We have devices that keep us constantly connected with work, with friends and family, and sometimes even with complete strangers. As a result, it’s easy to get distracted. If you’re like most of us, you have a lot to accomplish. I came across a few strategies to properly manage time and work more efficiently and the one that attracted my most attention is the Eisenhower matrix.
The US President Dwight D. Eisenhower supposedly once said: “The most urgent decisions are rarely the most important ones”. Eisenhower was
considered a master of time management, i.e. he had the ability to do everything as and when it needed to be done. With the Eisenhower method, you will learn to distinguish between what is important and what is urgent.
Whatever the job that lands on your desk, begin by breaking it down according to the Eisenhower method (see model), and then decide how to
proceed. We often focus too strongly on the “urgent and important” field, on the things that have to be dealt with immediately. Ask yourself: When will I deal with the things that are important, but not urgent? When will I take the time to deal with important tasks before they become urgent? This is the field for strategic, long-term decisions.
Another method of organizing your time better is attributed to the multimillionaire Warren Buffett. “Make a list of everything you want to get done today. Begin with the task at the top of the list, and continue only when you have completed it. When a task has been completed, cross it off the list.”
Better late than never. But never late is better.