Eisenhower Matrix: A Framework to Manage Creatives’ Tasks and Time Better
- Adilla
- Nov 7
- 4 min read
Time can be a slippery thing. When you’re aware of it, it seems to stop and slow down. But when you look away, it goes away faster than a pet stealing food (weird comparison, though; stick with me).
Pets, when you’re watching them and managing them to the best of your abilities, behave well (for the most part). The same goes for time.
When you allocate and manage your time, everything seems to fall into place effortlessly.
So, when creatives are struggling to divide their time and tasks, the Eisenhower Matrix is technically the Marie Kondo for your work productivity.
Instead of the leniency of Marie Kondo’s methods, Eisenhower’s methods are black and white, making decisions easier and straightforward.
One of the most effective prioritisation techniques, especially for creatives who struggle to be strict with themselves.
What is the Eisenhower Matrix?
As scientific as the name is, it's far from a sci-fi theory.
Invented by Dwight D. Eisenhower, it is a productivity framework of organising and prioritising into four categories, like so:
Why is this recommended for creatives when the nature of their work is far from structured and fixed?
Studies show that schedule and structure help boost creativity. The Eisenhower Matrix for creatives reduces the mental load of deciding what to do each day and helps allocate the energy into your creative mind.
Four Quadrants Application in Creative Workflow
When deciding on how to divide your creative tasks into the four categories of the Eisenhower Matrix, take note of how much they matter to you and your work and how time-sensitive they are. In a way, it is a form of creative project management.
Then, you need to list them down in terms of urgency and importance.
Here are some examples:
1. Urgent, Important: Do
A straightforward box for putting the most time-sensitive tasks, with a clear deadline that impacts your work the most. The hardest task to start with, but preferably essential, as it will ease your mind when the most taxing task is taken care of first.
However, if you do notice, you have a hard time starting the task. Most times, it’s not because you are lazy, but rather the mental block that comes with such a major task can be heavy.
So, we do suggest trying out methods like the Getting Things Done (GTD) to jumpstart your day and get the workflow going.
2. Not Urgent, Important: Decide
Impactful tasks are placed in this category, but with no set date to finish them.
Typically, tasks from backlogs are pushed away for important and urgent tasks. For example, a new approach in marketing that the team wants to implement, but since there is no set time for it to execute, this idea gets delayed.
In this box, you would have to set a date for them to be placed in the ‘Do’ section to prevent further delays.
3. Urgent, Not Important: Delegate
So, what do you do about tasks that have a deadline but aren’t important to the list of tasks that you must prioritise?
These tasks can be hard to ignore or even prioritise.
If you struggle to decide, let your creative leader know of your predicament. They may be able to delegate them to someone who has the capacity to do the task.
4. Not Urgent, Not Important: Delete
Tasks that don’t require you to do them at all.
Give yourself permission to let them go and delete them, freeing your mental load for the ones that need attention. This is the advantage of the Eisenhower Matrix. This may look like sorting old files or cleaning up articles that don’t contribute or affect anything.
How the Eisenhower Matrix Prevents Creative Burnout
Frees Up Mental and Physical Energy
The Eisenhower Matrix framework can help shift your focus to more important tasks and delegate tasks to your teams or fellow artists who have the capacity to do them. Therefore, freeing up your mental load and conserving your energy.
Realistic Expectations of Your Tasks
The process of going through all the tasks gives you a realistic insight into your responsibilities, and you don't feel overwhelmed even before starting your tasks. So, limiting where you can and should put your energy prevents pushing over your limit. This is how a real prioritisation should work.
Encourages Proactive Work
When your tasks are sorted through different priorities and categories, it helps you to focus on tasks or monotasking. The prioritised tasks will guide you towards your long-term goals, or rather, tasks that give the most impact. It also prevents creative burnout as it builds momentum on a workday.
Key Takeaways
The Eisenhower Matrix is like Marie Kondo for work task prioritisation.
Unlike other productivity tasks, this framework helps you remove tasks that don’t contribute to your goals.
Categorising your work tasks in clear boxes helps direct your energy to what matters and prevents burnout.
The Eisenhower Matrix for creative work, as long as you sort and delegate where it belongs.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How do I determine what tasks matter to me most, other than just guessing?
To determine what matters to you is to know if the task aligns with your personal and work goals. Identifying your personal and professional goals can help steer your attention to tasks that have an impact in that direction.
What other methods can be used to improve productivity?
Other methods that can be used to improve productivity include trying out productivity apps for creatives. Depending on your preferences, we listed out the apps that would suit your different needs, from time management to task management to removing distractions.
Author Bio
With a background in Arts English, Adilla has been a casual writer for various hobbies, like parodies of animated shows and plots for board games. She loves to read anything and everything from fantasy stories to articles on tips and tricks. Now an advocate for mental health and effective project management for the creative industry. Currently, Adilla resides in Malaysia and is a creative writer at TESSR. To know more about her, check out her LinkedIn.
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