Maybe Ike wasn't that weird
Rebecka Price Dollieslager English 111 3/29/15
Once it is accepted that multitasking isn’t actually possible, how does one prioritize tasks? Well, based on Eisenhower’s “decision principals”, businessman Stephen Covey developed a matrix in order to sort tasks. He sorted them based on whether they were urgent or they were important, or both. People tend to get the meaning of urgent confused with important. The difference between urgent and important is that urgent means it’s something that needs immediate attention. Important tasks are more for the long term gain toward one's own goals. Covey’s matrix is split into quadrants: quadrant one, quadrant two, quadrant three and quadrant four. In each quadrant we list the tasks that are urgent and important. Meaning they affect now and the future. Urgent task are things such as: classes, going to the hospital, or work deadlines. Urgent tasks are placed in quadrant one. Quadrant one is perhaps the most stressful quadrant, and is where most working people tend to stay in terms of decision making. Quadrant two is the not urgent but important tasks. This quadrant is where Covey recommends people to spend more time in. Quadrant three contains things that are urgent but not important, like interruptions. Last but not least, quadrant four pertains things both not urgent and not important, which includes most people’s favorite thing to do, watch television. This knowledge allows people to prioritize tasks based one what it is they truly need to accomplish in life, or that day. It sets a guideline to sort tasks and almost place a value on their importanace. This modle can teach us which tasks are in the most need of attention. (Mckay).
Works Cited
McKay, Brett, and Kate McKay. "The Eisenhower Decision Matrix: How to Distinguish Between Urgent and Important Tasks and Make Real Progress in Your Life." The Art of Manliness. 23 Oct. 2013. Web. 1 Apr. 2015. <http://www.artofmanliness.com/2013/10/23/eisenhower-decision-matrix/>.