We have talked about the different quadrants of the Eisenhower matrix many times. All things in your life can fit into four categories, depending on whether they are urgent or important. Simply put, we try to delegate things that are not important but urgent to others who can do it better/cheaper than we can, and purge things from our schedule that are not important and not urgent.

Tasks that are urgent and important need to be handled as expediently as possible. Procrastination is the biggest enemy here. If you are a business owner, others might be waiting on these decisions before they can continue their work, so it is worthwhile to handle these tasks efficiently.

As you complete these urgent and important tasks, you move down the list to less urgent tasks. If you notice that certain chores or tasks are always at the bottom of this list of priorities, it can be helpful to ask yourself if they really are important. Perhaps they seem important, but in practice, they just aren’t that significant. If this is the case, it might be time to revisit your to-do list and recategorize some things.

Some of these lower-priority items might become urgent if they have been put off for too long. Be careful that these don’t build up. Remember, surprises are bound to come up and demand your immediate attention occasionally, which might cause a backlog of tasks to become very urgent, very fast. This doesn’t make for a comfortable personal or work life. If you notice a growing backlog, try to find time to resolve these lingering items. A future emergency will be easier to manage.

Finally, some of the most important tasks to complete will never become urgent on their own. These are aspirational tasks, such as learning a new skill or expanding your business. Realize that these things will never demand your attention, so if they are actually important to you, you must deliberately schedule for them if they are ever to materialize. If it’s worth it to you, you won’t regret finding a way to fit these tasks into your schedule.

One of the most useful skills a person can have is knowing how to accurately categorize different chores, habits, and projects into the correct order of priority. Refining this skill will pay dividends in your business success and personal happiness.