# Free Eisenhower Matrix Template

> Use this Eisenhower matrix template in Asana to sort tasks by urgency and importance—do, delegate, schedule, or delete—and adjust priorities in real time.

Source: https://asana.com/templates/eisenhower-matrix.md

- [Use template](https://app.asana.com/-/llm_preview_templates?preview_template=eisenhower_matrix)

- [Projects](/features/project-management/projects)

- [Custom fields](/features/project-management/custom-fields)

- [Project views](/features/project-management/project-views)

- [Time tracking](/features/resource-management/time-tracking)

- [Gmail](/apps/google-gmail)

- [Outlook](/apps/outlook)

- [Google Workspace](/google-workspace)

- [Slack](/apps/slack)

templates

Project planning

Eisenhower Matrix

Overwhelmed by your to-do list? Learn how to create an Eisenhower Matrix template in Asana so you can prioritize and sort your tasks based on their urgency and importance.

Project planning

Agile management

## Eisenhower Matrix Template

Use a reusable Eisenhower Matrix to sort tasks by urgency and importance so you can focus on what matters most and spend less time deciding what to do next.

### Create templates with Asana

- [Sign up](/create-account)

#### Summary

The Eisenhower Matrix template is a simple tool for organizing tasks by urgency and importance. It divides your to-do list into four groups: 1) Urgent and Important (Do), 2) Not Urgent but Important (Schedule), 3) Urgent but Not Important (Delegate), and 4) Not Urgent and Not Important (Delete).It's normal not to get everything done, and that's perfectly fine. Success comes from knowing how to prioritize, not from finishing every task. By using good prioritization methods, you can focus on the most important tasks first, plan others for later, and delegate or remove the rest.

This way, you still accomplish what matters most without exhausting yourself.

An Eisenhower Matrix template helps you manage your time more easily. You can use it daily, weekly, or whenever your to-do list feels overwhelming. In this article, you'll find out what the Eisenhower Matrix is, why it's helpful, and how to set up a digital template to save time.

## What is an Eisenhower Matrix?

An [Eisenhower Matrix](/resources/eisenhower-matrix) is a prioritization tool that helps you organize tasks by urgency and importance into four quadrants: do, delegate, schedule, or delete. Each quadrant maps to a specific action depending on whether a task is urgent, important, both, or neither:
- Urgent and important: **Do**
- Urgent but not important: **Delegate**
- Not urgent but important: **Schedule**
- Not urgent and not important: **Delete**

If your to-do list feels overwhelming, the Eisenhower Matrix helps you see which tasks to do first and how to handle the rest.

## What is an Eisenhower Matrix template?

An Eisenhower Matrix template is a reusable guide that lets you quickly create one whenever you need to [prioritize your task list](/templates/prioritization-matrix). If you want to create a matrix every morning or at the start of each week, no problem, just [copy the template](/inside-asana/create-project-templates-with-duplicate-project), add your tasks, and start prioritizing.

With a ready-made template, you save time because you don't have to set up your Eisenhower Matrix from scratch each time. Just fill in the details and follow the steps to prioritize your tasks.

## Why use an Eisenhower Matrix template

When your task list is long and demanding, it can be tough to decide where to begin. An Eisenhower Matrix template gives you a simple, repeatable way to sort your tasks so you can focus on what matters most. Here are some main benefits:
- **Clear priorities:** Instead of guessing which tasks deserve your attention, the matrix helps you categorize every to-do by urgency and importance. You always know what to tackle first.
- **Better**[time management](/resources/time-management-tips)**:** By assigning each task to a specific quadrant, you spend less time deciding what to do and more time doing it. Tasks that can be delegated or deleted stop eating into your schedule.
- [Reduced stress](/resources/quartz-burnout-guide)**:** A long to-do list can feel paralyzing. Once you sort tasks into the four quadrants, you'll see that not everything requires your immediate attention, which makes the workload feel more manageable.
- [Improved decision-making](/resources/rapid-decision-making)**:** The matrix gives you a simple way to evaluate each task before committing to it. Over time, this builds better habits for prioritizing and planning your work.

## The benefits of a digital Eisenhower Matrix template

The Eisenhower Matrix is meant to make managing tasks easier, not harder. Using a digital version means you don't need to deal with spreadsheets or copy your task list by hand every time.

You can simply add your tasks to the matrix, choose their urgency and importance, and move them into the right section. If your priorities change, you can quickly update your matrix without starting over.

With a digital Eisenhower Matrix template, you can:
- Simplify [decision-making](/resources/decision-making-process) by following a predefined [task prioritization process](/resources/priority-matrix).
- Quickly add tasks to your Eisenhower Matrix template instead of copying to-dos over again.
- See a [single source of truth](/resources/knowledge-base) for each task, because the to-dos in your matrix aren't duplicates. They live in your task list and your matrix at the same time.
- Add contextual information, documents, images, or videos to each task.
- Share your matrix with [project stakeholders](/resources/project-stakeholder) to illustrate how you're prioritizing work.
- Set due dates for tasks you're [delegating](/resources/how-to-delegate) or scheduling for later.
- Drag and drop tasks into different sections of your matrix.
- Easily update your matrix if priorities change later on.

## How to create a digital Eisenhower Matrix template

At its most basic, your Eisenhower Matrix template should have space to track the following information about each task:
- **Urgency:** Urgent or not urgent
- **Importance:** Important or not important
- **Recommended action:** Do, delegate, schedule, delete

The easiest way is to add two custom tags to your template: one for urgency and one for importance. This lets you quickly choose and see how urgent and important each task is.

Next, make sections in your template for each action: Do, delegate, schedule, or delete. After you pick the urgency and importance for each task, move it into the right section.

### Integrated features
- [Add tasks to multiple projects](/features)**.** The nature of work is cross-functional. Teams need to be able to work effectively across departments. But if each department has its own filing system, work gets stalled and siloed. Asana makes it easy to track and manage tasks across multiple projects. This doesn't just reduce duplicative work and increase cross-team visibility. It also helps your team see tasks in context, view who's working on what, and keep tasks and team members connected.
- **Custom fields.** Custom fields are the best way to tag, sort, and filter work. Create custom fields for any information you need to track, from priority and status to email addresses and phone numbers. Use custom fields to sort and schedule your to-dos so you know what to work on first. Plus, share custom fields across tasks and projects to ensure consistency across your organization.
- **List View.** List View is a grid-style view that lets you see all your project's information at a glance. Like a to-do list or a spreadsheet, List View displays all your tasks at once so you can not only see task titles and due dates, but also view any relevant custom fields, such as Priority, Status, and more. Unlock effortless collaboration by giving your entire team visibility into who's doing what by when.
- [Start dates](/features). Sometimes, you don't just need to track when a to-do is due; you also need to know when you should start working on it. Start times and dates give your team members a clear sense of how long each task should take. Use start dates to set, track, and manage work, aligning your team's goals and preventing dependencies from falling through the cracks.

### Recommended apps
- [Gmail](/apps/google-gmail). With the Asana for Gmail integration, you can create Asana tasks directly from your Gmail inbox. Any tasks you create from Gmail will automatically include the context from your email, so you never miss a beat. Need to refer to an Asana task while composing an email? Instead of opening Asana, use the Asana for Gmail add-on to simply search for that task directly from your Gmail inbox.
- [Outlook](/apps/outlook). As action items come in via email, like reviewing work from your agency or a request for design assets from a partner, you can now create tasks for them in Asana right from Outlook. You can then assign the new task to yourself or a teammate, set a due date, and add it to a project so it's connected to other relevant work.
- [Google Workplace](/apps/google-drive). Attach files directly to tasks in Asana using the Google Workspace file picker, built into the Asana task pane. Easily attach any My Drive file with just a few clicks.
- [Slack](/apps/slack). Turn ideas, work requests, and action items from Slack into Asana tasks and comments that are trackable. Go from quick questions and action items to tasks with assignees and due dates. Easily capture work, so requests and to-dos don't get lost in Slack.

## How to use your Eisenhower Matrix template

Once you create your template, using it is simple. Here's how:
- Make a copy of your Eisenhower Matrix template.
- Add each task in your to-do list to the template.
- Select the urgency and importance of each task. If you're not sure how to distinguish between urgent tasks and important tasks, check out our [Eisenhower Matrix article](/resources/eisenhower-matrix).
- Drag and drop each task into its respective section: Do, delegate, schedule, or delete.
- Update the due date and assignee for each task based on the action you've selected.

## Get started with your Eisenhower Matrix template

When you know exactly which tasks to do, delegate, schedule, or delete, you spend less time second-guessing and more time making progress. Here's a quick recap of what you've learned:
- **What it is:** A four-quadrant tool that sorts tasks by urgency and importance.
- **Why it works:** It gives you clear priorities, better time management, and less stress.
- **How to use it:** Copy a digital template, add your tasks, tag urgency and importance, then drag each task into the right quadrant.

A digital Eisenhower Matrix template in Asana gives you a reusable, shareable way to prioritize your work and focus on what matters most. [Get started](/create-account) and build your first Eisenhower Matrix template today.
- [Create an Eisenhower matrix template](/templates/eisenhower-matrix)

## Frequently asked questions about the Eisenhower Matrix template

#### Where does the name "Eisenhower Matrix" come from?

It's named after Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th US president, who distinguished between urgent and important tasks in a 1954 speech. Author Stephen Covey later turned that idea into the four-quadrant prioritization tool used today.

#### Do I need an Eisenhower Matrix template?

If you regularly face a long to-do list and struggle to decide what to tackle first, a template gives you a repeatable process for sorting tasks by urgency and importance. It removes the guesswork so you can start working on the right things right away.

#### How often should I use an Eisenhower Matrix template?

It depends on how quickly new tasks come in. If your workload changes daily, create a new matrix each morning; if it's more stable, once a week is usually enough.

#### Who should I share my Eisenhower Matrix template with?

Share it with your direct reports or project teammates so everyone follows the same prioritization process. A shared template helps the whole team stay aligned and reduces the risk of overwork.

#### Can I create an Eisenhower Matrix in Excel?

Yes, you can set up a basic four-quadrant grid in Excel or Google Sheets. For easier drag-and-drop sorting, real-time updates, and team collaboration, a digital tool like Asana is a more flexible option.

#### Is the Eisenhower Matrix hard to learn?

Not at all. You simply sort each task into one of four quadrants based on urgency and importance, so no special training is required.

### Daily planner

Keeping your day organized is more than just writing down a list of daily to-dos. Learn how to create a daily planner template in Asana.

- [Create your template](/templates/daily-planner)

### Milestone chart template

Milestone charts highlight significant moments in your workflow. Learn why this matters and how to create one for yourself.

- [Create your template](/templates/milestone-chart)

### IT project plan

Organize your IT work in one place. Manage deployments, order equipment, and connect teams—without compromising security.

- [Create your template](/templates/it-project-plan)

### Schedule

Organize your work with Asana’s free schedule templates. Customize for daily, weekly, or monthly planning, and never lose track of tasks again.

- [Create your template](/templates/schedule)

### Daily checklist

Build better routines with a daily checklist template designed to help you manage tasks, deadlines, and recurring work.

- [Create your template](/templates/daily-checklist)

### Action items template

No matter your best intentions, you need more than motivation to knock out your to-dos. An action item template—where you decide the who, what, and when of every task—can help you organize your workflows and get more done.

- [Create your template](/templates/action-items)

### Public relations plan

Create focused, targeted, and organized PR campaigns—no matter who’s planning them—with a public relations plan template.

- [Create your template](/templates/public-relations-pr-plan)

### Project premortem

A premortem is a brainstorming tactic your team uses to anticipate different ways a project can fail. Learn how to use a premortem template to minimize project risk.

- [Create your template](/templates/premortem)

### Scope management plan

A project’s scope is just as important as its budget or timeline. Prioritize this crucial part of project management by creating a project scope management plan template.

- [Create your template](/templates/scope-management-plan)

### Operations project plan

Operations teams strive to optimize and gain efficiency across the business, and can do the same for their own projects with our template.

- [Create your template](/templates/operations-project-plan)

### Risk management plan

Starting a project without considering risks is, well, a big risk to take. Prevent major issues from occurring in your project with a risk management plan template.

- [Create your template](/templates/risk-management-plan)

### Web production process

Let our template help you coordinate a web production schedule—even if producers and web developers work out of different tools.

- [Create your template](/templates/web-production-process)

### Business process management

Learn how a business process management template can help improve your business processes.

- [Create your template](/templates/business-process-management)

### Implementation plan

Create an implementation plan template to break down your business goals into manageable, achievable steps.

- [Create your template](/templates/implementation-plan)

### RFP process

Use our template to prepare an RFP, then organize and evaluate the responses—all in the same place—so you can pick the best vendor for the job.

- [Create your template](/templates/rfp-process)

### Change management plan template

Is your organization starting to make some big changes? Create a change management plan template to make the process easier.

- [Create your template](/templates/change-management-plan)

### Short-term goals

Learn how reusable short-term goals templates can take your goals from vision to reality.

- [Create your template](/templates/short-term-goals)

### HR project plan

No matter the project, human resources teams can use our template to set priorities, track progress, and streamline recurring work.

- [Create your template](/templates/hr-project-plan)

### Waterfall project management

Standardize your project process with a waterfall project management template. Break your project into sequential phases that map to your end goal.

- [Create your template](/templates/waterfall-project-management)

### Marketing project plan

Our template guides you through project management best practices for marketing teams so you can get from strategy to tactics to results.

- [Create your template](/templates/marketing-project-plan)

### Status report

Keep track of project status and provide key stakeholders with at-a-glance progress updates with a project status report template.

- [Create your template](/templates/status-report)

### Sales plan

A sales plan template can help provide your team with the organized framework they need to establish their sales goals. Learn how you can do that with Asana.

- [Create your template](/templates/sales-plan)

### Event marketing plan

Use Asana’s event marketing plan template to increase event awareness, build excitement, and drive audience attendance.

- [Create your template](/templates/event-marketing-plan)

### Project initiation document

A project initiation document template is a helpful way to standardize the information you share with your team before a project begins.

- [Create your template](/templates/project-initiation-document)

### Project timeline template

Learn how to keep a project on track—and ensure success—by creating a project timeline template.

- [Create your template](/templates/project-timeline)

### Communication plan

Keep everyone on the same page and clearly communicate important information to stakeholders by creating a communication plan template in Asana.

- [Create your template](/templates/communication-plan)

### Weekly to-do list template

Clarity doesn’t have to be complicated. With a weekly to-do list template, you can create a new task list in seconds every Monday.

- [Create your template](/templates/weekly-to-do-list)

### Project documentation

Looking for documents is a giant time waster for most people—which is where a project documentation process comes in. Learn how to create a project documentation template so that you always know where documents live—for every project, company-wide.

- [Create your template](/templates/project-documentation)

### Prioritization matrix

Take the guesswork out of task prioritization by creating a prioritization matrix template. Prioritize your work by business impact and needed effort.

- [Create your template](/templates/prioritization-matrix)

### Project estimation

Create a project estimation template to accurately scope project resources and align on project expectations.

- [Create your template](/templates/project-estimation)

### Critical path method

Project delays holding you back? Create a critical path method template to visualize everything that needs to be done in order to reach your end goal.

- [Create your template](/templates/critical-path-method)

### To-do list

Organize your tasks in one place with a free to-do list template. Track what’s done, what’s next, and what matters most.

- [Create your template](/templates/to-do-list)

### Risk register

Create a risk register template to proactively identify and solve potential roadblocks before they become a bigger problem.

- [Create your template](/templates/risk-register)

### Project schedule

Complex work, simplified. Organize project tasks, deliverables, and milestones into one cohesive schedule. Learn how to create a customized project schedule template in Asana.

- [Create your template](/templates/project-schedule)

### RAID log

Learn how creating a RAID log template in Asana can help you proactively identify and mitigate project risks.

- [Create your template](/templates/raid-log)

### Budget template

Plan budgets, track expenses, and avoid surprises. Asana’s free budget templates make it easy to manage costs for teams, projects, or households.

- [Create your template](/templates/budget)

### Progress report template

Try this free progress report template to track milestones, communicate project status, and coordinate goals during each reporting period.

- [Create your template](/templates/progress-report)

### Needs assessment template

Use this customizable needs assessment template to gather data, guide decisions, and develop action plans based on real needs.

- [Create your template](/templates/needs-assessment)

### Action log template

Use Asana’s free action log template to capture decisions, assign tasks, and track deadlines. Organize action items and drive projects to completion.

- [Create your template](/templates/action-log)

### RACI matrix

Team decision-making can be hard—a RACI matrix template makes it easier. Define each project task role to instantly boost clarity for all your stakeholders.

- [Create your template](/templates/raci-matrix)

### Work breakdown structure

Get started fast with a ready-to-use work breakdown structure template that helps you stay on track and avoid scope creep.

- [Create your template](/templates/work-breakdown-structure)

### Lessons learned

Learn from every project with a free lessons learned template that’s easy to use, share, and customize. Don't just collect insights. Act on them.

- [Create your template](/templates/lessons-learned)

### Lesson plan

Use this lesson plan templates to plan faster and keep your goals, tasks, and materials in one place. So you're always ready to teach.

- [Create your template](/templates/lesson-plan)

### Project charter

Want to nail your next project pitch? Create a project charter template and outline everything you need to get your next initiative approved.

- [Create your template](/templates/project-charter)

### Event calendar template

Plan and manage events of any size with an event calendar template that keeps dates, tasks, and deadlines in one place.

- [Create your template](/templates/event-calendar)

### Keyword research template

Use a keyword research template to manage SEO data, optimize content strategy, and identify target keywords that deliver results.

- [Create your template](/templates/keyword-research)

### Comparison chart template

Simplify your next big decision. Use this comparison chart template to organize data, compare features, and make data-driven decisions faster.

- [Create your template](/templates/comparison-chart)

### Brand strategy template

Use a brand strategy template to define your mission, align your team, and create consistent, on-brand marketing campaigns.

- [Create your template](/templates/brand-strategy)

### Team charter template

Use this free team charter template to define your team's mission, values, roles, and decision-making process. Coordinate shared goals before work begins.

- [Create your template](/templates/team-charter)

### Work log

See where you're losing time and kickstart your productivity by creating a work log template in Asana.

- [Create your template](/templates/work-log)

### Assignment tracker template

Use this assignment tracker template to log tasks, set due dates, and keep assignments organized for students, educators, and teams.

- [Create your template](/templates/assignment-tracker)

### Rank tracker template

Use a rank tracker template to monitor keyword rankings, integrate data, automate reporting, and share SEO performance with stakeholders and clients.

- [Create your template](/templates/rank-tracker)

### Content strategy

Build your next campaign with a content strategy template to map ideas, assign tasks and deadlines, and track performance all in one place.

- [Create your template](/templates/content-strategy)

### Travel planner template

Keep itineraries, budgets, and documents in sync with a travel planner template that makes trip planning faster and more reliable.

- [Create your template](/templates/travel-planner)

### Research plan

Plan, organize, and track your entire project with this research plan template built in Asana for better collaboration.

- [Create your template](/templates/research-plan)

### 5 Whys template

Find the real issue with this 5 Whys template. It's free, easy to use, and built for fast, structured root cause analysis.

- [Create your template](/templates/5-whys)

### Design project plan

What’s the secret to more productive design and creative projects? A smooth creative process.

- [Create your template](/templates/design-project-plan)

### Bill of materials

Learn how a bill of materials template helps keep you organized by housing all the information needed for the successful completion of your project.

- [Create your template](/templates/bill-of-materials-bom)