Dwight Eisenhower, the 34th president of the USA, has been a subject of interest for many. And thankfully, not for something scandalous, but his work ethic. Not only he was the president behind launching NASA, DARPA, and the Interstate Highway system, but he was also a 5-star US army general and played major roles in coordinating invasions against the Nazis in Africa, France, and Germany.

How could he still achieve so much? Prioritization, not multi-tasking, was the key to Eisenhower’s work philosophy, as captured in his words, “What is important is seldom urgent and what is urgent is seldom important.” This is even more true today, where we have a constant flow of messages and notifications that we feel obliged to respond to.

What matters at the end of the day is whether we invested our time in essential work, or was it just wasted on the non-essentials. Worst is the case when non-essentials become our crutches for procrastination, as we lie to ourselves that at least we did something, but nothing meaningful comes out of those tasks.

Be it the urge to immediately reply to emails to checking Instagram intermittently, as we treat such tasks with urgency, we need to ask ourselves, “Can it wait? Am I sacrificing an essential task by prioritizing this one?” We all live in different realities and how you prioritize tasks is your choice, but all of us can benefit from a framework called the “Eisenhower Matrix”:

This 2x2 matrix, based on Eisenhower’s quote we saw earlier, helps you separate the wheat from the chaff. By labeling tasks by “Urgency” vs “Importance,” you get a clear idea of what needs your focus. It does not mean you need to give up your social life or stop napping when tired, but there is a time for everything. The best part is, you don’t even need to draw the matrix and classify tasks in quadrants. When you are planning your day, simply think about tasks as what is Urgent vs Important and prioritize (like starring a task in Kosmik Quests) the ones that pass your filter.

P.S.: As for the existential problem of feeling like we are not going anywhere in life even after doing many things, here’s some advice: In the Eisenhower Matrix, look at quadrant 2, the “Plan” category. Here, put the small steps for your life goals or things that make you feel alive, like singing, running, or a side-project, and schedule time for them, maybe every day or just on weekends, whatever works. And when that time comes, leave everything else, and give your all to your planned task. Life will not be the same again, we promise.

Try this the next time you plan your tasks, especially for life goals, and let us know how you feel. We are all in this together ✨