Time Management 101: The Priority Matrix

The Priority Matrix

You’ve heard the phrase, “The Tyranny of the Urgent”. Perhaps you live that phrase every day. I hope not. Let me introduce you to ‘The Priority Matrix’. I honestly don’t remember where I learned this, and it’s quite possible you’ve seen it before, but need a gentle reminder of it’s relevance to your ministry and daily life.

Here’s a brief description of each quadrant:

• Quadrant #1 – Urgent/Important
  This quadrant demands attention now. These are things that need done now or within the next few hours. They are also things that are a vital part of ministry. For example, a church member was in a terrible car accident. It may be both urgent and important that you initiate whatever care steps you have in place, including possibly setting aside a chunk of your day to care for the family.

• Quadrant #2 – Not Urgent/Important
  This quadrant is perhaps the most important quadrant of your day, week, and month . . . and the one that is likely least attended to. It represents the important things that you need to do eventually. There is no practical urgency to get them done so we tend to put them off until it’s either too late to do them, or they become a Quadrant 1 activity – in which case it probably won’t get done properly. The ‘Tyranny of the Urgent’ dictates that you never do anything in this quadrant. Quadrant 2 activities might include strategic planning, developing or creating systems to better serve the church, honoring and appreciating your volunteers, and relationship building.

• Quadrant #3 – Urgent/Not Important
  This quadrant is where most people live, unfortunately. There is little value in the tasks that are completed in this quadrant. They seem very important to accomplish, but usually aren’t. They also tend to have a sense of urgency to them. A good manager of time spends less than 10% of his day in this arena. Examples of common Quadrant #3 activities include unnecessary interruptions from other people and emails.

• Quadrant #4 – Not Urgent/Not Important
  This quadrant falls into the category of the wasteful use of your time. It basically includes tasks that will add little to your life or ministry. Please note this one important distinction: genuine rest and relaxation that actually fills your physical and emotional tank should not be considered a quadrant 4 activity. Examples may include excessive tv/games, surfing the internet, social media, etc.