Real-life examples of using the Eisenhower Matrix in a to-do list

Everyday examples of using the Eisenhower Matrix in a to-do list

Let’s skip theory and go straight into how this looks in real life. When people search for examples of using the Eisenhower Matrix in a to-do list, what they actually want is: “Show me what goes where, with real tasks, not abstract ideas.” So let’s do exactly that.

Imagine it’s a typical weekday. Your raw to-do list looks like this:

• Finish client report (due tomorrow)
• Answer Slack messages
• Book dentist appointment
• Scroll LinkedIn (habit)
• Prep slides for next week’s team meeting
• Pay electric bill (due today)
• Call mom back
• Fold laundry
• Plan meals for the week
• Check TikTok/Instagram
• Renew car registration (expires in 2 weeks)
• Watch another productivity video on YouTube

Right now, this is just noise. The Eisenhower Matrix helps you sort this chaos into four clear boxes:

• Urgent + Important → Do Now
• Not Urgent + Important → Schedule
• Urgent + Not Important → Delegate
• Not Urgent + Not Important → Delete (or limit)

Below are detailed examples of using the Eisenhower Matrix in a to-do list across work, home, and school so you can see how this plays out.

Workday example of the Eisenhower Matrix in action

Picture a busy Tuesday at work. Your brain is juggling meetings, messages, and deadlines. Here’s one example of how a knowledge worker might map their tasks into the matrix.

Quadrant 1: Urgent and important (Do Now)

These are tasks with real deadlines or consequences if you ignore them.

From your list:

• Finish client report (due tomorrow) – This directly affects your job performance and a real deadline.
• Pay electric bill (due today) – Losing power would be… not ideal.

In a work context, other examples include:

• Fixing a production bug that’s breaking the website.
• Preparing for a presentation that’s happening this afternoon.
• Responding to a time-sensitive email from your manager about a decision that affects the whole team.

These are the tasks you block time for today, ideally when your energy is highest.

Quadrant 2: Not urgent but important (Schedule)

This is where your long-term success lives. Researchers often point out that planning and reflection time reduce stress and burnout over time. The American Psychological Association notes that proactive time management habits are linked to better well-being and lower stress levels (APA).

From your list:

• Prep slides for next week’s team meeting – No one is screaming about it yet, but your future self will thank you.
• Renew car registration (expires in 2 weeks) – Important for legal and financial reasons, but not on fire today.
• Book dentist appointment – Health is important, even if the calendar reminder isn’t flashing red.
• Plan meals for the week – Saves money, reduces stress, and helps you eat better.

Other real examples of Quadrant 2 tasks:

• Learning a new skill that will matter for your career next year.
• Exercise or physical activity (the Mayo Clinic highlights regular exercise as a long-term health booster, not a last-minute emergency fix: Mayo Clinic).
• Weekly planning and reviewing your goals.

These are the tasks you protect on your calendar. You don’t wait until they become urgent.

Quadrant 3: Urgent but not important (Delegate or minimize)

These tasks feel urgent because someone or something is pinging you, but they don’t necessarily move the needle on your goals.

From your list:

• Answer Slack messages – Some might be important, but many are just noise.
• Call mom back – Time-sensitive emotionally, but may not need to happen this minute. You could schedule a call later.

Other examples of Quadrant 3 tasks at work:

• Most meeting invites where you’re not a decision-maker.
• Many emails marked “high priority” that don’t actually matter to your main outcomes.
• Quick favors from coworkers that interrupt your deep work.

These are the tasks you:

• Delegate when possible.
• Batch together into a short time block.
• Politely say no to, or reschedule.

Quadrant 4: Not urgent and not important (Delete or limit)

These are your time leaks. They’re not evil, but they quietly eat your day.

From your list:

• Scroll LinkedIn
• Check TikTok/Instagram
• Watch another productivity video on YouTube

Other examples include:

• Constantly refreshing news feeds.
• Checking email every 5 minutes “just in case.”
• Random web browsing that doesn’t support your goals or real rest.

You don’t have to eliminate all of these forever. But you decide when and how much, instead of letting them decide for you.

Home and family examples of using the Eisenhower Matrix in a to-do list

Work is only half the story. Here’s a home-focused example of using the Eisenhower Matrix in a to-do list for a busy parent on a Saturday.

Raw Saturday list:

• Grocery shopping
• Kid’s school project (due Monday)
• Deep clean the garage
• Fix a leaking faucet
• Schedule annual physical
• Respond to neighborhood group chat
• Watch three episodes of a show
• Meal prep for the week
• Order birthday gift for friend (party tomorrow)
• Organize old photos

Now, sorted into the matrix:

Urgent + Important (Do Now)

• Kid’s school project (due Monday)
• Order birthday gift for friend (party tomorrow)
• Fix a leaking faucet (could cause damage if ignored)

Not Urgent + Important (Schedule)

• Schedule annual physical (health again — important, not screaming yet)
• Meal prep for the week
• Grocery shopping (you may schedule this for a set time)

Urgent + Not Important (Delegate/Minimize)

• Respond to neighborhood group chat (feels time-sensitive, but usually not deeply important)

Maybe you:

• Reply quickly but briefly.
• Or check it once in the evening instead of all day.

Not Urgent + Not Important (Delete/Limit)

• Watch three episodes of a show
• Organize old photos
• Deep clean the garage (this can move to a future planning list unless there’s a specific reason it’s urgent)

Notice how this parent’s best examples of Quadrant 2 (meal prep, physical, grocery planning) quietly support lower stress for the entire week. The National Institutes of Health often highlight that planning and routines support better mental health and lower anxiety (NIH). The Eisenhower Matrix simply gives you a visual way to protect that planning time.

Student-focused examples of using the Eisenhower Matrix in a to-do list

Students are constantly bombarded with “urgent”: notifications, assignments, social plans. Here’s a college student example of how to use the matrix.

Raw list for Sunday:

• Study for midterm (in 3 days)
• Start long-term research paper (due in 3 weeks)
• Reply to group chat about tonight’s plans
• Watch random YouTube videos
• Do laundry
• Email professor about assignment question
• Scroll social media
• Update resume for summer internship
• Clean dorm room

Sorted into quadrants:

Urgent + Important (Do Now)

• Study for midterm (in 3 days)
• Email professor about assignment question (so they have time to reply)
• Do laundry (you’re out of clean clothes for the week)

Not Urgent + Important (Schedule)

• Start long-term research paper (due in 3 weeks)
• Update resume for summer internship

These are classic Quadrant 2 tasks: not screaming, but directly tied to grades and career.

Urgent + Not Important (Delegate/Minimize)

• Reply to group chat about tonight’s plans

You might:

• Reply once with a clear answer.
• Mute the chat afterward.

Not Urgent + Not Important (Delete/Limit)

• Watch random YouTube videos
• Scroll social media
• Over-cleaning the dorm room as a form of procrastination

These examples of using the Eisenhower Matrix in a to-do list show students how to avoid the classic trap: spending all day in Quadrant 4 and then cramming in Quadrant 1 at midnight.

Digital-life examples: Email, notifications, and social media

In 2024–2025, a lot of our “urgent” stress comes from screens. Here are real examples of using the matrix just for digital tasks.

Urgent + Important

• Security alert from your bank about suspicious activity.
• Email from your boss asking for a quick decision that affects today’s work.

Not Urgent + Important

• Unsubscribing from spam that clutters your inbox.
• Setting up two-factor authentication.
• Creating rules/filters in your email to reduce noise.

Urgent + Not Important

• App notifications from every social platform.
• “Limited-time offer” emails for sales you don’t need.

These examples include things that feel urgent because they flash and buzz, but don’t actually matter.

Not Urgent + Not Important

• Clicking every recommended video.
• Doomscrolling news late at night.

Using the Eisenhower Matrix here might mean:

• Turning off non-essential notifications.
• Checking email at set times instead of all day.
• Deleting apps from your home screen.

Again, these are examples of using the Eisenhower Matrix in a to-do list that’s more digital than physical, but the logic is the same.

How to turn your messy list into an Eisenhower Matrix (step-by-step)

Let’s put this into a simple routine you can repeat.

Step 1: Brain-dump everything.
Get all your tasks out of your head onto one list. Work, home, school, random “shoulds” — everything.

Step 2: Ask two questions for each task.
For every item, ask:

• Is this important? (Does it meaningfully impact my goals, health, relationships, or responsibilities?)
• Is this urgent? (Is there a real deadline or time pressure?)

Step 3: Sort into four groups.
Use the matrix labels:

• Do Now
• Schedule
• Delegate
• Delete/Limit

You don’t need a fancy app. A piece of paper divided into four boxes works perfectly.

Step 4: Time-block your day.
Start with:

• Quadrant 1: Block time for the 1–3 most important urgent tasks.
• Quadrant 2: Protect at least one block for a not-urgent-but-important task.

Step 5: Set boundaries for Quadrants 3 and 4.
Batch your emails, messages, and low-value work. Decide when you’ll do them, instead of letting them interrupt you all day.

These steps are the backbone behind all the best examples of using the Eisenhower Matrix in a to-do list you’ve seen above.

FAQ: Common questions and more examples

What are some quick examples of tasks for each Eisenhower Matrix quadrant?

Here are more everyday examples of tasks by quadrant:

• Urgent + Important: Tax payment due today, child sick and needs a doctor, project deadline tomorrow.
• Not Urgent + Important: Exercise, learning a new skill, building savings, weekly planning.
• Urgent + Not Important: Most notifications, last-minute favors that don’t align with your priorities, many meetings.
• Not Urgent + Not Important: Mindless scrolling, binge-watching out of habit, checking email constantly.

Can you give an example of using the Eisenhower Matrix for a busy Monday?

Sure. Let’s say your Monday list includes: weekly team meeting, finishing a proposal, cleaning your inbox, ordering groceries, scrolling social media, calling a friend, and setting up a budgeting app.

One example of a Monday matrix might look like:

• Do Now: Finish proposal, attend team meeting.
• Schedule: Order groceries for tonight, set up budgeting app, call friend this evening.
• Delegate/Minimize: Inbox cleaning (set a 20-minute timer instead of all morning).
• Delete/Limit: Social media scrolling until after work.

How often should I use the Eisenhower Matrix for my to-do list?

Many people use it daily for planning the next day, or weekly for a bigger-picture view. You might:

• Do a quick daily version to decide what to tackle first.
• Do a weekly version on Sunday to map out the big rocks in Quadrant 2.

The more you practice, the easier it becomes to mentally sort tasks even without drawing the boxes.

Is the Eisenhower Matrix still relevant in 2024–2025 with remote work and constant notifications?

Yes, arguably more than ever. With remote and hybrid work, there are fewer natural boundaries between urgent and not urgent. The matrix helps you:

• Protect deep work from constant pings.
• Prioritize health and relationships alongside work.
• Avoid living in your inbox.

Modern productivity research and mental health guidance both emphasize intentional focus and boundaries. The Eisenhower Matrix is a simple way to practice that.

If you take nothing else from these examples of using the Eisenhower Matrix in a to-do list, let it be this: not everything that shouts is important, and not everything important will ever shout. Your job is to give quiet, important tasks a reserved seat on your calendar — before they turn into emergencies.