Plan guide
Choose the right quadrant
Separate urgency from importance before work competes for attention.
Last updated September 24, 2026
What to know
Do now (Urgent & Important) protects work with an immediate consequence. Schedule (Important & Not Urgent) protects strategic work early. Delegate (Urgent & Not Important) still needs a named owner with authority and capacity. Deprioritize (Not Urgent & Not Important) should not silently consume focus.
Do this
- 1. Ask whether delay creates a real near-term consequence.
- 2. Ask whether the work changes an important outcome.
- 3. Select the quadrant from those two answers.
- 4. Revisit the decision when circumstances change.