⭕️ A time-management tool every Leader of Today needs

Hey friend,

If you’ve ever felt like you’re constantly busy but still not making progress, this one’s for you.

When I first started out, I thought the secret to success was saying yes to everything: more projects, more meetings, more opportunities. I wanted to be helpful, responsive, and involved.

But what I didn’t realize was that I was drowning in urgency.

Every email felt important. Every notification felt like it needed a response. Every opportunity felt like the last one I’d ever get.

And then came the burnout.

read time: 3 mins

Opportunities This Week

If you’re looking for more opportunities, check out our living document of 25+ opportunities here

The Tyranny of the Urgent

Of all the challenges that you confront as a young leader, nothing is more relentless than the demand of your time time. In an age of constant connectivity, the barrage of emails, notifications, and requests creates a perpetual sense of urgency, pulling attention in a dozen directions at once.

This whirlwind of activity can easily be mistaken for productivity, but it often leads to stress, burnout, and a frustrating lack of progress on the goals that truly matter.

As someone that’s eager to make an impact, escaping this trap is everything.

That’s where the Eisenhower Matrix comes in.

The Eisenhower Matrix: A Tool for Clarity

Named after Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th U.S. President and five-star general known for his legendary productivity, this matrix helps you prioritize with intention.

Eisenhower once said:

The matrix is a four-quadrant grid based on two simple criteria:

• Urgency

• Importance

Let’s break it down:

Quadrant 1: Urgent + Important (DO)

This is the stuff you must do now: crises, deadlines, emergencies. It’s necessary—but if you spend all your time here, you’ll burn out.

Quadrant 2: Not Urgent + Important (SCHEDULE)

This is where your long-term success lives: strategic planning, deep work, learning, relationship-building. These things don’t scream for your attention, but they matter most.

Quadrant 3: Urgent + Not Important (DELEGATE)

These feel pressing but don’t really move the needle. Often they serve someone else’s priorities. Think: certain emails, quick favors, low-stakes meetings.

Quadrant 4: Not Urgent + Not Important (DELETE)

This is the junk. Mindless scrolling. Endless busywork. It adds zero value.

Where Most Leaders of Today Get Stuck

The trap? Living in Quadrants 1 and 3.

We react instead of respond. We clear our inboxes before we build our vision. We attend meetings that could’ve been emails.

We’re working hard, but not smart.

The power move? Shifting to Quadrant 2.

This is where:

• You build relationships before you need them

• You work on your goals before they become emergencies

• You train, reflect, and grow

Time for Q2 won’t magically appear. You have to make it.

How to Use the Matrix

1. List your tasks – Dump everything that’s taking up space in your brain or calendar.

2. Sort by quadrant – Ask: Is this urgent? Is this important? Be honest.

3. Take action:

   • DO Q1 tasks immediately.

   • SCHEDULE Q2 tasks (put them on your calendar!).

   • DELEGATE Q3 (or say no politely).

   • DELETE Q4.

Pro tip: Try doing this weekly, on a Sunday or Monday morning. It'll transform your week.

Why This Matters

When I started using this tool, I realized something hard:

I was doing a lot of things that didn’t actually matter.

Yes, I was busy. But I wasn’t being intentional.

This matrix helped me:

• Protect my time

• Say no without guilt

• Focus on what matters

And slowly, the burnout faded. The progress came back.

If you’re feeling stretched thin or stuck in constant motion, try this. Your future self will thank you.

My friend, it’s summer time here in Canada and I have set some goals to spend time Quadrant 2 tasks. One of those tasks is moving to a new email server to improve our deliverability and content. Over the next few weeks, you will receive an email from [email protected] giving you some instructions about migrating and your subscription. Till then, would love to hear from you: what’s a Quadrant 2 task you plan to do this summer?

Sending you good vibes my friend,

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