How to be More Productive at Home with this Ridiculously Simple Method

How to be More Productive at Home with this Ridiculously Simple Method

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​Be More Productive at Home or Work: How to Set Your Priorities Straight

​I figured I needed to set a few priorities. And that is where the Eisenhower decision matrix comes into play.

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​Former President Dwight D. Eisenhower was one super productive man. During his two terms in office, he launched programs that birthed the highway system, NASA and the internet. And I struggle to find time to write a blog post.

​How did he do it? And how can you apply it to your life as a mom when you’re trying to be as productive as possible from home?

​Need more help?

Read this epic post if you need more ​Time management tips for blogging 

 How to be More Productive Working from Home

​President Eisenhower prioritized his tasks in this simple method below. It is now well known as the Eisenhower box or decision matrix.

​Before you populate your To Do list, place all of your tasks within a box in the Eisenhower decision matrix.

As you know, I love Post-it notes. It’s how I schedule my week and plan my Blog Vision Board, although sometimes I use what I call the Manly Schedule. But before I put my notes on my weekly calendar, I prioritize them first. Otherwise my life is a mess, my board is filled with post it notes and I end up focusing on the wrong things!

Is this your to do list?

​What do you work on first?

​How do you know where to begin? Should I finally start writing my Thank You cards, or should I focus my time reloading Tailwind? Then I remembered this fantastic quote by someone much smarter than me:

​Below is the former President’s suggestion on prioritizing your to do list and get more done:

​Use the Eisenhower Decision Matrix

​When I am overwhelmed and I’m drowning in a sea of Post-it notes I start prioritizing them with the method below.

​Urgent & Important = things I need to do this week, like laundry, finishing a guest post or getting a post ready for next week.

​Urgent & Not Important = things I can delegate, such as Thank You cards. Maybe I can send a personal email instead? Or make and mail them through Shutterfly.

​Not Urgent & Important = these are things that are important, but they do not need to be done right now. Like buying a birthday gift for a friend or calling to catch up with grandma.

​Not Urgent & Not Important = these are things that  can be deleted or scheduled for a much later date, such as starting a new craft.

​Setting priorities seem like common sense, but if you don’t have a system to actually do it, it becomes very difficult. I tend to start working on the things that are the most fun and I put off the more tedious tasks. 

​By using this priority matrix I force myself to work on the things that are urgent and important. I get them done before I move on to my more enjoyable tasks, such as browsing Pinterest for ideas or creating beautiful images.

​Create your own Eisenhower Priority Matrix.

​On a poster board copy the visual below.

​Prioritize Your Post-It Notes

​Then write down all your tasks for the week.

Then go through your tasks and place than in the appropriate box. This is how you set your priorities.

​Get Your Stuff Done

​Final step: Complete your tasks! 🙂

​What Techniques Work for You?

​Are you trying to be more productive and set the right priorities? How do you get it all done while raising kids and keeping the home clean? Let me know how you prioritize your tasks. Do you have a system? What techniques work best for you? If you have any questions, please share them in the comments.