Agile teams face constant prioritization pressure: stakeholder requests, technical debt, bugs, and feature work all compete for sprint capacity. This Eisenhower Matrix template adapts the classic framework to agile workflows, helping product owners and scrum masters distinguish between genuinely urgent work and items that just feel urgent. Teams using explicit prioritization frameworks report better sprint predictability and higher stakeholder satisfaction.
Fix P0 production bug blocking user transactions
Production issues affecting revenue or user access override all planned work.
Resolve blocker preventing team from continuing sprint work
Dependencies that stop multiple developers multiply cost per hour of delay.
Address critical security vulnerability identified in scan
Security issues with active exploit potential cannot wait for next sprint.
Complete sprint commitment item due for demo tomorrow
Sprint commitments affect team credibility and stakeholder trust.
Clarify requirements for story blocking other team members
Ambiguity that stops progress is more expensive than time spent clarifying.
Refine and estimate backlog items for next two sprints
Well-groomed backlogs prevent sprint planning chaos and scope surprises.
Address technical debt in authentication module
Tech debt compounds—scheduling regular maintenance prevents emergencies.
Conduct user research for upcoming epic
Understanding user needs before building prevents expensive rework.
Document API contracts for cross-team integration
Clear documentation reduces coordination overhead and integration bugs.
Set up automated testing for critical user flows
Test automation prevents future urgent bugs from reaching production.
Respond to stakeholder question about feature timeline
Status updates are important but can be batched to protect focus time.
Attend optional company all-hands meeting
Company updates rarely require real-time attendance—watch recording later.
Review and comment on RFC from another team
Cross-team input matters but often has flexible deadlines.
Update Jira ticket descriptions with latest context
Documentation hygiene can happen during natural breaks.
Participate in non-blocking Slack discussion about tooling
Async discussions don't require immediate responses.
Gold-plating feature that already meets acceptance criteria
Perfect is the enemy of shipped—move on when criteria are met.
Debating which agile framework is theoretically best
Framework debates rarely improve actual delivery—focus on outcomes.
Starting unplanned work not approved by product owner
Unauthorized scope changes undermine sprint predictability.
Optimizing code performance without measured bottleneck
Premature optimization wastes time—measure before improving.
Rewriting working code for stylistic preferences
Functional code that passes review doesn't need aesthetic changes.
Save your progress and never lose track of your tasks
Tasks in this quadrant are highly important, and the deadline is right around the corner. It's like having a paper due tonight or a client's system suddenly going down. You have to drop everything else, get on it right now, and give it your full focus. This is your top priority.
This is the foundation for your long-term success. These are things that matter for your future but aren't urgent right now, like learning a new skill, exercising, or planning for next month. Because they're not urgent, they're easy to forget. What you need to do is put them on your schedule, set a fixed time for them, and stick to it.
These tasks may seem urgent, but they're not important to you. They're the kind that interrupt your flow, like unnecessary meetings or small favors others ask of you. The best approach is to let someone else handle them or deal with them quickly, and don't let them steal your valuable time.
Tasks in this quadrant are neither important nor urgent. They're purely a drain on your time and energy, like mindlessly scrolling on your phone. The best approach is simply not to do them, and save that time for the tasks in the Yellow quadrant.
"Thanks to 4todo, our hectic wedding schedule was perfectly organized."
"4todo was an indispensable helper on my long-distance hike."
"Helps me ignore the noise and focus on what moves my work forward."
Save this task list to your 4todo account and start prioritizing what matters most.
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