Stop Juggling, Start Thriving

Deliver great work for clients while consistently building your pipeline. Use this matrix in 4todo to protect time for business development and end the feast-or-famine cycle for good.

DO FIRST

  • Meet urgent client deadline for a project milestone

    This is your core deliverable and directly tied to income. It's the definition of an urgent and important task.

  • Address critical feedback from a key stakeholder on a current project

  • Prepare for a make-or-break client presentation tomorrow

PLAN THIS WEEK

  • Publish a thought leadership article on LinkedIn

    This builds your brand and attracts inbound leads. Schedule this consistently to avoid the 'feast or famine' cycle.

  • Develop a new, scalable service offering

  • Have a virtual coffee with a promising potential client

DELEGATE

  • Respond to a non-urgent inquiry from a past client

    This feels urgent but can wait a few hours. Batch these communications to protect your deep work blocks for billable hours.

  • Perform administrative tasks like invoicing and expense tracking

  • Attend an industry webinar with no direct client application

SKIP IF NEEDED

  • Endlessly polishing a presentation that is already 'good enough'

  • Scrolling through LinkedIn for hours without a clear networking goal

  • Over-researching a topic that is not billable or strategic for your brand

checklist

That's a lot to remember!

Save your progress and never lose track of your tasks

✓Based on the Eisenhower Matrix framework
✓The task list and priorities are clear at a glance
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How to Use the Priority Matrix

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Start with Red (Important + Urgent)

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.

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Schedule Yellow (Important + Not Urgent)

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.

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Delegate Blue (Not Important + Urgent)

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.

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Skip Gray (Not Important + Not Urgent)

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the biggest challenge for consultants that the matrix solves?

The biggest challenge is the 'feast or famine' cycle. The matrix provides a visual reminder to dedicate time to Quadrant 2 (Important/Not Urgent) activities like business development and marketing. This ensures a steady pipeline of work, so you're not just reacting to your current client's demands.

How should a consultant use the 'Delegate' quadrant?

For a solo consultant, 'Delegate' (Quadrant 3) can mean automating, outsourcing, or batching. Use tools to automate invoicing. Hire a virtual assistant for administrative tasks. Batch all your email responses into one or two blocks per day. This frees you up for high-value, billable client work.

How can I say 'no' to client requests that are 'Urgent but Not Important'?

Reframe the conversation around value. Instead of a flat 'no,' say something like, 'That's an interesting idea. It falls outside the scope of our current project, but I'd be happy to scope it as a new initiative. In the meantime, my priority is delivering [the important task] for you.' This respects their idea while protecting your focus on the agreed-upon important work.

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Ready to Get Organized?

Save this task list to your 4todo account and start prioritizing what matters most.

  • ✓Organize tasks using the proven Eisenhower Matrix method
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  • ✓Track progress and stay motivated
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