Before we praise the Eisenhower Box, let’s credit the man behind it.
Dwight D. Eisenhower was a U.S. general in World War II—yes, the D-Day guy—and later served as President. He’s often joked about for loving golf, but beyond the jokes he had some smart productivity habits. He also played poker and bridge for hours, which meant if he wanted both a social life and big responsibilities, he had to be good at delegating.
Ready for some of Cubert’s Rich People Skills? Here’s the crux:
The Not Urgent/Not Important “Delete” quadrant is obvious. TV, scrolling social media, and sorting junk mail are time sinks. You could add waiting in the drive-thru for a 20-piece nugget or obsessively checking news sites for the latest nonsense. It’s easy to spin your wheels on things that waste time. The Eisenhower Box won’t fix everything, but it reminds you what truly matters so you can prioritize and get more done.
We’ve already covered the easiest quadrants: “Do” and “Delete.” Want to get good at this? Focus on “Decide” and “Delegate.” Put things like exercise, relationships, and learning in the “Decide” box—these are discretionary but deeply important. “Do” is for the must-dos. Ideally, the “Decide” box holds a few lasting, habit-forming tasks that make life better and help prevent regrets. Honestly, how many of us would improve just by scheduling time to call family? I know I would.
Picture Eisenhower: he loved poker, became a bridge master, and adored golf so much he painted his balls black to find them in snow. Clearly, he needed to delegate. And not just to find a good caddy.
While I think “Decide” is the most important, “Delegate” is often the hardest. Frugality makes many of us avoid delegation—we mow the lawn, change the oil, do our own taxes. Being handy is great, but time is limited. Prioritizing what’s in your “Decide” box might mean letting go of some DIY tasks.
In office life, delegation is a blessing but also a trap. The best leaders aren’t afraid to jump in when needed—they’ll roll up their sleeves for their team. But you need balance. Some managers throw everything off to others; some do their team’s work themselves. Neither is ideal.
The best manager: strikes the right balance—delegates to the team but helps when someone’s new, struggling, or resistant.
The workaholic (the Martyr): doesn’t trust the team and does everything themselves, so no one grows.
The worst: hands off every task and never volunteers to help.
If everyone at work took five seconds each morning to read that idea, imagine how much nonsense we’d avoid. The Box works because it’s simple—four squares that clearly show what to focus on and what to ignore. That idea sits at the heart of the E-Box.
Think about your home life: kids want to read with Mom or build Legos with Dad, but Daddy is on Twitter and Mommy is on Facebook, thinking that’s the most important thing right now. In reality, building memories with your kids is urgent.
Nobody’s perfect and very few of us nail productivity all the time. But if you need help cutting through the noise, try this simple tool. It might help you earn a promotion or make progress toward a big goal like early retirement. You won’t know until you try.