Eisenhower Matrix Priority Planner Spreadsheet

About this template

This Eisenhower matrix spreadsheet does the part most priority tools skip: it adds up what each quadrant is costing you. It is for anyone with too much on the list who wants to see, in hours, where the week is actually going, including people who reach for an ADHD planner because a plain to do list stopped working.

Please read: This is a tracker tool only, not financial, tax, legal, medical or any other professional advice or advisory service. It records and calculates what you enter; you are solely responsible for checking all figures, rates, dates and results and for every decision you make. By purchasing, downloading or using it, you accept these terms (your statutory consumer rights are not affected).

Two questions, and the quadrant follows

For each task you answer only two things: is it urgent, and is it important. The urgent important logic does the rest. Do First, Schedule, Delegate or Drop is calculated from those two yes/no columns and color-coded, so nothing lands in the wrong box because it was dragged there by mistake.

• Room for 60 tasks in the matrix
• Do First in red, Schedule in blue, Delegate in amber, Drop in gray
• Eight areas for every task: health, money, home, work, learning, people, admin and fun

The areas matter more than they look. They let you notice when every Do First item is work and nothing at all is health.

Hours per quadrant, across the top

Add the minutes each task takes and the priority matrix totals all four quadrants in hours, right along the top of the sheet. That is the figure that changes how a week gets planned. In the worked example, the Drop quadrant alone is eating 350 minutes a week, time spent on things that were already judged not worth doing.

Tasks, Today and the dashboard

Once a task has been decided, it moves into the rest of the workbook.

• Tasks: a task tracker for up to 250 tasks, organized by area and priority
• Today: the day's list, put together for you
• Dashboard: reads the matrix and the task list together
• Start Here and Setup: a short walk through setup, and where your areas live

A filled copy and a blank one

You get the planner filled in with eighteen real tasks, including that costly Drop quadrant, so you can see how it behaves before typing anything. A blank copy is ready for your own list. Both come in Excel and in Google Sheets.

Works with

• Microsoft Excel 2016, 2019, 2021 and Microsoft 365, on Windows and Mac, and LibreOffice
• Google Sheets with a free Google account. The Google Sheets version is a real workbook you copy, not a PDF with a link in it.
• No dynamic arrays, no macros, no add-ins and no subscription

What you download

• Two Excel files: the worked example and a blank copy
• The instruction guide, which has one-click links to the Google Sheets versions
• The terms of use as a PDF

Your files are ready the moment payment clears. The planner is for personal use on your own devices, so please do not share or resell the files. Questions before or after you buy? Reach us through our contact page.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need Excel, or can I use Google Sheets?

Either works. The download has Excel files for Excel 2016 or later on Windows and Mac, and the instruction guide has one-click links to copy the Google Sheets versions with a free Google account.

Do I have to drag tasks into the quadrants?

No. You answer two yes/no columns, urgent and important, and the quadrant is calculated and color-coded for you.

How does it work out hours per quadrant?

You enter the minutes each task takes, and the matrix totals all four quadrants in hours across the top of the sheet.

Is it useful as an ADHD planner?

It is built for anyone who feels overwhelmed by a long list. Two quick questions per task replace deciding where everything goes, and the Today tab gathers the day's tasks for you.

How many tasks does it hold?

The matrix takes 60 tasks, and the Tasks tab holds 250 tasks by area and priority.