Too Much To Do? Choose What Matters Most!
Learning Goals:
- Learn new words about making decisions and prioritizing tasks.
- Talk about how you decide what to do first when you have a lot to do.
- Read about a helpful tool for deciding what’s important.
- Listen to someone talk about how they use this tool.
- Write about how you can prioritize your own tasks.
Key Words:
- Prioritize: To choose the most important things to do first.
- Urgent: Something that needs to be done right away.
- Important: Something that has a big effect on your life or goals.
- Eisenhower Matrix: A tool that helps you decide what tasks are urgent and important.
- Delegate: To give a task to someone else.
- Procrastinate: To put off doing something until later.
Let’s Talk About It!
- Do you ever feel overwhelmed with things you need to do?
- How do you decide what to do first? Do you do the easiest things? The hardest things? The things you like most?
- Have you ever put off doing something important? Why?
Let’s Read!
Imagine a big square with four boxes. Each box is for a different kind of task:
- Urgent and important: Do these first!
- Important, but not urgent: Plan to do these soon.
- Urgent, but not important: Can someone else do these?
- Not urgent or important: Do these later, or not at all!
This is called the Eisenhower Matrix. It helps you focus on the most important things first.
Listen and Learn!
(Teacher plays a short clip of someone explaining how they use the Eisenhower Matrix to organize their work and life.)
Talk with a Partner!
One of you is a student with too much homework and other activities. The other person helps them prioritize using the Eisenhower Matrix.
Example:
- Student: “I have a big test tomorrow, but I also have to clean my room, and my friends want to go to the movies tonight.”
- Helper: “The test is urgent and important, so study first! Cleaning your room is important but not urgent, so you can schedule that for later. The movie is not urgent or important, so maybe you can go another time.”
Homework:
Think about all the tasks you have to do this week. Make your own Eisenhower Matrix and decide which tasks you need to do first.
Extra Fun:
Make a list of the things you want to accomplish in your life (your goals). Use the Eisenhower Matrix to prioritize them and make a plan to achieve them!
