Implementing the Eisenhower Matrix in ClickUp with filters

Executive overview

Most productivity systems get complicated. The Eisenhower Matrix cuts through that by sorting every task on two axes: importance and urgency, producing four quadrants — Do, Decide, Delegate, Delete.

In ClickUp, you can replicate this with a single list, two custom dropdown fields, and one filtered view per quadrant. No whiteboards, no complex hierarchy.

A single ClickUp list with filtered views is all you need to run a full Eisenhower prioritisation system.

The four quadrants

1. Do — Important + Urgent: act now
2. Decide — Important + Not Urgent: schedule it
3. Delegate — Not Important + Urgent: hand it off
4. Delete — Not Important + Not Urgent: remove it

Setting up the ClickUp list

• Create one list (e.g. "Eisenhowering")
• Add two dropdown custom fields: Importance (values: Important, Not Important) and Urgency (values: Urgent, Not Urgent)
• Free plan users have a limited custom field allotment; paid plans are unrestricted
• Brain-dump all tasks into an Unsorted view before categorising

Configuring the views

• Unsorted view — filter: show tasks where Importance OR Urgency is not yet set; tasks disappear automatically once both fields are filled
• Do view — filter: Importance = Important AND Urgency = Urgent
• Decide view — filter: Importance = Important AND Urgency = Not Urgent
• Delegate view — filter: Importance = Not Important AND Urgency = Urgent
• Delete view — filter: Importance = Not Important AND Urgency = Not Urgent

Practical tips

• Filters hide tasks from a view; they do not move or delete them — the total task count stays intact
• The custom fields drive all filtering; whether they are visible in the view is optional
• Add the Do view to Favourites (and pin it) for quick daily access
• ClickUp's whiteboard view also supports a matrix layout but is more time-consuming to maintain
• Use a form view or the mobile app to capture tasks on the go before sorting them