Matrix View (Eisenhower Matrix)

The Matrix View provides an Eisenhower Matrix (Four Quadrants) interface for organizing and managing your tasks based on urgency and importance. This view helps you prioritize tasks effectively by categorizing them into four distinct quadrants.

Open the Matrix View

1. Open the Task Genius View.
2. Select the Matrix navigation item in the left sidebar.
3. You will see your tasks organized into four quadrants in the right panel.

Usage

The Matrix View displays tasks in a 2x2 grid based on the Eisenhower Matrix methodology:

The Four Quadrants

• 🔺 Urgent & Important (Do First): Crisis & emergencies that require immediate attention
• ⏫ Not Urgent & Important (Schedule): Planning & development activities that are important but not time-sensitive
• 🔼 Urgent & Not Important (Delegate): Interruptions & distractions that are urgent but not crucial
• 🔽 Not Urgent & Not Important (Eliminate): Time wasters that should be minimized or eliminated

Task Categorization

Tasks are automatically categorized into quadrants based on:

Tag-Based Classification (Default)

• Urgency: Determined by #urgent tag, high priority emojis (🔺⏫), or due dates within the configured threshold
• Importance: Determined by #important tag, priority emojis (🔺⏫🔼), or important keywords (goal, project, milestone, strategic)

Priority-Based Classification (Optional)

• Urgency: Tasks with priority level ≥ 4 (configurable threshold)
• Importance: Tasks with priority level ≥ 3 (configurable threshold)

Interactions

Drag and Drop

• Move tasks between quadrants by clicking and dragging them
• Dropping a task into a new quadrant automatically updates the task's tags and priority
• Visual feedback shows successful task updates

Task Actions

• Click task: Selects the task and opens its details in the sidebar
• Right-click task: Opens a context menu with relevant actions
• Status updates: Tasks can be marked as complete directly from the matrix

Sorting

• Sort dropdown: Located in the header, allows sorting tasks within each quadrant
• Available sort options:
  • Priority (High to Low / Low to High)
  • Due Date (Earliest First / Latest First)
  • Created Date (Newest First / Oldest First)

Filtering

The Matrix View includes advanced filtering capabilities:

1. Click the Add filter button to open the filter dropdown
2. Select a category to filter by (e.g., Tag, Priority, Project, Context)
3. Choose the specific value within that category
4. Active filters are displayed as removable "pills" above the matrix (remove via )
5. Multiple filters can be applied - tasks must match all active filters to be displayed
6. Click Clear all to remove all active filters at once

Available filter categories include:

• Status
• Tag
• Project
• Context
• Priority
• Completed (Yes/No)
• File Path

Column Management

• Hide empty columns: / Option to hide quadrants that contain no tasks
• Dynamic updates: Quadrants automatically update when tasks are added, removed, or modified

Task Updates

When moving tasks between quadrants:

1. Automatic tag updates: Relevant #urgent and #important tags are added or removed
2. Priority adjustment: Task priority is updated based on the target quadrant:
   • Urgent & Important: Priority 5 (Highest)
   • Not Urgent & Important: Priority 4 (High)
   • Urgent & Not Important: Priority 3 (Medium)
   • Not Urgent & Not Important: Priority 2 (Low)
3. Metadata tracking: Quadrant information is stored in task metadata for consistency
4. Visual feedback: Success or error messages appear after task updates

Performance Optimizations

• Selective refresh: Only updates quadrants with changed tasks
• Mobile optimization: Enhanced touch interactions with appropriate delays and thresholds
• Efficient rendering: Virtual scrolling and optimized DOM updates for large task lists

Configuration

Quadrant Settings

The Matrix View can be configured through view-specific settings:

• Urgent Tag: Custom tag for identifying urgent tasks (default: #urgent)
• Important Tag: Custom tag for identifying important tasks (default: #important)
• Urgent Threshold Days: Number of days before due date to consider a task urgent (default: 3)
• Classification Mode: Choose between tag-based or priority-based classification
• Priority Thresholds: Configure priority levels for urgent/important classification

Advanced Options

• Use Priority for Classification: Switch from tag-based to priority-based categorization
• Urgent Priority Threshold: Priority level threshold for urgent tasks (default: 4)
• Important Priority Threshold: Priority level threshold for important tasks (default: 3)
• Hide Empty Columns: Automatically hide quadrants without tasks

Best Practices

1. Focus on incomplete tasks: Filter out completed tasks to simplify the view
2. Consistent Tagging: Use #urgent and #important tags consistently across your tasks
3. Regular Review: Regularly review and move tasks between quadrants as priorities change
4. Focus on Quadrant 2: Spend more time on "Not Urgent & Important" tasks for long-term success
5. Minimize Quadrant 4: Eliminate or reduce "Not Urgent & Not Important" tasks
6. Due Date Management: Set appropriate due dates to help with automatic urgency classification

Settings

You can read more about view settings on the Basic view settings page.

Specific Settings

• Hide Empty Columns: Automatically hide quadrants that contain no tasks
• Sort Option: Default sorting method for tasks within each quadrant
• Classification Mode: Choose between tag-based or priority-based task categorization