Priority Matrix 101 – Onboarding & User Manual

In this post, I’ll walk you through all the basic things you need to get started with Priority Matrix by Appfluence. If you want a detailed overview of Priority Matrix features, check these out:

• Priority Matrix for iPad & iPhone
• Priority Matrix for Windows (+Team)
• Priority Matrix for Mac (+Team)

Video overview of Priority Matrix.

Priority Matrix is a software tool based on the 4-quadrant paradigm. Priority Matrix improves your life by solving 3 problems:

1. Prioritization. So that you work on things that matter.
2. Organization. Keeping your information synchronized and accessible anywhere and anytime.
3. Ease of use. Providing you features and visual tools that let you work on projects and task easily, quickly, and frictionlessly.

Priority Matrix is structured the same across all its platform. At its heart, there are 3 core things.

1. List of projects. You separate lists and responsibilities into each project.
2. The 2×2 matrix. The matrices provide a visual way for you to prioritize. The common language is that any items on the upper left are considered critical and needs to be done now.
3. The detailed item view. This gives your tasks additional context and information such as dates, notes, and percentage completion. This can be synchronized with calendars and emails (depending on platforms).

There are several important features that makes Priority Matrix stand out among competitors.

1. The best implementation of the 4-quadrant method. You can resize quadrants. You can customize them with colors and custom labels. You can see more tasks on your screen, and still know exactly where to focus your attention and efforts.
2. The Master List view gives you a complete perspective across ALL your projects.
3. Amorphous data structure. Data can be translated in quadrant formats, to emails, to printed HTML, imported from CSV on Windows, and to import and export of pmatrix files.
4. Cross platform on iPad, iPhone, Mac and Windows. Works natively regardless of whether you are online or offline, then sync your data when you are online again.,

The 2×2 matrix (also known as the 4 quadrants). The most fundamental use for the 4 quadrants is to categorize them as graduating priorities. 

• Quadrant 1: Critical & Due Now — DO ASAP!
• Quadrant 2: Critical & Due Later — Start planning for these tasks…
• Quadrant 3: Not Critical & Due Soon — External responsibilities. These may be wasting your time. Can you avoid or get rid of these tasks?
• Quadrant 4: Uncategorized — Lets put it in my agenda, and figure it out later!

With this understanding of the goals behind the software, you can start to adapt it to your needs. Now basic usage of the app should come naturally, and here some instructions to get you started with Priority Matrix.

1. Add items: tap on an empty space to add an item. Or press the + button, which adds an item to the largest quadrant.
2. Editing items: quick tap on an item to open the detailed item view.
3. Moving items: touch and hold an item, then drag it to an appropriate quadrant. You can move it to another project by using multitouch (hold an item with one finger, and then use another finger to switch project on the iPad. or drag an item to a different project name, then drop it into one of the quadrants).
4. Marking items as completed: 3 distinct ways. Drag an item to the checkmark icon. Or change the completion percentage to 100%. Or in the detailed item view, tap on the checkmark icon.
5. Deleting items: Drag an item to the trash can. Or in the detailed item view, press the trash can button. Or on the desktop, select the items to delete, then press the trash can buttons (or keyboard shortcuts).
6. Undeleting items: press on the trash can icon, while not selecting any items, to enter undelete mode.
7. Adding notes: enter the detailed item view, then press on the notes section of an item and start typing.
8. Rapidly add items on the Mac. Press Cmd+N to add an item, type in the title, then press enter and press Cmd+N again to add another item.
9. Moving between projects. On the iPhone and iPad, simply swipe left or right to move behind projects. It’s easiest done with 2 fingers, but it’s possible with one finger as well.
10. Email out items. On the iPad, tap on the email icon. On the iPhone, tap on the toolbox icon (bottom right), then choose email. On the desktops, find the email menus.
11. Exporting pmatrix files. Pmatrix files are complete representations of the matrix using our proprietary format. It allows you to share the exact matrix that you have to colleagues. On the iPad, go to “list options”, then choose export. On the iPhone, tap on the toolbox, then choose export list. On the desktop, look in the File menus for exporting options.
12. Importing pmatrix files. On the mobile devices, you can open them directly from a website through Safari, or directly through email. Just tap on the pmatrix file and choose “Open in Priority Matrix.” On the desktop, go to File and choose to import the pmatrix files.
13. Syncing. Sync works by using credentials you create with our company, which includes your email and password. Entering this credential on all devices that runs Priority Matrix will allow you to keep those devices synchronized. Just manually press the sync button whenever you want to upload local changes and download the latest data. It’s best to sync often to maintain consistent data across all your devices.

There are many other features to Priority Matrix that should be self discovered. Here are links to the FAQ, how to use sync, discussion of why Priority Matrix is a great way to manage your to do list, and demonstration of Priority Matrix for Mac, Priority Matrix for iPad.