The Priority Matrix

The Priority Matrix is a simple tool I developed to help households and individuals balance responsibilities with self-care. In my practice, I’ve observed that heads of household (often mothers) tend to give up their own self-care first when life gets busy. As a result, the needs and wants of other household members come first. I created this tool to dismantle that automatic devaluation of one household member.

How to Use It

This spreadsheet has two versions: an individual Priority Matrix and a family Priority Matrix.

The head of household who typically manages the schedule can use the individual Matrix to visualize their responsibilities alongside their self-care. One easy way to start is to use the white space to the right of the Matrix to write out your full to-do list for the week, or your recurring responsibilities for the month. Then, place each item in the appropriate box in the Matrix. When things get busy, use the Matrix to decide what to prioritize.

The whole household (including kids, if developmentally appropriate) can use the family Matrix to decide together what everyone wants to prioritize, and what will need to come off the schedule if things get too busy.

You can complete both Matrices as often as once per week.