The method of optimal relaxation to determine the eigenvalues of symmetric matrices, as proposed by Shavitt, has been adapted to solve the equation‐of‐motion problem. Matrices Z and Y are obtained by one diagonalization, while matrices A and B remain unchanged. This procedure is particularly useful for high‐dimensional or nonorthogonal bases, if one needs only the lowest transition energies. Copyright © 1979 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.