We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post.
It’s no secret, having an effective method of planning makes everything easier. I recently listened to a podcast and came across this method and it’s awesome. So, of course, I wanted to share it with you. The PROM planning method is an easy way to increase your productivity dramatically.
So credit where credit is due. I heard this productivity method from Pat Flynn on the Smart Passive Income Podcast. I highly recommend listening to this episode. Pat does a great job breaking it down.
But for a quicker overview, keep reading!
The Overview
This productivity method is broken down into four components. Planning, routine, open time and motivation.
Each of these is huge when it comes to making sure that you’re as productive as possible. In this post I’ll go over what each one really is and how they work together to help you use your time effectively.
Planning
Planning might be one of the easier to understand parts of this method.
It makes sense that planning things in advance makes you more likely to do it, makes it easier to work with a team, and gives you peace of mind since you know when things are going to get done.
There is a quote in John C. Maxwell’s Developing the Leader Within that talks about how you can be doing a great job at blazing a trail with a machete in the jungle. But if you’ve neglected to make sure you’re going in the right direction, the one that will bring you to where you’re heading, it’s not helpful.
Planning is about choosing your direction.
After you’ve done that you can make sure that the things you do move you through your plan and towards your goal.
Keep this phrase in mind:
Efficiency is about doing things right, effectiveness is about doing the right things.
John C. Maxwell
You need to do both to function at your best but even if you just do the right things you’ll eventually find the right way to do them.
To learn more about how to make the most of your planning take our How to Plan Challenge.
Routine
Having a routine is something that so many people overlook but knowing what’s coming next is so helpful for us mentally as well as physically.
Our bodies function best when they are in a routine.
I’ll give you two examples.
1. you’re a parent or are around parents every once in a while you’ve probably heard “Have you got the baby settled into a routine yet?”
That’s because life gets 1000% easier for the baby and the parents as soon as a routine is established.
2. Think about a time that you stayed up later than usual or a time that you needed to wake up extra early for something?
It was hard right? That’s because it’s outside of what you’re used to.
It takes time to adjust and function properly when you’re outside of your routine.
Understanding this can make a huge impact on your productivity.
If you take the time to set up a routine your life becomes more productive since there is less resistance. You also don’t have to spend your brain power thinking “what’s next?” You just do it.
At the very least you should have a solid morning and evening routine that support good sleep, healthy eating and self care. Take a look at the posts below for some more info on how to do this.
- Related: Create an Evening Routine
- Related: Develop an Amazing Morning Routine
- Related: Task Batching: Learn to get more done!
You can also get this productivity worksheet to help you figure out how you’re currently using your time.
Open Time
This was a new one for me.
Open time is time you add into your calendar that you can use for whatever you see fit. You could also call it Q2 time.
Q2 is a concept from Steven Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and refers to activities that are important to your long term goals but aren’t considered urgent. Since they aren’t urgent they are often put off for other things that seem more demanding.
Having a designated time for you to do the things that really support your goals and creativity is amazing.
You can schedule something into your open time that you’re really looking forward to tackling and have a ton of faith that you’ll actually get to do it.
You can also go into this time with no plan at all.
With this strategy, you’ll be able to see what you feel like working on at that specific time and then just go to town.
I mentioned lowering resistance in the routine section of the post and it’s so helpful here too.
Open time isn’t time to do things you just got to do. It’s your time for passion projects, things you’re excited to try and that you think will contribute to your life.
Think reading a personal development book, working on a new aspect of your business, or taking a class.
Companies like Google have found that if we give ourselves “free” time to work towards something we WANT to do, our productivity in all parts of our work go up.
So go ahead and schedule in that you time, it’s going to make a positive difference!
- Related: Priorities: What to do and when to do it
- Related: Build your schedule around your natural energy patterns
Motivation
The hard part.
For many, motivation is the hardest part of productivity.
Honestly, I think the key to motivation is understanding the purpose of what it is that you have to do.
There have been many, many things that I haven’t looked forward to doing. But I’ve done them anyway. And the reason I did them was because I knew that it would make my life better.
If you truly believe whatever you need to do is going to make your life better you CAN find the motivation to do it. No matter how terrible the task seems before hand.
Motivation can be a bit like momentum, hard to start, impossible to stop.
So if you put in that work at the beginning you can ride the momentum for a long time. And just think about how it impacts you positively.
How will learning that new skill make your job easier?
How will building a side hustle give you more time and money to spend with your family?
If you can’t see how what you’re trying to do will make a positive change in your life, it’s probably not something you really need to do.
So don’t give up on the things that are hard but necessary but DO put aside those things that seem necessary but really aren’t. It will do wonders for your motivation.
Productivity is a Process
Learning to be productive takes some time and each of us are different so different things will work for us.
I write a lot about aspects of productivity that will help you design a system that works well for you. And I hope that this post has given you something new to try.
I know that since I’ve added open time into my schedule I’ve been able to tackle a ton of little projects that would have slipped through the cracks otherwise.
And getting those things done has made me feel more accomplished and adds fuel to my fire.
As I keep seeing improvements and getting to check things off the to-do lists and the #lifegoals, I feel better and better about putting in the work. It also brings down that resistance so it gets easier and easier to keep doing the things that make sure a big, positive difference in my life.
If you liked this post check out my eBook, a comprehensive guide to all the planning basics.
