The Purposeful Planning Method, Chapter Two
How to Plan Your Day, Beat Procrastination, and Regain Control of Your Time
Copyright © 2019 by Matthew C. East
All rights reserved.
CHAPTER TWO
What is The Purposeful Planning Method?
"It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves."
— William Shakespeare
The Purposeful Planning Method is a specific approach for planning your time. It ensures two things:
You plan and take action on your most important priorities and tasks each day.
Each morning and evening is structured to be as productive and meaningful as possible.
The foundation of The Purposeful Planning Method is developing a clear vision for what you want to achieve each day—and then scheduling time to do it. I'll use the word "foundation" throughout this book. So, let's clarify its meaning.
foundation: the load-bearing part of a building, typically below ground level
A building's foundation performs several functions. The three most important:
It bears the load and distributes the weight of the building.
It anchors it against natural forces such as wind and rain.
It protects it from ground moisture.
Engineering the foundation properly during the initial construction ensures the stability and functionality for the building’s entire life span. Similar to how a properly engineered foundation ensures a building's success, The Purposeful Planning Method will create a foundation for your day. This foundation will help:
Bear the load of your professional and personal daily responsibilities
Anchor you to your most important long-term goals
Protect your time against unnecessary tasks, so you can pursue what's most important to you
The Purposeful Planning Method uses two layers for scheduling your time: the "Fluid Layer" and the "Habit Layer."
The Fluid Layer helps you plan and take action on your most important priorities and tasks. The definition of fluid is "able to flow smoothly." This layer is aptly named because it ensures transitioning effortlessly throughout your day from one activity to the next. The Fluid Layer changes daily based on your priorities for the day. Priorities are simply areas of your life that are important and meaningful to you. Priorities are usually projects you're focusing on at work or home, activities you want to do, or relationships you want to nurture. You achieve your priorities by completing tasks associated with them. For example, one of my priorities may be to "prepare for a client meeting tomorrow." A task associated with it could be to review notes from previous conversations with the client.
After we learn how to prioritize our time using the Fluid Layer, we’ll discover how The Habit Layer ensures each day is structured to be as productive and meaningful as possible. You'll embrace your best habits and create new routines using your Habit Layer. It ensures you spend each morning and evening intentionally. We'll learn much more about creating your Fluid and Habit Layers in the upcoming chapters.
At this point, people often ask, "Are there any shortcuts I can use? Creating two layers when planning my day seems complicated."
I understand this may seem overwhelming, especially if you:
Struggled with planning in the past
Believe you lack the time necessary for planning your day
Worry this may be too complicated or advanced
Doubt it will work with your complex schedule
Have concerns that it will reduce your amount of free time
Don't worry. Anyone can successfully adopt this approach. Including people who:
Have been unsuccessful in planning in the past
Feel like they don't have time for planning
Initially believed it was too complex
Have complicated and nontraditional work schedules
Want flexibility and ample free time in their schedule
I teach this method because I know it can work for anyone. I wish there were a way for you to achieve your biggest goals effortlessly and with zero planning. But the truth is, it requires both planning and effort to operate at your peak level. However, please don't let that stop you from adopting this method. Using The Purposeful Planning Method will take less than seven minutes a day.
After starting to use this approach for planning, I felt like I could accomplish anything I wanted. In any area of my life. However, let me be clear. I'm not the most successful or even the most productive person in the world. So, why was I compelled to create and share this method and book? I'm forty years old, and just now beginning to tap into my full potential. When I finally adopted The Purposeful Planning Method, progress toward my goals accelerated at a rate that would have been impossible to imagine before using it. I began feeling like I had a superpower for planning and executing my day.
After testing and refining this approach on my own for about a year, I started introducing it to clients to help validate its effectiveness. I wanted to see if it could help other people as much as it did me. After seeing client after client transform their life by successfully using it, I felt a sense of obligation to write this book and share it with as many people as possible. Only sharing this method with clients in one-on-one coaching sessions was limiting the number of people who could benefit from it. I firmly believe having as many people as possible who are spending their energy and time toward the projects, activities, and relationships most important to them only makes the world a better place. According to research by Psychology Today, "Progress on our goals leads to more positive emotions and more satisfaction with life. It increases our well-being. In turn, positive emotions contribute to our motivation to act." [1]
Put simply, people progressing toward their goals are happier, more fulfilled, and more likely to continue striving toward their goals. Why would we not want as many people as possible progressing toward their ambitions? That's why I want to share this information in a more scalable way than one-on-one coaching. Because I know it will help anyone who uses it to live a happier, more fulfilling life. As I watched so many people create success in their life with this approach, I began feeling a moral obligation to share this method with as many people as possible. (Quick side note: if you know someone who would benefit from the information in this book who can't afford it, email me, and I'll get them a copy.)
I mentioned previously, I’m not the most productive or successful person in the world. I’m still working toward achieving my goals every day. However, by using this method, I have been able to:
Create a thriving coaching and consulting business, built around serving amazing and aspirational clients
Cultivate an incredible relationship and marriage with my wife
Discover new places and cultures while traveling extensively
Create daily habits that support my body, mind, and well-being
Easily find time for doing deep work and urgent work
Host two popular podcasts
Feel extremely present while spending leisure time with family and friends
Approach my work with clarity and joy
The Purposeful Planning Method has been vital in helping me plan my time and pursue my goals. And I'm 100 percent confident it can help you plan your time more effectively and help you live each day with greater clarity and purpose. After all, the reason for planning and prioritizing your time is not to do more stuff each day just for the sake of doing more. It's the opposite. The purpose of planning is to identify what's most important and meaningful to you so you can use your time and energy effectively.
I've refined the Purposeful Planning Method while collaborating with high achievers from all over the world. It was developed through trial and error. And, although I believe The Purposeful Planning Method to be the most effective approach for planning your day, everything in this book is meant to be tested by you. I’m not promising each day of your life will be perfect after adopting this approach. My promise is that if you adopt this method, it will help you plan and take action on your most important priorities each day. And your mornings and evenings will be structured to be as meaningful and productive as possible.
Chapter Recap
The Purposeful Planning Method is a specific approach for scheduling your time. It ensures:
You plan and take purposeful action on your most important priorities and tasks each day
Each morning and evening is structured to be as productive and meaningful as possible
This method uses two layers for planning your time: The "Fluid Layer" and the "Habit Layer." The purpose of planning these layers is to identify what's most important to you so you can schedule how you want to use your time and energy each day.
Anyone can use this method, even people who have struggled with planning in the past.