The 7 P’s is a phrase my father instilled in me at a very young age. If there were ever any issues, he would always ask me if I had followed the 7 P’s (9 times out of 10 I didn’t –– whoops!). It goes a little something like this, "Prior proper planning prevents piss-poor performance!” Now, I ain’t the brightest crayon in the box, but utilizing the 7 P’s makes me smarter than most. Follow these simple rules to help make success come a little easier:
- Prior: This may be self-explanatory but prior means before a particular event, deadline, due date, and so on. Where many fall short is because of their lack of planning ahead of time – emphasis on 'ahead of time.' We tend to get wrapped up in life and realize that time goes by faster than we think, and unfortunately we drop the ball. So, in order to ensure your odds at success, for whatever it may be, are at their highest is to do all of the necessary planning and preparation beforehand.
- Proper: Everyone’s form of planning varies, this is where proper comes into play. My planner is my lifeline; I simply couldn't function without it. On the other hand, some people have a memory of steal trap and see writing things down as a waste of time or not even necessary. You have to do whatever works best for you. Anything from a planner, a to-do list, or just a mental note will suffice. Remember, just because it works for some doesn’t mean it will work for you. It may be trial and error figuring out the proper way for you to plan, but you have to start somewhere.
- Planning: Out of all of the 7 P’s, this is the “P” I dread the most. Planning is where you put your thoughts, dreams, ambitions, etc. into motion. Writing it down or keeping a mental note of what needs to be done is just half the task, planning is where you begin the call to action to get the task at hand started. Planning needs to be strict yet flexible. No plan is perfect so you will need to have flexibility, but it also needs to be structured to keep you in line and focused on the end goal in mind. For example, for all you crazy-busy college students out there keep this in mind. If you have homework that needs to be done over the weekend don’t just say you’ll do it on Sunday. Instead, set aside a specific block of time to allow yourself to be fully focused on that particular assignment. This will get you in the healthy habit of exercising your time wisely!
- Prevents Piss-Poor Performance: I combined the final 4 “P’s” together for simplicity sake. The whole reason why you plan properly and prior to a specific time is to prevent a not-so-good outcome. Wishing and hoping to be successful won’t get you anywhere. You have to figure out what you want and plan in a way that best fits you, as stated above. If you are going to exhaust the effort and time to do something, surely you want the best outcome possible. To get the best results, you have to be dedicated in exemplifying the 7 P’s.
A lot of people shy away from planning because they don't feel the need to put in the extra effort and time that it takes; however, if you don't use the 7 P’s you still may be using that energy fixing or correcting mistakes that could’ve been prevented if you were more devoted at the beginning. Happy planning to all!
