A PMM's Productivity System

There’s a certain chaos that comes with being a Product Marketing Manager.

You’re in the middle of it all — messaging, launches, enablement, content, feedback loops, etc. Over time, I've realized it's both tempting and exhausting to try doing everything at once.

A typical PMM's calendar.

And before you know it, you're bouncing between Slack, half-written drafts, and meetings, wondering at the end of the day, what actually got done?

Context switching is tough. And over time, I realized that without some kind of structure, I’d just keep reacting.

So I built a lightweight system using existing tools to help me stay sane and work with intention. Here’s my current productivity system. Or as I like to call it, my PMM rhythm.

Weekly rhythm:

For years now, I’ve been operating on a Friday - Friday cycle, loosely inspired by the "Weekly Review" method from David Allen’s Getting Things Done.

• Every Friday, I try to review current work and priorities with my manager. This helps clarify what’s aligned, what’s shifting, and what needs attention next week.

• First thing on Monday, I usually set aside one or two 30-minute blocks to:

  • Create a simple checklist of all the work that needs to be done.

  • Block time on my calendar for each activity.

This way, I start the week with clarity and intention instead of scrambling. Towards the end of the week, I can track what got done.

Task categorization: "Big rocks" and "Small rocks"

I find it useful to break down work into:

• Big rocks:

  • Tasks that need urgent attention, deep focus, more time, or involve multiple subtasks.

  • I try to block dedicated focus time for these on my calendar.

• Small rocks:

  • Tasks that take under 30 minutes or at most, an hour.

  • These are things I fit into calendar gaps or work on them during slightly lower-energy parts of the day.

A to-do list categorized into "Big rocks" and "Small rocks".

The idea of "Big rocks" comes from Stephen Covey’s productivity advice. Put in the important stuff first, and let everything else fill the gaps.

And if a task takes under two minutes to complete, like sharing a document, replying to a message, etc., I try to do it right away and move on.

Calendar as a commitment tool

I'm being more intentional about blocking time for actual work, not just meetings. If something matters, I block time for it. If it’s on the calendar, it’s getting done.

To be clear, this system doesn't magically make me the most productive professional. But it helps me find clarity when I’m juggling too much.

It helps me make progress instead of just staying busy, and importantly, it helps me take control of my time.