Organizational Tips: your calendar
I joined the professional world in 1999, back when I still had this little thing I like to call ambition. For Christmas that year, my mom bought me what quickly became one of my most important possessions: my black book. Not a Heidi Fleiss-style black book, of course. I’m talking about my personal calendar:
Storage bins and spreadsheets aside, this is the #1 thing that has kept my life organized for over a decade. It may take some adjustment if you’ve never used one before, since it’s of little benefit if you don’t actually USE it daily, but it’s well worth the effort. I honestly don’t think I could function without it. I personally believe everyone, from a top level executive to a stay-at-home mom, can benefit greatly from keeping a calendar like this. Below are the key features of my black book and why I think they’re awesome.
- it zips - I stick bills in my black book, along with invitations and occasionally receipts. Having a zipper is so important, because it prevents important stuff from falling out.
- monthly pages - Each two-page spread has one month on it. Less than a month (say, a weekly calendar) is too limited for me. I like to know how the month is filling up at a glance. If I had to flip between weeks, I’d be confused almost instantly. More than a month is too compact for me. I need to have some space to write on each day.
- boxes - I buy the refill pages that have a nice border around each day (see photo above). Like a child learning discipline, I like to have boundaries. They make me feel safe. Okay, maybe that’s an exaggeration. But it does help me see which appointments are on which day, as long as I keep my writing within those boxes.
What do I write on my calendar? Everything!
- appointments
- meetings
- vacation days
- school plays
- reminders to pay bills
- reminders of calls I need to make
- dinner reservations
- parties
- weddings
- baby showers
- basically any event
- reminders of when I’m volunteering for something
- anything and everything else I could possibly need to remember
I also use highlighters to color code various things. That might be overkill, but it helps me visualize. For example:
- blue = events my kids have at school (open house, pep rallies, football games, school dances, etc.)
- green = school holidays
- orange = kids’ appointments
- pink = my appointments/meetings
- yellow = reminders to pay bills
The two most important things to remember in order for your black book to be effective are: (1) always write everything down in it and (2) look it over every single morning. I promise your life will be instantly organized if you do these two things faithfully!
Lori,
I use the calendar on my phone the exact same way. I prefer it because it will alert me and remind me repeatedly if needed.
I love hearing how you organize your life! You’re giving me some good ideas.
(AND I don’t feel so crazy for my own things that must be organized just so. Ok, so maybe this is the biggest reason I like these posts, but they make me feel good and they’re helpful!)
Thanks Lori!
I use my phone calendar for a lot of stuff too, but I think I’m going to get myself a black book
Ferne and Emily, I do set reminder alerts on my cell, but it could never replace my black book!
I get a calendar every Jan. They only last until Feb. I don’t know what it is! I just can’t stick with it.
I keep my daily to do list online on a website called tuexduex.com. When a task has been accomplished you can mark it off your list. If you don’t get it done, it rolls over to the next day. You can put things on your teuxdeux list as far out on the calendar as you want.There is an iphone app with it and so I have my list whether at home or out. It’s super simple to use, honestly, I’m not very techy.
I keep all appointments and my schedule, everything color coded on my calendar on my laptop which also syncs with my phone.
I HATE paper, so I refuse to keep piles of anything around the house. I tackle all incoming mail the day it comes in, immediately after I pull it out of the mailbox. I try not to over-think it and throw away junkmail and put my bills in a file. I go through that file and and all my receipts every Monday to process them.
This keeps me from feeling overwhelmed by all the stuff!
I’m with Darlene. Calendar on the computer (that syncs with my phone and the internet) for apointments. Teuxdeux.com for everything else.
I like to type most stuff, but for some reason, keeping a handwritten calendar just makes me happy. Besides, I don’t like Outlook and I don’t have a Mac.
I don’t have a Mac either, and I like to handwrite things. I learn by taking notes in class (lots of them)
I bought myself a black book today, and started filling everything in. I already feel more organized. There is no way I could fit all this ‘everything’ into my phone calendar
Keep the tips coming especially as they relate to using the calender, keeping household docs organized…oooh and do you have a good budget tip? Can you just be my personal organization tutor? LOL