A lot of people dread looking at their calendars because it causes too much stress. But what if you LOVED your calendar—and even felt a little giddy using it?
That’s the goal of today’s post, where I’m sharing three tips that have been game-changing for me. (And if you’re feeling overwhelmed right now, this is going to help….)
Idea #1: Use One MAIN Calendar that Only Holds Appointments and Deadlines
This can be paper or digital, but the idea is to have a clear, open, beautiful calendar that feels like an empty canvas.
When we clutter our calendars with routines, unnecessary information, or lots of stuff we want to do, it feels heavy. And then we often spend way too much time shifting calendar appointments around because something gets in the way.
Keeping your calendar super simple—with only appointments and deadlines—will serve you on good days because you’ll have so much energy that you will think, “Ahh! What an open, awesome day I have ahead of me. I think I will create a masterpiece!”
But it will also help you on those low days—because you’ll think, “It’s okay. I can cancel the few things I had planned and take care of myself instead.”
If you don’t have any low days, that’s awesome, but I do. And a LOT of people do. There are about three days a month when I feel like I am walking through mud. I get cranky with Eric, I can’t process information properly, and I feel like the world is on my shoulders. (Those are the days I streamline my calendar and invest in personal replenishment. It feels good to know we can take breaks, don’t you think?)
Idea #2: Create a Second “Layer” for Calendar Triggers
If you’re using a digital calendar, this is really easy to do. You simply add a new “calendar” and assign it a different name and color. If you’re using a paper calendar, you might want to write all of your main calendar tasks in one color–and then record this second layer in another color.
My green Google calendar is my “main” calendar, and then my purple calendar is my “trigger” calendar.
I use the trigger calendar to schedule things that are flexible and personal—like naps, Pilates, calling friends on the phone, playing the piano with our children, etc.
Those things don’t have to be done at the designated times, and they don’t involve anyone else, so if my day gets a little crazy, I just turn that calendar “off,” and I can see what needs my focus.
It’s obviously important to prioritize things like rest, exercise, social activities, and family time, but having these kinds of things separate from your key appointments and deadlines gives you one more way to ease the pressure if your day turns out differently than planned.
Idea #3: Create a Single Place to Record Date-Specific (But Time-Flexible) Tasks
As we work with thousands of people throughout the world, we notice that most people have some kind of a calendar to hold appointments, but very few people have a reliable place to record time-flexible tasks that need to be done that day.
This is incredibly important because, if you’re looking for mental clarity, your mind needs to trust that you will at least see the appropriate tasks on the appropriate days.
For example, let’s say I need to email someone next Monday to set up a meeting, I need to check our health insurance on Wednesday, and I need to get cash from the ATM on Friday.
If we put those tasks on the calendar at specific times, we may skip the appointments or waste time rescheduling them because we knew they were flexible.
If we put them on one to-do list (that is continually growing), we’ll waste time and energy scanning that list over and over, looking for deadlines.
So where do we put them?
Eric creates them on his Google calendar as “All-Day Tasks,” and he has a routine to review them every single day so they don’t slip through the cracks.
I use a two-page-per day Franklin Planner, and I write these in the “task list” area. It’s typically a tiny list, so it doesn’t overwhelm me.
Then my day goes like this:
- Check my Google calendar (admire the empty canvas)
- Review my Franklin Planner (think about the best way to incorporate my date-specific tasks—and possibly pencil them into the day if I have total control over specific time blocks)
- Move through my day, balancing tasks, routines, project work, and incoming needs from my family, email, phone calls, etc.
Hopefully these ideas will be helpful to you—or maybe they’ll spark some new ideas that will work even better! Our goal is to help you to feel more organized, happy, and supported whenever you interact with us at LearnDoBecome.
Thank you for being with us! And if you have any additional ideas, comments, or questions, please share them below!
Much love,
April
Love the ideas. I already used ideas 1 and 2 (one for work related meetings/ tasks and the other for personal). I also find that since I use a digital calendar, i’ll need to switch between the weekly view to the daily view to used idea #3 (which is a waste of time and distracting).
So, to manage the tasks that are super important but with no specific deadline, I like to set up time in the day so I know I HAVE to do them, even if I have to move them around when other tasks take precedent.
Hi Beatrice! You have hit on the key here. The whole goal is to make this work for you. If you love the weekly view, and it works to schedule in all your activities, that is great! Especially if your schedule allows you to be fully in charge of your daily decisions.
I think the key is to choose the path that uses your time most wisely. If moving tasks around later (if you miss them) takes less time than switching from a week to a day view, then that is the way to go! Thanks for sharing!!
I use a digital google calendar so its on my phone, so when I am at the doctor’s office scheduling my next appointment, I can quickly see if the date and time works for me. It’s also great because I can access it from my computer also so if I get an appointment on email, I can click the link to put it on my Google calendar in one step. I also have a notes app and a tasks app on my phone (google keep for notes and google tasks for projects and non-date specific tasks). I am currently looking for a way to integrate the tasks with the calendar, so I can drag a task right onto the calendar. I’m also looking for a task or project app that lets me drag and drop projects from one slot to another when I need to re-prioritize, so I always have the top 3 current projects at the top.
Great tips, Debra! Thanks so much for sharing them with us. 🙂
If you’re an iPhone user, I use (and love!) Calendars 5 for my calendar and tasks. It works in tandem with the iPhone calendar and Reminders and can also sync with Google calendar. (It basically combines them into one app.) I can make lists, tasks with due dates, & I can choose how I want to see things. It’s much more user friendly for me and I can put Siri to work. I can also create recurring tasks which helps with routines/cleaning schedule.
Thanks for being with us!!
When I purchased Calendars 5 for my iPhone and started to set it up with my Google Calendar, it states “Calendars 5 can see, edit, share and permanently delete all the calendars you can access using Google Calendar.” Are they going to delete my Google Calendar or work with it?
Great question, Linda! It won’t delete your Google Calendar but it will work with it and sync everything together. Anything you add or change on Calendars 5 will sync in your Google Calendar and vice versa. Thanks for being with us!
Thanks for your post. Check out the app Todist. It syncs with Google Calendar, It’s flexible creating projects, tasks, notes, indicating deadlines, repeating deadlines, etc. You can also forward emails to Todist, it works with Outlook and you can use it with any device.
I see 3 calendars here and that’s 2 to many for me. I need everything in 1 place to check when I’m available for X activity or event. Having 1 calendar is a struggle because I can’t always locate it when I need it. My schedule varies daily and since I’m helping my Mom, her activities go in my calendar. How do you keep track of what you need to when things are scattered? I’m not efficient at the computer calendar and like to see things on paper where I can make notes. Do you take 3 calendars with you when you leav your office or home? Feeling overwhelmed by this and so much more. Thanks,
So glad you asked this question! Okay, so I DEFINITELY recommend one calendar for the things you HAVE to do at a specific time. That is what my green Google calendar is. But since you like paper, I would recommend one paper calendar (portable) for key appointments and deadlines. But you will want to keep it as open and simple as possible. If you are having a problem locating it, I would perhaps keep it in a purse or use a Franklin Planner that doubles as a wallet and make sure it goes with you everywhere—or at least has one resting spot in the house. The goal is to know where your calendar is at all times and to use it throughout the day.
The second calendar layer I referred to is simply a different COLOR on the same calendar. So maybe you could do appointments in Black and Routines/triggers in Blue, or something like that.
The third section of the post talks about date-specific activities. Like phone calls to make or emails to send or other flexible tasks that need to be done during the day. Having those on a list—like I have in my planner—gives me one place to look for “to do” items when I am in between appointments.
Please feel free to post follow-up questions here, and our team can help!
I carry a small calendar in my purse to schedule appointments on the go for doctors, dentists, hair and so forth. I use a good online that has a free version and paid version called Cozi calendar. You can add people so that they can see the schedule of your day. That would be a good one for your family since your children have activities. Has a menu planner and some other stuff . Check it out.
Great tips! Thanks for sharing, Tammy!
I have Cozi too! I love it!
Before I used an electronic calendar system I was always looking for my paper planner. I lost it a few times and I was in a panic – my whole life was in there! My son gave me a set of Tiles (small GPS locators – I’ve seen them at Lowes) and I just slipped it into my planner, and then I could find it with an app on my phone. I could even “call” it if I knew it was in the house but couldn’t see it. I put the other one on my keys. The battery lasts for about a year and I felt much calmer about losing these important items and developed some solid routines around these items so I don’t even need them anymore. But you could just replace them if you wanted to.
Karin, that is a GREAT idea! Thanks so much for sharing this tip and for taking the time to comment here. We’re thrilled to have you with us!!
From one Karen to another…that is brilliant! I actually have the tile I found new at a consignment store, but didn’t know what to do with it. That would be me for sure~ losing it around the house. I am new to coming up with my system, but think I may be using a notebook too. Thx for the idea.
I use a great paper planner and have appointments in the time sensitive side and tasks that need to be done – sometime on the to do side, with one, two or three in my “top Three” heading.
I like this because I can take it with me to meetings and use it at a glance – and I write in it with erasable colored pens so if something has to be changed or moved all I have to do is erase it and my day looks neater and holds what actually happened.
However, I also use my phone calendar so I always have it with me. I transfer items as they happen on to my paper calendar. I like the paper for a permanent record and my phone for the portability. This has been working well for me for a year now – and I don’t keep a separate work calendar & personal one so that is simplified.
These are great tips, Maggie! Thanks for taking the time to share here. We’re so glad to have you with us!
What paper calendar do you use? I’m so curious. Sounds like that would work well for me 🙂
Hi, I too, would love to know which paper calendar you use.
Sincerely Becca
I love the way you are using your calendars. I am using a Planner Pad combined with a shared digital calendar so my husband and I can keep track of essentials for each other like medical appointments, vet appointments, and car appointments.
The Planner Pad, though, is my brains. I transfer all of my appointments (and my husband’s) as well as work appointments/meetings/calls to the Planner Pad. I use the Weekly Activities for my weekly to dos (home, phone, out and about, etc). It’s been a work in progress, but now it’s almost second nature.
Hi, April– I am a 72 year old retired first grade teacher, who is also ADHD. What is the easiest to use electronic calendar for me if I’m used to using paper calendars? I need to to coordinate events, appointments, birthdays, medicine reminders, family matters. I am computer savvy. Thanks for all your help! Luci Vasseur
Hi Luci! Google calendar is a great one to start with! It’s free and it has lots of helpful features. If you have a smartphone, the calendar preinstalled there is another great option. 🙂
Susan, I’m a paper gal too! Love my Happy Planner. They have a few different dashboards, but for this model their 3 square one would be perfect! The days are in columns and there are 3 boxes below each day heading. I use the top for overall work deadlines. The second becomes my added task or projects to pay attention to. Then the final box is personal and family. If we have hard fast deadlines or appts they get put in the box. The floating tasks go in the side bar lined area as important items for the week. The Happy Planner has a few different sizes so they can be small in your purse or large for a desk format! https://www.thehappyplanner.com/
My daughter introduced me to the Happy Planner and I love it! The vertical view you describe makes it so much easier for me to organize and I love that I can purchase add-ins that allow me to personalize specifically to my situation. I cannot say enough how much I love the Happy Planner calendars!!
How do you merge these calendars with you context specific task lists? For example getting cash from the ATM on Friday would normally be on your errand list . Thx!
Great question, Audra! Idea #3 is referring to a list rather than an actual calendar. The key is to have one single place to write those things down & then create a routine to check them on a daily basis. Eric keeps his electronically; April writes hers in her paper planner. As you review them each day, you then transfer the task to your Context Based Next Actions list in the appropriate category.
April explains it this way in another comment, “The third section of the post talks about date-specific activities. Like phone calls to make or emails to send or other flexible tasks that need to be done during the day. Having those on a list—like I have in my planner—gives me one place to look for “to do” items when I am in between appointments. ”
Please feel free to post follow-up questions here, and our team can help!
Is the context next action list a daily list or a weekly list? Mine is pretty full for one day but I’m using a 3.5 “ by 9” notepad piece of paper (easy to put in my purse or stick in my planner etc) .
Also – where do you put the current steps you want to work on for the 7-8 projects we’re working on? Does April put them on her two page planner or somewhere else? And if on her 2 page planner – under what heading?
Thanks- julie
Great question, Julie! The Context Based Next Actions list (CBNAL) is a weekly list. The current step for the projects you’re working on also goes on that list. This post (https://learndobecome.com/2minute-tour/) explains in detail how April uses her planner in conjunction with her CBNAL.
Please feel free to post follow-up questions here, and our team can help!
My husband and I use Cozi. Is there a way to use ideas 1 & 2 on Cozi? Should I just use the note function for idea #2?
Linda,
Great question! I use Cozi as my primary calendar, and I then feed my work calendar (google) into Cozi. You can create a calendar within Cozi for each family member, business, etc. but it does not allow you to “layer” them. You can choose to view “all” or choose to just view one at a time. This doesn’t work well for idea #2. I like to print out a weekly calendar that I map out my time on for that specific week which includes when I go to the gym, errands, etc. I LOVE Cozi in that I can print off a week and month at a time for my family to see what is on our agenda, but it does have some setbacks. I hope this helps!
Cozi’s list has an option to put a date in front and it will show up in the calendar. I use this to make sure rx’s are refilled, and for other minimal tasks as well.
Can you please explain one day tasks? Do you mean that day or any day. Again what is on this? Did you described this as a task list? Is it location based or is that different? I use 1 calendar as a working calendar and another as definitive – only what actually is a firm appointment or deadline to give me pece and realism. If I use another as a working calendar I know it’s just for planning. I do have too many calendars and hoping to customize one based on what works next year.
Hi Mindy! The one-day tasks are JUST for that day. Sometimes I segment that list (quiet time tasks up top, tasks with kids in the middle, Errands at the bottom), but it is usually a short list. My flexible, weekly Next Actions list is location based. For more details on my full planner, there is a post called “My Two-Minute Planner Tour” in the productivity section!
Thanks for the reminder to layer my calendar. I use electronic and am still learning so I was just lumping every thing on one layer. Now I see where to tell which calendar an item is on and can simplify my appointment scheduling. Thanks for being here for us.
how do you layer on google calendar. i also have 1 layer. i do have different colors assigned to my 4 member family, but their colors don’t show up.
Hi Rita! Thanks for your question. Google Calendar has a few options. You can create events that are different colors. These may or may not show through depending on which app you are using to view the calendar. You can also create a separate calendar for each person and then choose whether to turn it off or on in the settings. Again, this depends on which app or device you are using to view the calendar. A quick Google search can usually turn up a few tutorials on how to make it work. Feel free to contact us at [email protected] with other questions and our team will be happy to help!
Love the info you share. I started with the central spot to have my files. I’m gonna work on the calendar. The problem is sometimes I like to write things down and sometimes I like to use the cellphone calendar. I love listening to your mini seminars. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks so much for the kind words, Ann Marie! I totally understand the struggle between digital and paper. 🙂 Wishing you the best as you figure out which habits work best for which functions of your life. So glad you’re here with us!
Hi April,
Great ideas here…Do you use the compact or the classic size Franklin planner?
Thank you 🙂
Hi Tausha! We actually have an entire post about April’s planner. Check it out here! https://learndobecome.com/2minute-tour/
Thanks so much! I also use a Franklin Planner. Where do you put projects to be done? I want to keep track of upcoming projects for the year. We are working on our house and have to be strategic in our planning.
Kim
I currently keep mine in Asana as digital projects, but when I used only paper resources, I had a tab at the back of my planner where I kept a list of my current projects, and then I had another sheet of paper behind that one listing projects that were next in line. Hope that helps!
Hi April,
I ended up setting up my projects in KanBanFlow after reading through you post on it and listening to your tutorials. Did you switch from KanBan to Asana? If so, why? Is Asana better at certain things than KanBan is? And if you use both, what do you put in one, vs. another? I really tried to research before choosing one of these because I’ve seen/heard both mentioned through blog posts. Now I’m feeling lost again!
Hi Krys! So sorry for the confusion. I’m adding a note on the KanBan Flow one letting people know I use Asana now. KanBan is great and super simple, plus I liked the colors. 🙂 But Asana is more user friendly and allows us to easily add in attachments, work with team members, etc. It’s my new go-to. If you aren’t too far into KanBan, I would switch over to Asana. The free version is awesome. That’s what I use…. We’re excited for you and appreciate your feedback!!
Hi April, I am a busy corporate manager by day with 3 teens. Lots to plan! My business meeting calendar is in outlook. No room for more and my to do list at work each day is long. Do you suggest I keep family planning separate from work?
I think it’s a great idea to keep business and personal separate enough that you don’t feel confused when you’re selecting an item to work on. If your business calendar is full–and the house are totally separate from your family hours, you could definitely keep the calendars separate. You just want to make sure there is zero overlap–so you don’t have to look at TWO calendars. And I’m not sure if you’ve gone through our STEP program yet, but that will help to make your to-do list feel less long. 🙂 So glad to have you here!!
Hello
you speak about triggers. what does that look like? what are some examples of triggers? please elaborate.
rebecca
Great question, Rebecca! April actually shows a screenshot of her digital calendar here: https://learndobecome.com/2minute-tour/. Look for the section titled “My Google Calendar”.
Essentially a trigger is a reminder that happens on a specific day. Maybe it’s someone’s birthday & you want to give them a call…you’d create a trigger to remind you. It’s date specific but not a time specific appointment.
Please feel free to post follow-up questions here, and our team can help!
I’ve been receiving your emails for almost a year, but never had a moment to read a single one until last night. 13 hours later, both my inboxes are at 0, and I have asana all set up. Tackling figuring out Evernote next, because I think that would be really helpful. THANK YOU!
Re: calendars, I’m good with #1. Number 2 feels a little superfluous to me, and I’m still thinking through whether I need those kinds of daily reminders…. just feels like too much. But I have a key question about #3: I have a long list of small tasks that need doing, much more than I could fit in a day. They’re not project-based, or routine-based. Where do I keep that growing list of small tasks until I can assign them to a day? Perhaps the trick is to get them done and whittled down as soon as possible, so I can start with a clean slate? I’m not sure I understand how to keep them *somewhere* that isn’t just an endless list I extract from as I plan each day.
Marianna, that’s so exciting! Inboxes to zero is huge! Good work!!
Regarding your growing list of small tasks… Utilizing the Two Minute Rule could apply here just as it does to your email. If it takes 2-minutes or less, do it! If it will take longer or you don’t have 2-minutes, then writing them down is a good thing. Keep the list separate from your regular to-do list. Refer to it when you have some extra time to get a few done. You could also block out some time to get several done at once.
Our free webinar offers even more suggestions on how you can tackle your lists. We’d love you to join us! Click here to sign up! https://learndobecome.com/step
What would you call this list – the one “separate from your regular to-do list”?
Thanks for asking, Janene! The regular list would be your Context Based Next Actions List. You could call the other list your “two-minute tasks” or “one-time tasks.” Really you can call it anything that makes sense to you. You just want to be cautious not to add too many of them to your next actions list at a time as not to feel overwhelmed. I hope that helps!
Hi! I love Learn Do Become, but I just can’t seem to find a calendar (Paper) to use. I’m really liking the look and feel of the iBloom calendar, but want to incorporate your wonderful steps listed above!!
Do you think that the iBloom calendar would be a good fit? I really appreciate your advise, because I’m am so overwhelmed with trying to keep everything in order…:(
Hi Nancy! I’m not familiar with the iBloom calendar. Any calendar can work with the principles in our Steps To Everyday Productivity program as long as you are consistent with keeping it updated. There may be some in our Mastery program who also use the iBloom. Feel free to ask inside the Facebook group. The members there are a wealth of information! Thanks for being part of our community here at Learn Do Become!
Thanks for your advise! I will ask within the Facebook group then.
I use FamCal as my family’s calendar. We can all login on our phones or tablets to see what everyone is doing, (as long as the children keep their activities updated, work in progress). Each person has their own color.
I own my own bookkeeping business, so I also use Google calendar to keep work related appointments and tasks. My family doesn’t need to know where I am working or what I am working on, just that I am working, so I just block out times on FamCal and get specific in Google calendar.
I have also started using a paper 2 page per day calendar that combines the two, MY events off the FamCal and business events off Google calendar to keep from double booking. I also can keep track of tasks and project progress.
Recurring tasks I write on small sticky notes. When I complete the task I move it in the calendar to the next time. Example: ABC payroll needs done every two weeks. I get the payroll info on Monday and need to have completed checks dropped off at the client before Friday. Rather than writing the task on my to-do list every day until completed that week, I have written “ABC Payroll due before Friday” on a small sticky note. If I don’t get it done on Monday, I move the sticky note to Tuesday, and so forth. When I complete the payroll, I move the sticky note to the next time payroll is due.
Thank you for these tips. They have helped with my family and my business.
God bless you.
These are wonderful! Love how you’re creating systems to calm your mind. Way to go, Tonja!
good Job
Color coding – GREAT IDEA. I manage 3 small businesses and this will work out wonderfully.
Flora, thanks for your comment! We’re glad this post has been helpful to you. Please let us know what we can do for you moving forward!
The Three Ideas are great. Love the idea of a Trigger Calendar. Thank you for all the wonderful information you are sharing with us.
You are so welcome! Excited for you to be here, and we hope this brings lots of relief and help to you. 🙂
I use Fantastical and it sync’s my google calendar.(I have an iphone) I use it on my phone, I’m a realtor and my phone is my business. I like Fantastical calendar app better than the google on my phone because I can see all the events for each day listed. In google app you have to click it to see more of what’s listed on that day if you’re looking at the month view and I was missing things, not ok ever. I have dots which are events on the month view and I can scroll from day to day and see everything listed with color dots if I like showing all events. It’s a great app.
Hello, I’m new to the STEP program and am going through the Quick Start section. So far, I’m not connecting everything but I’m hoping as I continue through, things will begin to make more sense.
So…What about tasks that need to be done on a specific day but BEFORE a specific time or BETWEEN specific times? For example, if I need to call my child’s school after they open but prior to 4pm before they close for the day? Or if I need to call the dentist office on a Friday before they close at noon, an all day task may get forgotten right? As a side note, I also use Google calendar. Does Eric set reminders/notifications for these negotiable tasks?? Thank you!
Hi Brittany! Welcome to the STEP Program! Things will start to come together for you as time goes on. 🙂 You can always reach out to us at [email protected] with any questions you might have.
To answer your first question about tasks needing to be done before or between specific times, I recommend choosing the time that you want to make the call, and then setting a reminder or notification to go off at that time.
As for your second question, I don’t believe Eric sets reminders/notifications for those kinds of tasks. He does have a routine to check his “All-Day Tasks” calendar so that he doesn’t forget anything.
Thanks for reaching out to us. We’re thrilled to have you as part of our community!!
I use outlook and use the categories to color code my calendar. I use one color for meetings and time specific tasks that I must attend or do. Another color for informational meetings (I don’t have to attend unless my calendar and time allows) and I use a third color for truly flexible time and for “me” time. This keeps other people from scheduling meetings and overloading my calendar and time. Only my assistant and my manager’s assistant know my color coding. They are also the only two people that have my permission to override my flexible time if something comes up that is critical.
So smart!! Thanks for the great ideas!
I keep a Cozi calendar on my phone/iPad for all of my family’s appointments (as well as mine) going forward, shared with my husband. Some of those things are scheduled a month or more in advance.
I also have a white board calendar for my command central (with just my appointments/deadlines or stuff that I am involved in, even if it’s not mine, like taking my daughter to the doctor) and one in the main area of the house (so everyone can see it) with all appointments/activities for everyone listed on it, onto which I put *just* this month’s calendar information.
Finally, I have a paper planner to block out time to do various work-related tasks each day of the week. I do editing and proofreading for court reporters, and each transcript has a different due date and a different amount of time that it will take, so I found that blocking out the time necessary to get the job done is essential to not overbooking myself. I also copy the relevant appointments and such from the Cozi calendar into the planner, so that I know that I can’t be working at certain times on certain days.
I really don’t see how I could get this down to just *one* calendar and one planner, total, since each of them has a specific purpose. I mean, when I’m out and about, I look at the Cozi calendar, but that doesn’t show my work deadlines (or it would be totally crowded, what with everyone else’s stuff too), and I look at the whiteboard calendars when I’m home.
Darcy, thank you for your comment! The goal is to help you reduce the number of places that you’re having to look for things. However, if your current system is working for you, stick with it! If, over time, you find a different way you can make changes. Many digital calendars have an option to choose which calendars you’d like to display so it may be possible to add your work and paper planner and then turn off those calendars for general viewing so it doesn’t look crowded. I hope this is helpful! Feel free to send any further questions to our team at [email protected]. We’re thrilled to have you with us and look forward to hearing your success stories!
I have a special needs young adult son whom we are trying to teach this to. He struggles with Executive Function issues. We get paid by the state to work with him, and one of his areas is to do this sort of thing, specifically. They have tasked us with having him make a schedule/list for the week of all his appointments and tasks, then color code them in rank of importance (most important, somewhat important, not very important). He has to check them off as he does them, or reschedule them if need be.
Because of his difficulty in writing and spelling (physically due to his difficulty with fine motor skills, as well as just not being good at spelling etc. yet – although he is improving) I’d like to find some sort of way to do all this electronically, as well as be able to monitor it due to being his teacher and to help keep him on track.
Is there a digital calendar in existence that does the following? (Or can we adjust one to accomplish these things?)
~Can be used by multiple family members where we can all coordinate our family events etc. in one place. (So we can monitor and help him)
~Individual family members are designated by a color. (To keep our different things separate)
~Each family member can also color code (or some other way) their own event/activity to indicate importance (for example, red for most important, yellow for medium importance, green for not that important – to meet the state requirements).
~Day specific tasks can be placed on the calendar, not just day/time specific things (for example, laundry day on Friday, as part of his weekly tasks).
~Things can be checked off somehow, including appointments or other time specific items (again, per state requirements to show how he is doing when we turn things in).
~We can use it on the phone/on the go, as well as print out the calendar at least weekly, or perhaps monthly if possible.
This is very important to our family for the development of this special needs young man.
Jody, what a great blessing you are to your son!
Google Calendar would definitely be an option for this! You can build multiple calendars that can be shared with each family member. These calendars can be color coded through the Google Calendar app as well as on the website. As needed, you could even create a private “Triggers” calendar for events or reminders that not everyone needs to be reminded of. As for color coding individual tasks, that may be done best with a symbol or an icon if you’re using your smartphone. Perhaps an asterisk if it’s critical, a question mark if you’re not sure you’re going to do it, etc. Google Keep is another option and can be integrated with Google Calendar. Google Keep has the ability to create lists and tasks that can be checked off.
We hope this is helpful! We’d love to hear what you’re able to find. We’re so glad to have you with us!
Taryn, you mention that Google Keep can be connected to Google calendar, can you share more about that?
Hi, Georgina! This link walks you through the process on how to connect the two. 🙂 https://www.lifewire.com/use-google-keep-on-everything-4179044. Thanks for being with us!
Thanks, this was a great tutorial, I love the concept of ‘labels’ for organizing the notes. It totally gets my mind spinning up about the ways to use it! I’m going to watch the notes for ideas for specific labels. Right now I’m going to use Hot (important/right away), Warm (not so time sensitive/important) and Cold (Someday/something to remember/interesting recommendation) to represent the urgency of items. In addition, I have person specific ones that I use for “when I see …” for e.g. I have a standing lunch date with my husband and somethings I like to reserve for that. It looks like you can connect your calendar to notes, I wonder if I can connect it to labels so I can review them at an appropriate time interval, e.g. “Warm” monthly, or if I just would create at a calendar item in google. So.many.ideas….
To Jody:
What a great program for your family! My brother has small motor muscle coordination problems and when he was in first grade, he was labeled unteachable because he couldn’t draw a box or a triangle. Our mother let him “play” on her typewriter. He proceeded to write a story including many words spelled correctly and punctuation, which he read to the third grade classes the next day! Turns out he has a photographic memory. He is now 52 and doing very well. So congrats on being the parents your son needs. Hang in there and don’t get discouraged because he can’t seem to do what “they” think he should. God has a plan!
Would a Bullet Journal work as a portable calendar option? I have not used a bullet journal before but I have a friend who was explaining it to me and it seemed to “click” with my brain and I feel like I could incorporate the weekly calendar page.
Yes! I actually want to do a podcast with the Bullet Journal people. 🙂 I have looked into their method, and it works PERFECTLY with the STEP system. Excited for you!!
I use a bullet journal for everything BUT my calendar. I especially like the BuJo for those things that might go on the calendar but aren’t nailed down yet, as well as the things I need to get on the calendar in the future (future log section) However, for the actual calendar, I use Google. For me, things are often shifting a little her or there, so I like the peace of mind that I”m always looking at the up-to-date calendar. Many of my things are recurring so again the electronic calendar type once, click a little, boom, appointment added til I told it to stop. For triggers and reminder of birthdays, I love google because I can put a birthday in and then have it repeat in a year forever, add the birth year in () and I even know how old my nieces and nephews are. I feel Bullet Journal and Google Calendar complement each other well, the bullet journal daily log is a fantastic way to keep track of what to do, and also you can easily keep the when on the forefront of your mind easily, so I find by looking at my bullet journal, I know at a glance which tasks are due first.
Thank you, Georgina! This sounds like a great way to incorporate the two systems. We’re so glad you’re here!
Any thoughts on how to manage a work system that can’t really be used for personal use? I’m in a corporate environment that has a heavy meeting culture and currently managing calendar and email and task lists in separate systems for work and personal. I can’t really use work for personal things, security reasons, etc. And given the volume, don’t really want to corrupt my personal systems with replicating and duplicating work events and artifacts as that would feel…well…totally overwhelming. Is there a good way to bridge two systems? I would love to get down to one calendar, email and list, but not sure that’s possible given our IT constraints.
Great question! Wondering if others in our community are managing this, too? If you’re in our STEP Mastery Facebook groups, that would be a GREAT place to ask the question! I’d probably have a personal calendar that blocks out work time as “busy” and then just switch to that after work? That would be really difficult to have to keep everything totally separate…. But I’m sure there’s a good way to do it. 🙂
PS
Yes, would love to have your take on the Bullet Journal (I’ve used that with success in the past, similar to the good old Franklin Covey system, which I loved!). Also curious on your POV on Workflowy and Momentum (the Chrome plugin). I’m trying those out and they seem great, but again, it’s about the mindset and how you use the tools to capture and manage information through a process, so would welcome your thoughts! Thank you!
I do so much digitally but I have NEVER been able to successfully use a digital calendar as my main calendar, So I’ve finally given up and use a lightweight paper calendar/planner. Only monthly pages, which means each day has to be very streamlined. I have long kept only the essential appointments on this calendar. I long ago realized life can work for me ONLY when I have ONE calendar. So that means everything that is outside of the bare essentials I have to keep track of in another way. IMHO, my main calendar works perfectly for me EXCEPT that there are a couple of weekly tasks that MUST be done on the same day every week (one is a snail mail task and one is a phone call task). Just putting these on my paper calendar does not do the trick for me. I am supposed to do them so often that they become like “white noise” on the calendar. So I’ve set up a prompting system by using my Google calendar JUST for prompting purposes. I get a prompt every week for each of these tasks. I keep no regular appointments on my Google calendar, only tasks that require prompting. For the 2 tasks I get a prompt for every week, I no longer put that task on my main calendar. And this has worked so well for me that I sometimes add other tasks or appointments that ARE on my paper calendar so I can receive a prompt that day. W
What is not yet working for me are things I want to do or SHOULD do. The important-ish things from this list (which could go on forever if I don’t watch out) I add a small sticky to my paper calendar as a reminder. Since the item is not vital to do on that particular day (I just want to do it), it does not seem to require permanent space on my paper calendar nor do I want a prompt to do it. I just want a way to remind myself to get to it if possible. My paper calendar plus the Google calendar prompt system is working well for me. But it’s these other, less imediately vital tasks that I don’t seem to have a foolproof system for yet. What would you suggest?
Joan
Great question! The next actions list is perfect for this. Have you gone through our free training yet? LearnDoBecome.com/step.
I also have a two-minute planner tour here on this website, and it will show you what my next actions look like. That simple, flexible list, combined with a weekly review will change your life!
Okay. I love these suggestions and is using them. However, I have three different calendars: work (I’m a nurse educator and entrepreneur), home, school (I’m working on my doctorate degree). I have one main monthly calendar, it’s digital gmail, that holds all non-negotiable appointments. Then I use the digital tasker “2Do” for my daily task list concerning home and work. Then I use a paper weekly calendar to write school assignment deadlines and to assign myself daily school tasks.
Any suggestions on how to streamline this? Is there a digital calendar that can combine all this into one calendar?
Cynthia, thanks for reaching out to us! We love Google to help with streamlining digital calendars. The iCal on iPhone has a similar option. As mentioned in the article, you can create layers to turn on or off depending on what you need to see. You can also assign different colors to different people and/or different areas of life. This post may offer some additional ideas as well: https://learndobecome.com/episode65/. Thanks for being with us!
Hi,
I am trying to figure out what to do- as I have a work calendar, and COZI- my work one has meetings, staffing schedules, etc. I would love to only use 1- but the work one also has health care information- so I cannot sync it with any outside app. should I maintain 2 calendars- or use the work one and layer my home one on top?
Hi, Keli! That’s a great question. In cases such as this, it’s totally fine to have two separate calendars. Layering is also a great option, especially if work and home may overlap. This would be a great question to post in our STEP Facebook group as well if you’re a Mastery member. 🙂 Thanks for being with us!
When I began this section my answer to calendars, is I don’t have a calendar that I carry with me or in my house that I write on. My desk calendar at work has my few appointments on it and when fellow co-workers/bosses are going to be out of the office but that is it. How do I decide what might work for me. My purse is already heavy enough, the calendar on my android phone is to small to read, I have a kindle but that is it in small electronics. I am committed to this program, but am in need of help here for ideas that will work for a Calendar challenged person.
Thanks for your comment, Debra. Any type of calendar will work. It could be a small pocketbook sized calendar or even a blank calendar printed online. You can always make a change later on if your first choice isn’t working. Thanks for being with us!
I was tracking the calendars fine then somewhere along the line I got confused. I have a quarterly planner that has the month, weekly top three, then daily. The daily also has the top three for that day. I want to adapt my Traveler Notebook to carry with me. So on my monthly calendar I list birthdays, holidays, and set appointments like doctors, taxes, trips. Right? Then the weekly will be the same as the monthly appointments but only for that week with the top musts for that week. Then the daily is of course that day. This I check morning and that night I’m going to fill out tomorrow. So I’ll carry with me in my TN, one notebook with appointment based tracker, doctor at 10:00, hair cut 1:30. Then a task flexible list notebook that I list things that need to be done sometime that day that I can cross of when completed like groceries, mail package, phone Fred about frog. Is this the correct idea? Also I have adult disabled son and a husband I track appointments for that each have their own color ink. And I use Google calendar on my phone. Am I making this too complicated? Help.
Thanks for asking, Toni. You are on the right track! It’s best to pare it down as much as possible so that you have fewer places to look when trying to find something. This is a perfect question to ask in our STEP Mastery Facebook group if you are a member there. We’d love to support you further! Feel free to send our team a message at [email protected] with further questions as well. Thanks for being with us!
which size Franklin Planner do you use?
second ‘Planner’ question…. do you use both the full month calendar as well as the daily pages, in the planner, or only the daily pages? thanks!
Donna, thanks for asking! This post will answer all of your questions. 🙂 https://learndobecome.com/2minute-tour/ Enjoy!
I’m confused. So your trigger calendar is for personal and flexible items? Then why is it a trigger? Then a date specific but time flexible is a task? What if you dont get to it that day and dont want to forget about it because you still want to do it?
Great questions! The personal and flexible items are still tasks, they are only listed on the trigger calendar so that they’re not forgotten. Each day you’ll review your calendar which will allow you to see what has or hasn’t been done yet. That way you can reschedule as needed. We talk more about this in Module 1 of our STEP program. We’d love to support you there if it’s a good fit for you! You can always reach us via email with any additional questions that you might have, email (at) learndobecome.com. Thanks so much for being with us!
I guess I’m confused about the 2nd digital calendar. Does this mean creating an entirely separate google calendar in my phone that’s attached to a different google account? I’m sure I’m making this more complicated than it has to be as usual! Or is this too just making this 2nd digital layer show up as a different color within the same calendar just like you would on a paper calendar?
Thanks for asking, Jennifer! You can create additional calendars under a single user. You can also turn those layers off or on depending on what you’d like to see. This link explains how to do this, https://support.google.com/calendar/answer/37095. Thanks for being with us!!
This seems just like my “A, B, C” current list process – I think I would be more confused trying to make this digital since I have no idea how to do “colors” on my phone. I guess I will need to stick with my “to do’s” on paper.
Hi, Kathie! Paper will totally work! The process of adding colors on your phone depends upon which type of phone you have and which calendar you are using. Should you decide in the future to make a change, there are lots of tutorials online. Thanks for being with us!!
I have used my Franklin Day Planner each and every day since 1987! This is the easier part of signing up to get out from under the piles!
That’s awesome, ReNay! We’re thrilled to have you with us and we look forward to hearing your success stories!
I am a Special needs teacher, dancer, dance teacher, and busy mom of two. I have discovered two things that I have to have in order to stay on top of our lives. I use the My Big Ideas planner that you can take pages in and out of. There are weekly pages perfect for my lesson plans each day, as well as room at the top for my personal schedule. I use the cute stickers to mark holidays and apts on the month at a glance. I set up my weekly every Sunday to make sure the apts are marked in the right place where my daily lessons are.
On top of that, my husband and I use Cozi for groceries and to keep each other informed of our calendar. While I prefer my handwritten version, it allows him to see my week and me to see his when we are trying to schedule late meetings or events.
Kim, these are great tips! Thanks so much for sharing. 🙂 If you’re part of our Mastery program we’d love to have you share them in our Facebook group as well. We’re thrilled to have you with us and we look forward to hearing your success stories!
Google also has something called Keep that lets you create lists of any kind and you can see them in the calendar.
Gracias !!!
De nada! Gracias por estar con nosotros!
These are great ideas! One thing – my work won’t permit any personal appointments on my work calendar, so I have to keep a separate personal and work calendar. Do you have any tips about that?
Thank you!
Hi, Sue! Great question–we understand that sometimes it is necessary to keep separate calendars. We recommend making sure that you are clear on what is kept where so it is easy to find. You may also consider blocking work time on your personal calendar so that you’re clear on when those appointments are happening. That way you don’t end up double booking yourself. If you’re part of our Mastery program, we’d love to have you join us in our Facebook group. Questions like this are great to ask there as well. We’re thrilled to have you with us and we look forward to hearing your success stories!
About a year ago, I started trying to use Google calendar. My problem is I don’t really understand how to layer the calendars using the various colors so my calendar looks terrible.
Great question, Allison! You can create additional calendars under a single user. You can also turn those layers off or on depending on what you’d like to see. This link explains how to do this, https://support.google.com/calendar/answer/37095. If you’re part of our Mastery program, this would be a great question to ask in the Facebook group. The members there are so helpful in answering questions and sharing solutions. Thanks for being with us!
Before I signed up for LDB STEP, I took a class offered by our city rec. dept. about how to make a “Bullet Journal.” This helped me immensely in getting organized with my calendar and my “To Do” list at all levels. I was pleased to realize that it taught me to do some of the things also discussed in “Next Actions, ” like noting things as an errand, a computer task, a phone call, etc., among other things. I use a “Weekly/Monthly Planner Notes” book by Blue Sky. It allows me to use the monthly calendar for things like birthdays and standing appointments. I use the daily pages (3 days on a page) for the things I need to do that day, and if something doesn’t get done, I migrate it with a > to the next day. Then there are many pages in the back for lists of all kinds – projects, gift ideas, tasks, whatever you want. Everything is in one place. I do also keep a calendar on my phone, and keep appointments I need to remember on there. I don’t want to carry my paper calendar outside the house – I’m afraid I’ll leave it somewhere. So when I make appointments, I put them on my phone calendar and then add them to my daily pages when I get home. I don’t have a professional calendar to manage, just personal. Hope this help so for commenters looking for ideas.
Ann, this is amazing! Thank you SO much for sharing these thoughts and ideas. Having everything together in one place really is key to knowing where to find things when you need the information. We’re thrilled to have you with us and we look forward to hearing your success stories!
So, I’m retired and have been very happy with my week at-a-glance calendar that has 7 days and a little memo space on 2 pages. I have been trying to figure out how to adapt this new, improved way of doing things. What I am going to try is this: I took one of my clear Ultimate Office folders, cut it down to the correct size, put some lined paper in it to hold my list of things to do during the day and paper clipped it to the page next to the current days. What do you think? I’m going to give it a try:-)?
Karen, that sounds like a great idea! I think you’ll love having everything together in one place. Please let us know how it works for you! Thanks for being with us!!
I put my date- and time-specific appointments in my calendar on my Android phone, then set reminder alarms on the Clock on my phone (different from the reminder offered on the appointment page, although I’m seeing if this will be better for me to use). If I have a WEEK-specific and time-flexible task (pay the water bill, for example), I place it on my calendar at the same time each day for one week. I maintain date- and time-flexible To Do tasks on a page in my Note Everything app. I’ll make this a task in my Weekly Review.
I couldn’t figure out how to color code appointments/events on my phone, so gave up on that :-(.
Btw, I’m just starting to check out Asana. So far, it seems confusing and redundant…. :0(
Hi Shirley! It sounds like you’re on the right track. Hooray! The way to color code is different with each calendar so it’s hard to give instructions there. You can always do a web search if you want to learn more! As for Asana, we realize that it’s not intuitive for everyone. We have some great resources here on our website (https://learndobecome.com/?s=asana) as well as inside our STEP program if you’d like to learn more. If you’re part of our Mastery program, be sure to look around in our Facebook group as well. There are some great discussions and explanations in addition to wonderfully supportive fellow STEP Mastery members. Thanks for being with us!!
I manager a number of calendars and we utilize not only coloring the Meetings in the calendar but also using the busy, tentative & free in the meeting. I have 5 simple colors I use:
Red – Must attend
Blue – Going to this meeting
Yellow – Has a delegate or on Calendar for visitility
Green – This is a One time Meeting
Gray – Do Not Schedule (DNS) or Information only
With a simple color coding system you can know if you are attending a meeting All Busy meetings move to the Left of the calendar so if you use the DNS to keep the Tentative and Free times on the calendar to Keep your self and those you are working with On task.
These are great ideas, Kimberley. Thanks for sharing your process with us!
I have a work calendar that runs my life ten hours a day, but it doesn’t live on my phone. So my adaptation of your ideas is this:
* Import my personal Google Calendar into my work Outlook calendar
* Create “essential” and “non-essential” calendars in my work Outlook calendar (I already have that in Google)
* Add all-day events from my Google calendars, my “essential” work calendar, and my “non-essential” work calendar for “to-do” items. Mark them as “free” time so they don’t block my schedule.
* Essential “must do” items are marked “MUST-DO” in the title. These are pinned to the top of every day, which makes them super visible.
* During the work day, I use my work calendar, which has *EVERYTHING* available on it. Outside of work hours I see only my Google calendar on my phone, and it has *NOTHING* from work, which is fabulous!
I can’t believe how happy this has made me just in two days of using it. Thank you!!
Dana! These are great adaptions! Thank you so much for sharing how you’ve made this work for you. Keep up the good work!!
When I was teaching our school district gave everyone a small planner 8 X 10
I used it and loved it. When I was subbing I was able to get one at the start of the school year.
I need to start that again but I do use my phone calendar and a wall that we usually get free in the mail.
I’m just getting started and would love a good recommend. I currently use the calendar on my I-Phone and I only put appointments on it. I also use an apple laptop. I am considering moving to a google calendar to make use of the color coding or I also saw Calendar 5 recommended. My main frustration is having a random piece of paper around the house with to do’s for that day mixed in with items that need to be done at some point (ie. returning items, scheduling an apt in the future, etc.) I am finding that those items are often falling thru the cracks due to procrastination or I misplace the paper and just keep starting a new one or I am just plain overwhelmed because one of the tasks require doing research (as in finding a new medical person or researching a tutor for one of my kids). Sometimes I need to take notes when I’m calling someone and I’m not sure where to store that type of thing. My only answer so far has been to use a composition book but it’s not all that organized and I have to flip through it to find specific notes. I think I would like a digital option that I can have a record of tasks not just one where the task disappeared. Any recommends would be great! I’m excited about being more organized and less overwhelmed!
Hi Ann! You’re headed in the right direction! Finding the right calendar and a capture tool will be really helpful to you as you move through your journey to getting organized. There are SO many great options out there. Google Calendar is a great one!
I (Taryn) use Calendars 5 for my calendar & tasks. I love it! It works in tandem with the iPhone calendar and reminders. I can make lists, tasks with due dates, and I can choose how I want to see things. It’s much more user friendly for me & I can put Siri to work. I also use this as my capture tool.
We talk more about capture tools in Module 3 of our Steps To Everyday Productivity program but in short, it’s a single place where you record those thoughts and ideas that pop up throughout the day. Once the thought is “captured” you can process it during your Weekly Review so that nothing falls through the cracks. 🙂
Keep up the good work!! You’re on your way!
Hi, I use iCal and try to put everything on it. I have several calendars: work, personal, child 1, child 2, child 3, husband, Girl Scouts and tentative. Sometimes things are missed when I accept an invite because it goes to google or outlook calendar (oops). I have several emails causing this problem. Question is .. How do I keep my calendar clear with all of this to keep track? With the schools in virtual zoom meetings I need to keep track of 8 zoom meetings each day for all of my kiddos. I have meetings overlapping meetings when everyone’s calendar is clicked on. If I don’t have everyone’s calendar clicked on, I usually miss something or my children miss a class.
Hi Larissa! This is such a great question. You are on the right track!
It sounds like you’re using layers for each area of life which is super helpful. We like to do this, too. 🙂 The things you’re tracking are time sensitive so they do need to be on the calendar, and as the mom, keeping track of the kiddos is important! Are any of the kids old enough to start tracking some of this on their own? You could set reminders to help them while they’re learning but this might be one way you could clear some of your personal calendar space.
The thing we want to clear most from our calendars is routines that are not time sensitive. If the things you’re tracking are indeed date and time sensitive then what you’re doing falls within what we recommend. I hope that helps!
If you’re part of our Mastery program, be sure to join us in the Facebook group! The members there are so supportive and helpful and the may have some other suggestions for you as well. Thanks for being with us!
Above you wrote: I use the trigger calendar to schedule things that are flexible and personal—like naps, Pilates, calling friends on the phone, playing the piano with our children, etc.
Those things don’t have to be done at the designated times, and they don’t involve anyone else, so if my day gets a little crazy, I just turn that calendar “off,” and I can see what needs my focus.
I thought setting up a trigger calendar could help me with my ‘routines’ list – would that be appropriate? Is that how you are using the 2nd layer? (Or where else would ‘Routines’ go on the calendar?) But after fooling around with it, and the different color options on my Google calendar, I’m seeing that the only thing I can actually schedule on this 2nd ‘layer’ are Events. Tasks and Reminders are still all combined as entries, regardless of which calendar I want these on, therefore there is no way to turn one set off without turning all of them off. (Why is that?) So are you saying you enter your ‘triggers’ as Events (e.g., Pilates, naps, etc)? Please clarify. Or if I’m doing something wrong, please set me straight. Thank you.
Great question, Deeni! Generally speaking we recommend that you try to keep routines off of the calendar unless the routine is date/time specific or you need a reminder because that routine is often forgotten. You can create a new calendar or layer and title it Routines. From there you can schedule an event, task, or reminder to help you with remembering your routines. I hope that helps! If you’re part of our Mastery program, this is a great question to ask the group as well. The members there are so supportive and helpful! We’re so glad you’re here!
What if I’m not interested in using a google calendar or having a calendar on my phone, and I don’t have the Franklin calendar where I can put my time non-specific tasks that need to be done? Are there other places I could put those? Like under the notes section of my weekly calendar?
Great question, Anna! The notes section of your weekly calendar could definitely work for those tasks. The key is to have them in a place that is easy for you to see so that they’re not forgotten. I hope that helps! Feel free to reach out to our team with any additional questions you might have, email(at)learndobecome(dot)com. If you’re part of our Mastery program, you can also reach out there. Thanks for being with us!
Having a separate Google calendar for triggers/prompts is a great idea!