Category Archives: Time Management

5 Unique Time Management Hacks That Have Been Proven to Work

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Unique Time Management Hacks Proven Work

Modern reliance on technology by most companies today means that the same devices that we use for work are also where we get our distractions. Some say it’s not your fault if you often fall victim to technology — many of us have. But come on, you are in charge of yourself, even if the nature of the technology is a constant connection.

While it may seem like the only solution to manage your time is to spend it away from your devices (which does help, of course), that’s not always possible or even necessary.

Find the productivity you need with some of these hacks for time management that have been proven to work.

1. Stop Letting Tech Suck You In

The truth is that one reason technology distracts us so strongly is because it offers a comfortable, relatively predictable escape from our tasks. If you’re tired from being hard at work for a few hours, why not take a second to look at Instagram? One second can lead to an hour away from your responsibilities — and a lot of the time, it’s not because you’re distracted but rather because you want to relax. And as long as you’re fulfilling your responsibilities, don’t be afraid to enjoy what you enjoy on social.

Not letting tech suck you in can be done in many ways: cutting off work communications as soon as the day ends, working and relaxing in different rooms, etc. The most important thing is that after hours, you are giving yourself fully to your relaxation needs. When it’s time to return you’ll feel refreshed, alert, and much more able to focus because your needs have already been tended to.

2. Utilize Timers for Each Task

Realistically, the duration of any given task can vary in uniformity and length. But setting a timer creates a new psychological environment, one in which you are present for this amount of time and this amount only, regardless of how long it is. When the timer ends, you are free. Believe it or not, setting a timer requires focus, even if you aren’t sure about the length of time a task will take. However, your timer will help you focus and work faster and makes it easier to stay on task by providing this target of freedom.

Say you have a short story transcript to be edited by the end of the day. You don’t know how long it will take and are avoiding the task out of dread. Instead of scrambling at the last minute, set a timer for one hour, clear your mind of anything but the task (including the deadline), and begin. You’ll find the task to be a little easier when you know better how long it will take — and give a concentrated push to be finished.

3. Create an Environment for Focus

Alongside your timer, try to adapt your surroundings to the task at hand. Keep an open mind at this point because even the smallest change can make a difference for you. You can move a pen that you keep hitting with your arm or move all electronics out of your sight. Part of creating this environment can be put into action in advance as well, even just by outlining a plan for the day and setting the kinds of rules for yourself as mentioned in this article by Calendar.

To continue the previous example, let’s say you’re doing your transcript editing at home. To craft the ideal environment, you can turn off your electronics, dress comfortably, make a cup of tea, put on a sound generator in some sound-dampening headphones, and close everything on your computer but the transcript. Whatever makes you feel focused in your space will work best.

4. Steer Clear of Your Unique Distractions

Read up on distractions and take some notes about the ones that affect your time management. Here is a great list of distractions such as this one you can put far away from yourself. Your needs will likely be different from anyone else’s. Chances are, you have particular things that distract you uniquely more than others. It’s easy to forget these distractions are even there, or to get used to them in the space, without being freed from their influence. Take a moment to sit in your space and note everything that draws your attention in a distracting way.

These distractions can take the form of imagery to be changed, like a decoration on the wall, or a bright light shining through your window. Maybe you’ve found that your emotions are distracting you the most, in which case you can take a break to do some mindfulness exercises. You should do everything that you need to make this your space of focus, even if it seems strange or unconventional.

5. Experiment With Your Time Management System

Above all, managing your time is just that — managing your time for the sake of your own productivity. It’s easy to try different methods that many people use, but it can be difficult to stick with them because they aren’t tailored for you. You might find that what works best for you may even be the opposite of what you’ve heard (like letting yourself get distracted so you can come back with fuller focus). In the end, it doesn’t matter what you do as long as it helps you achieve your time management goals.

Remember, the objective is not to implement time-saving methods, but rather, succinctly, to save time itself. Try not to get caught up in common methods that aren’t helping just because they might down the line. The concept of a method that will always help everyone is one of many time-saving myths. Just sit down, look around, and do what you need to do to manage your time.

5 Unique Time Management Hacks That Have Been Proven to Work was originally published on Calendar by Deanna Ritchie.

Image Credit: Ono Kosuki; Pexels; Thank you!

In 2022, Time Management in the Workplace will be Critical.

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2022 Time Management Workplace Critical

Working professionals can’t get enough of the All You Wanted To Know About Time movement. So let’s go over the significance of workplace time management.

How much scheduling software do you use? Or want to use? Whether you’re a rookie or a seasoned pro, you’ll always need an extra hour to complete your to-do list. It’s tough to keep track of every minute of your day, mainly when there are so many distractions. Since childhood, our parents and instructors have taught us to budget our time and money.

Let’s have a look at what time management is before we get into its importance:

First, what is the definition of time management?

Work smarter rather than harder. Time management is the activity of planning and exerting deliberate control over the time spent on specific tasks. It’s a balancing act of several factors that help boost productivity and achieve a better work-life balance.

Improving your work time management helps you improve your performance and reach your objectives with less effort and more effective tactics. Failure to manage time or poor time management abilities at work, on the other hand, may lead to:

  • Appointments and deadlines that you did not meet.
  • Lack of attention and procrastination.
  • Professionalism is lacking.
  • Workflow inefficiency and poor job quality
  • Unwanted anxiety
  • Professional reputation is poor.
  • Strained workplace interactions
  • Financial repercussions
  • Unbalanced work and personal life

Workplace advantages of time management

There are several benefits to being able to manage your time well. Time management may help you in your work life in the following ways:

Complete projects on schedule with proper time management

It is more probable that workers will do tasks on schedule if you give them a certain amount of time to finish them. It also helps you handle your job in the most effective manner possible.

As a result of completing activities within a certain period, you train your brain to adhere to a framework and finish the tasks within that time limit. Therefore, if you have successfully managed your time, you will complete your job on schedule.

Produce high-quality work with good time management

You are required to offer work of a specific quality and level as a devoted employee. One may deliver a higher quality of work by properly using time and prioritizing duties. Prioritization aids in focusing on critical tasks by placing them at the top of the priority list, allowing you to devote your whole attention and concentration to them. As a result, the work’s quality has improved.

More efficiency and productivity are earmarks of proper time management

As a working professional, it’s no secret that good time management skills help you be more productive and efficient. These abilities may assist you in completing chores as quickly as possible without sacrificing quality.

When you’re focusing on unnecessary things, your total productivity suffers. In other words, strong time management skills allow you to complete both vital and urgent jobs on time.

Manage your time well, and you’ll be one of your team’s most productive members.

There will be a lot less procrastinating with time management working for you

“I’ll do it later” is an excuse that we’ve all used at some point. However, time management isn’t only about getting more done in less time; it’s also about reducing the desire to put off and procrastinate on vital chores.

As a creator, leader, or employee, you may work smarter rather than harder by using appropriate time management techniques. It immediately prevents procrastination by ensuring that you know the things added to your to-do list. You also know when you want to complete them.

Less worry and stress

Employees might get overwhelmed when they have too much work on their plates. This might hurt your productivity as well as your general health. Excessive stress and hypertension may cause heart disease, depression, obesity, and other health problems. We can eliminate unneeded stress and anxiety in our lives if we know what to do.

A higher standard of living

Practical time management skills may enhance your life outside the workplace and your working life. When you have your business life under control, you have more time to concentrate on your personal life and relationships.

Knowing that your responsibilities and activities are on schedule can help you relax in your personal life. As a result, your quality of life increases instantly, as you feel calmer and less worried.

More prospects and advancement in your career

Being on time with your job will help you be more productive. Consequently, it will help you build a positive reputation at work. Managers and supervisors love to see that you consistently finish things on schedule. It may open the door to more excellent prospects for advancement at work.

More leisure and recreation time

When was the last time you took some time for yourself and did something you enjoyed?

Fortunately, proper time management allows you to have more free time throughout the day. As a result, you are free to engage in the leisure and recreational activities that bring you joy.

Finally, by working bright all day and receiving a reward of your choosing, you may achieve the ideal balance. Remember, for every tick; there must be a tock.

Image Credit: Ono Kosuki; Pexels; Thank you!

How to Catch Up on Work When You’re Behind

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How To Catch Up Work When Behind

Do you have an endless list of tasks at work that keeps growing before you can begin to cross things off? Hey. It happens to the best of us from time to time. However, add up having an endless list with all the fires you’re putting out, and suddenly you’re behind the eight ball.

It may not have been your intention, but that mountain of work can start to feel unattainable. And as a consequence, you may miss deadlines or milestones that you’ve set. Understandably, this can lead to an overwhelming and stressful feeling. Even worse? If you start to miss deadlines, it isn’t easy to regain your focus and get back on track.

Thankfully, all is not lost if you use these strategies to catch up on work, you’re behind. Here is a list of the best “get over it and get going” advice I could put together for you.

Recognize that you’re overwhelmed and need assistance.

“The first step to dealing with a problem is admitting that you have a problem.” — Jase Robertson

Yes. This is easier said than done. However, as Jase Robertson noted, this is without question the first step you have to take.

To make this process easier, you first need to acknowledge that not only have you fallen behind on your work, but you’re also overwhelmed. And, not that you’ve accepted this, you can explore ways to dig yourself out of this hole.

Here are some of the strategies that I’ve used in the past.

Prioritize my to-do list and shrink my workload.

I’m a big fan of the Eisenhower Matrix. This system divides tasks into four quadrants. From there, a set of columns and rows helps determine where tasks go. Tasks are then sorted into columns according to urgency and nonurgency, while the rows indicate essential and not so important tasks.

Together, you get the following quadrants:

  • First Quadrant: Do
  • Second Quadrant: Decide
  • Third Quadrant: Delegate
  • Fourth Quadrant: Disregard

Whatever items are in the first quadrant deserve your attention and energy before anything. Ideally, you want to limit these to only three priorities per day so that you can actually achieve them.

Anything in the second quadrant gets scheduled to when you have the availability. Then, you’ll delegate or outsource the items in the third quadrant. And whatever remains can be removed from your list.

It’s a simple and effective way to not only reduce your workload but also encourage you to focus on what’s most important.

Limit my distractions.

With your priorities identified, you want to add them to your calendar. You want to block out as many distractions as possible during these time blocks. For example, you can turn off your phone, close the office door, or put on a pair of noise-canceling headphones.

Take a deep breath and ask for help.

If you are still overwhelmed and feel like you’re underwater, then let others know. You shouldn’t feel ashamed to ask for help. It’s also not a sign of weakness. On the contrary, it’s actually a strength, as it provides an opportunity to explore unique perspectives and insights.

In addition, research has shown that doing so builds resilience relationships and is an indicator of high performance. In addition, it can help you enjoy a better mental state of mind. Moreover, sitting next to hard and motivated workers helps one’s work ethic.

Prioritize your backlog.

“If work is piling up, it’s time to prioritize your backlog as best as possible, suggests Mario Peshev, CEO of DevriX. “Compile all of those tasks in one place and categorize them by priority, urgency or complexity.”

“You can push through the most important tasks first and free up some time to sort out the rest of the backlog, or tackle the lowest hanging fruits by reducing the number of activities you have to complete,” he adds. In some cases, seeing a bigger picture in one place may prove to be helpful in delegating some tasks or even outsourcing to partners when needed.

“Having the opportunity to reflect may expose opportunities to hire for a new role.” Or, you may decide to get an assistant or take a break from activities that take up your time regularly without generating the ROI you need.

 Follow the 2-minute rule.

Do you have tasks that take two minutes or less? If so, do them now and remove them from your to-do list. As a result, your brain gets a nice little rush of reward chemicals like dopamine. And, it can help you build up momentum so that you can climb out that “I can’t seem to get anything done today” spiral.

What if it’s a slightly more complicated or time-consuming task? This task should be postponed until you have the time to attend to it properly.

Just say “no.”

I’ll be honest. I’m struggling with this. I don’t want to disappoint others or earn the reputation of being a “No Man.” However, when you’re playing catch-up, you have no other option.

But, how exactly can you master the art of saying “no?” Well, if you’ve added your priorities to your calendar, you have a perfectly valid reason for declining additional work or grabbing lunch with a friend. But, then, a simple, “I’m sorry, I’m booked this week, can we schedule this in two weeks?” should be just fine.

The most important takeaway is that you should be firm, while also being polite. An example response could be, “I appreciate you considering me for the assignment. Unfortunately, I’m not available right now, but I hope to keep you posted.” The great thing about this response is that it shows gratitude while also leaving the door open for future opportunities.

Ask the “Focusing Question.”

“What’s the ONE Thing I can do such that by doing it, everything else will be easier or unnecessary?” asks Gary Keller, co-author of “The One Thing. He says that you should ask this “over and over until you’re doing the most important thing – your ‘ONE Thing.’”

“Extraordinary results are rarely happenstance,” Keller adds. “They come from the choices we make and the actions we take.”

“The Focusing Question always aims you at the absolute best of both by forcing you to do what is essential to success,” explains Keller. “It ignores what is doable and drills down to what is necessary, to what matters.” No matter if “you’re looking for answers big or small, asking the Focusing Question is the ultimate ‘success habit’ in your life.”

After you have answered the “Focusing Question,” jot it down. According to Dr. Gail Matthews, an associate professor of psychology at the Dominican University in California, writing down your goals and dreams regularly can make you 42% more likely to achieve them.

Whenever you’re stuck, switch gears.

If you feel like you’re spinning your wheels, start something else. That may sound counterproductive. If you can knock out a simple task right now, that will help build momentum.

Compared to trying to push through when stuck, research shows that switching to another unrelated task improves performance. So, the next time you’re stuck, change tack by doing either of the following three things;

  • Take a short break of 5-15 minutes, then start a new block of time devoted to something else, preferably something sequential.
  • Whenever possible, take a 30- to 60-minute break to move your body before starting another task or attempting to return to the one you can’t figure out. If you don’t have that much time available, go for a short job or yoga session.
  • Calm your mind. Even if you’ve prioritized your list, your mind is probably still racing with everything that needs to get done. As a result, this can cause you to feel stressed and anxious. Find ways to manage these feelings through journaling, breathing exercises, or listening to soothing music.

End the procrastination cycle.

Did you know that procrastination is more closely related to emotion than time? Well, that’s according to scientists. It’s been found that people who procrastinate often do so to give themselves a temporary emotional release. However, by avoiding the dreaded task, they aren’t improving their emotional state due to guilt over procrastination.

Although procrastination occurs to all of us from time to time, chronic procrastinators can become trapped in this endless cycle of procrastination. So, if you find yourself in this loop, how can you break free?

Two methods have proven to be effective in interrupting this recurring cycle. One of those methods is an external deadline. When you have a deadline to meet, you often force yourself just to get started to complete it. Ideally, someone else should set this deadline, like a supervisor or client. However, if that’s not an option, you can create a self-imposed deadline even though it’s not as effective.

A second way to break the procrastination cycle is to consider your mood as a fixed state. Researchers found students did not procrastinate when they believed their moods were fixed. But, when they thought they could improve their mood, they procrastinated.

In short, you may find it challenging to start your work if you are feeling lousy. However, you will be more likely to buckle down and get the job done if you accept your lousy mood as part of life.

“Extend your workday.”

“Usually, extending your workday isn’t recommended,” says Ryan Sundling on Robin Waite. “But when you are behind on work, it doesn’t hurt to stay for an extra 30 minutes each day.”

If you decide to stay, make the most of it. “Given that most people will have already gone home, your office will be quiet, and you can get more work done,” he adds. “With fewer people around, there should be far fewer interruptions. If you stay an extra hour each day for one week, you could potentially have enough time to catch up on your work.”

The key, however, is to limit yourself. After all, you shouldn’t burn yourself out. “You won’t do yourself any favors by turning into a zombie, even if you are catching up!” Sundling warns.

Are you really behind or do you just feel like you’re not doing so well?

It’s one thing to have missed a hard deadline. It’s another to feel like you’re behind because you’re comparing yourself to others. If it’s the latter, then try using the positive benefits of competition to your advantage.

“Track your triggers.”

When you become aware of what triggers self-comparison for you, you can transform them into opportunities for more effective responses to self-comparison, writes Nihar Chhaya in HBR.

Shift from reactive rumination to purposeful reframing. For example, after you identify the situations that provoke feelings behind, you may decide to stop all activities that cause feelings of insecurity.

This approach is not always practical. For example, you may not avoid what your peers are saying in the workplace. But, you can reduce comparisons on social media by limiting your time on these platforms or viewing your peer’s progress objectively.

“Exhibit a personal strength to regain validation and momentum.” 

“During an acute bout of insecurity, you may start to brood about how you can catch up to others,” states Chhaya. “At this time, recapture your sense of self-efficacy by taking small actions to achieve small wins.” Highlight your strengths, share them with the world, and apply the validation to boost your resilience.”

“Redefine your peer set and create a new field of play.”

Comparing yourself to a fixed set of peers is like playing a zero-sum game where you are either ahead or behind your peers. “But by expanding your view to include new and diverse peer groups, you create less of a binary evaluation of your success and enable new domains to dominate,” Chhaya adds.

“Shake free of internalized expectations.”

A promotion at work may seem like an actual competition, but it’s another thing to feel behind your peers. Insecurity is also caused by a mindset that leads to perpetual insecurity: the belief that you should aim to outperform your peers and want everything they strive for.

Having to abide by this “tyranny of the should” is like living in a never-ending race. Success depends on what others want, not what you want.

“Consider the possibility that everything you have chosen to do until now has always been the right path, regardless of what you think you were supposed to do,” Chhaya advises.

Image Credit: energepic.com ; Pexels; Thank you!

Declutter Your Brain by Decluttering Your Calendar

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declutter your calendar

You can feel overwhelmed when you have so much on your mind. So, you do the right thing and get these thoughts out of your head and onto paper. Eventually, you use this to generate an extensive to-do list that will clutter your Calendar.

What happens next? Not only is your brain cluttered, so is your Calendar. That makes it impossible to focus on your priorities. And even worse, this leads to unnecessary stress.

While you’re on the right track by writing things down, you also need to declutter your Calendar so that you’ll be healthier, happier, and more productive.

Of course, that may sound easier said than done. So, here are some of the best ways to declutter your brain by decluttering your Calendar.

Acknowledge the fact that you can’t do everything.

“We can only do so much,” Mike Burns writes over Becoming Minimalist. “We have unlimited options but limited resources.” As such, some decisions must be made to eliminate certain things.

“When we’re feeling especially productive and superhuman, we struggle to admit this reality,” he adds. But, no matter how hard we, it’s impossible for us to do it all. “We have to remove the clutter.”

Clutter is all the stuff that gets in the way of living a happy life. As a result, we cannot do the things we value the most. “It’s that unnecessary stuff that we entertain but doesn’t help us get where we want to go,” Burns adds. “And it needs to be removed.”

Take stock and track your time.

“I always say if you want to spend your time better, you have to figure out how you’re spending your time now,” asserts Laura Vanderkam, author of, Off the Clock: Feel Less Busy While Getting More Done. “People have a lot of stories they tell themselves about their time,” she adds, but those stories aren’t always accurate.

Therefore, you must first take stock of what is in your Calendar to truly clean it up. Reviewing past appointments and calendars can give you some historical information to give you some insights into how you’ve spent your time. However, you should also track how you spend your time.

Here, you are generally presented with two options. One is a productivity journal, while the other is a time tracker. The most crucial step is to record all your daily activities for a week or so. From there, you can decide which entries you can remove from your Calendar.

Additionally, Vanderkam recommends channeling your inner Marie Kondo. If, for example, you no longer enjoy that cooking, music, or yoga class on Wednesday nights, dump it.

“It’s a ridiculous thing to think that everything will spark joy,” adds Vanderkam. “You might love your job, but your commute will not spark joy. Likewise, you love your children but changing a diaper will not spark joy,” she says.

Consider asking yourself, “What is causing the most pain? And what is something I can actually do something about?”

Question the validity of any recurring commitments.

Piggybacking from the point above — You should make a detailed inventory of what exactly is filling your schedule before attempting to declutter it.

We all do things the way we do because we are accustomed to them. But nevertheless, it doesn’t mean that we should continue doing them as we have day-in-and-out. And another way to achieve this is by questioning your recurring calendar commitments.

As a starting point, ask;

  • Why am I doing this? Is your Calendar full of entries that it easier than more essential tasks? Does it exist because you were told to do it by someone else?
  • Are my priorities aligned with this activity? Do you do this because you have to, or does it help you move closer to your goals?
  • Is this beneficial to my family or me?
  • How will this affect me? Is it draining or energizing?
  • Is my Calendar a reflection of how I want to live? Are you living your life on purpose? What do you think is the best way for you to spend your free time?

Get it off your Calendar whenever you don’t have a real reason to do something. At the same time, be careful not to remove something working well to make your schedule seem more organized.

You must be intentional about your Calendar if you want more space and time for what matters.

Delete old tasks.

When you have a minute, please glance over your to-do list. The chances are that you haven’t updated it in quite a long time. And, that’s alright. Some of these items are just habits that have become second nature. But, here they important or still relevant?

In reality, those items are nothing more than clutter. So, go ahead and remove them from your list. As for the remaining items, you might want to use something like the Eisenhower Matrix to prioritize your list.

You would do anything urgent and essential right away — meaning they get scheduled first in your Calendar. Then, you would schedule essential but less urgent tasks later. And, don’t forget that anything that’s urgent but not necessary can be delegated or outsourced.

Use the “Rule of Three.”

By following the Rule of Three, you will succeed in reaching your goals and getting more done. Apparently, according to Dan Silvestre, it was introduced by J.D Meier in “Getting Results the Agile Way. And, it works like this.

The Rule of Three stresses that you should only focus on 3 of your most important goals instead of aiming for everything. By limiting the number of tasks you do simultaneously, you can increase your focus and output. And it’s also helpful in keeping your Calendar in check so that you don’t feel as overwhelmed.

As an example, let’s say that you’re mapping out your week. Rather than trying to cram every to-do list item into your Calendar, only schedule three priorities for each day.

Verify your timeslots.

If you share your Calendar with others, then people can not only see your availability, they can also book these open slots. That comes in handy when someone needs to schedule a meeting or phone call with you. But, here’s the thing, schedules are likely to change.

Let’s say you have an upcoming trip or the other party had to attend to a personal matter. The chances are that something like a 15-minute phone call isn’t a priority. As such, to prevent wasting everyone’s time, you should verify this time slot.

You can use a calendar reminder to make sure that everyone can still meet at the agreed-upon time. Usually, this could be a couple of days in advance. But, if you know that you have more pressing matters coming up, like a vacation, you might want a longer timeframe, like a week or two ahead of time.

That might seem a bit much. However, it’s an effective way to safeguard your Calendar from last-minute cancellations and conflicts. I would suggest being a pro and giving others a deadline when your open slots will close.

And, one more thing, When you’re booked or off-the-clock, double-check that your Calendar shows that you’re unavailable. When you do, then others won’t be able to reserve that time slot.

Don’t make your Calendar annoyingly inflexible.

For better or worse, Elon Musk is known for many things. However, he’s also known for using a productivity hack in which he schedules his time into 5-minute segments. While Musk has denied this, it’s understandable why this technique is appealing. It not only protects your valuable, but it also can keep your Calendar so organized that you’ll get more done.

Here’s the problem, though. This technique is ridiculously inflexible that there is zero wiggle room. What’s more, it takes a lot of upfront planning to schedule your time so meticulously.

I’m all for time blocking. But that doesn’t mean you have to full each block of time. Instead, you should leave some blocks blank. The reason? Let’s say there’s a fire that needs to be put out? Then, you can more easily shuffle your schedule around to attending to this emergency without throwing your entire schedule off-track.

Make use of a scheduling assistant or calendar app.

Calendar apps and scheduling assistants offer a quick and efficient alternative to back-and-forth communication when scheduling a meeting or event. Furthermore, they keep your schedule from getting cluttered.

Calendar, for example, allows users to share their availability with others via e-mail or embeddable links. As a result, people can choose a time that works for them when they see your schedule. By doing so, you won’t overload your Calendar. It also lets you buffer meetings between them and avoid last-minute meetings, so you never have a congested Calendar.

As if that weren’t enough, Calendar uses machine learning to make smart scheduling suggestions. It can also determine the breakdown of your day by task type by analyzing your schedule.

Merge your calendars.

People often like to keep several calendars to keep the various facets of their lives organized. For example, you may have a calendar designated solely for work and another for your family’s schedule. You may also have calendars for birthdays, holidays, medical appointments, or even when your favorite sports teams are playing.

I get the appeal with this strategy. But, conflicts are ultimately more challenging to avoid when juggling multiple calendars. I know this from personal experience. Back in the day, I kept work and a personal calendar. Eventually, I would agree to an after-hours work event only to notice that I had already committed to going to a birthday dinner for a friend.

Aside from that, switching between calendars was inconvenient and a huge waste of time. So I found the simple solution to be consolidating all of my calendars into one master calendar.

How am I able to remain organized? I use color-coding.

“Most calendar apps will allow you to order your events by color, making it easy to distinguish them at a glance,” writes Howie Jones in a previous Calendar article. “Your online Calendar will have different events for work, home, and leisure. Assign a color to each category, and it will be easy to locate exactly what you’re looking for.”

“For example, the color red can distinguish all of your work-related events from the rest of your calendar,” Howie explains. “You might use blue to indicate your at-home priorities.”

The best part? “You can customize your calendar with whatever palette you choose, making your online calendar unique to your style and preference.”

Make decluttering a priority.

“Finally, there’s more to decluttering than just cleaning and organizing,” notes Deanna Ritchie in a previous Calendar article. “It is also about staying committed to living a clutter-free life.” You can easily keep on top of this by scheduling frequent cleaning sessions.

“For instance, you could block out from four p.m. to five p.m. on the last Friday of every month to tidy up your office,” Denna suggests. “Every Saturday morning could be reserved for household chores. And, so forth.”

It’s important to schedule these sessions in advance to commit to following through with this. Remember, your word is your bond as if you were meeting with a client or doctor. In addition, you won’t have to stress as much about cleaning and organizing your Calendar because you’re keeping it lean and mean before it becomes too overwhelming.

Image Credit: RODNAE Productions; Pexels; Thank you

Declutter Your Brain by Decluttering Your Calendar was originally published on Calendar by John Hall.

Pivot to Your Successful Calendar in 2022

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Pivot Successful Calendar 2022

Only a month of the way into 2022 and this year already seems to be looking up compared to the craziness of the last two years. The COVID-19 vaccine was rolled out to reasonable success, and businesses are beginning to thrive once more. The holidays were great, and we’re moving forward, hoping summer vacations won’t be limited with Omicron, or something else. With this positive outlook in mind, it’s a prime time for personal development and achievement.

Time management is the key ingredient behind personal progression. Using a tool such as your Calendar allows you to harness your time and daily efforts to make things happen in your favor. A lot can be achieved through proper time management, but avoid the tricky mistakes that may slow you down.

During this first quarter, take the time to assess your time management skills and pivot to your best Calendar success, making this year the best ever.

Here are some things you can look for to pick up your personal success pace.

Identify Working Patterns

Kick things off by celebrating your successes. Were you able to meet your daily exercise goals through successful Calendar additions? Is your side hustle growing thanks to some successful Calendar finessing that helps you be more productive in the evenings? Whatever your successes are — pat yourself on the back.

If you’ve been a big miss, don’t let that bother you — take courage and plan out the next few months of this quarter to continue to see progress on your goals. If your new morning routine helps you make time for exercise, be sure to include that schedule in your future Calendar plans. Keep track of what works and what doesn’t.

Ditch Bad Habits

Next up, it’s time to admit defeat in certain aspects of your time management. It’s okay to recognize that you spent a lot more time watching Netflix than you should have. Now’s your chance to turn things around using your Calendar.

Identify your lousy time management habits so that you can stop them in their tracks. What can you do to break the habit if you have a late-night binge-watching problem? Plan an evening activity in your Calendar, such as reading a chapter of a book, doing a chore that you have been putting off.

Think about studying a subject or investigating a skill you have wanted to work on or think about. Creative pursuits often pull me out of a bad time management issue. Thinking in this new way will help you increase your productivity.

A bonus tip: for recognizing both successful habits and destructive tendencies, take a look at your Calendar analytics. You can’t hide from the fact, and this will give you an inside view of how you’re spending your time.

Feel free to create a few events that weren’t originally planned on your Calendar or make adjustments to make your analytics more realistic. These numbers will show you what’s going the way you want, and which areas of your schedule could use some work.

Realign Your Goals

Hopefully, you haven’t forgotten those New Year’s Resolutions already? But, even if you have, this is as good a time as any to bring them back up. Scheduling a planning session to reevaluate your goals will put you back on the right track.

If you haven’t set any goals for this year or haven’t done anything to pursue them, make plans to start afresh. Organize your Calendar in a way that focuses your efforts on the goals you want to achieve. For example, you might be putting off finding a new job. Scheduling time to review your resume and write up applications helps you be accountable to your goal and take action.

For your existing goals, it’s time to evaluate your progress. Is your goal still attainable? Did you set your sights too low or too high? Realigning your goals helps you maintain productivity instead of becoming discouraged because you set the bar too high.

Try Something New

Time management perfection is different for everyone. You can’t expect to follow the daily routine of your favorite influencer and expect the same results for yourself. Instead, you need to find what works best for you and stick with it. That’s why trying something new with your Calendar can pivot your Calendar success for the rest of the year.

As an example, take a minute to fiddle with different Calendar settings. Color-coding your events or projects using a different view makes for minor adjustments — but might just be the difference-maker you need to manage your time even a little more effectively.

Take a swing at different time management techniques such as timeboxing or the Pomodoro method in an attempt to find the best methods for your personal use.

Find Your Balance

Think about your Calendar’s strengths and weaknesses — circle back and look at how you’re balancing your time. Have you only thought about how time management will help you with your professional life? While this is very important, it’s also vital that you implement a successful Calendar skill to improve your personal life. You won’t find true success until you find your life balance.

A Groupon survey shows that 60% of Americans have difficulties finding a healthy work-life balance. This is mainly because work often seeps into your extra time, making it feel like work is a 24/7 affair.

For this first quarter of the year, attempt to schedule out more personal activities in pursuit of a better balance. But, of course, you can always check your Calendar analytics page to gauge your progress.

Conclusion

Continue using your online Calendar to hone your time management. Consider taking the time this business quarter to continue evaluating your progress and note how things are going. The more diligent you are in keeping track of your time — the more you’ll be able to accomplish, and the fuller your life will be.

Image Credit: Towfiqu Barbhuiya; Pexels; Thank you!

The Assault on Productivity, Neglect of Your Calendar

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Assault Productivity Neglect Calendar

Almost all of us want to be able to improve our productivity. But how exactly can we do this?

There’s certainly no shortage of tried and true techniques. Examples would be working when you’re most effective, setting timers, blocking out distractions, or setting daily goals.

While all of these are helpful, they also rely on a calendar. Case in point, to reach your goals, you need to block out undistracted times for you to focus on tasks that get you closer to your desired outcome. If not, you’ll get bombarded by phone calls or commit to less difficult chores.

But, just because you have a calendar doesn’t mean you’re getting the most out of it. It’s like buying an elliptical to improve your health but letting it sit there collecting dust. If you ignore your new exercise equipment, you’re still failing to maintain your health.

In short, if you want to bolster your productivity, then you can’t neglect your Calendar. Here are the best ways to prevent that from happening.

Time estimates aren’t adjusted.

This past Sunday, I decided to cook dinner for my family. It wasn’t an overly complicated entree — it was stuffed peppers if you’re curious. Unfortunately, I underestimated how long it would take me to prep and cook the meal — leaving a very hangry family.

To be fair, we’re all terrible at estimating time. And, you can thank the planning fallacy for that.

What is the planning fallacy?

The planning fallacy is a psychological term that describes our tendency to underestimate how much time a task will take. It was first introduced in 1977 by psychologists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky. They found that people tend to ignore historical data when making predictions.

In other words? We don’t use historical evidence to estimate time. Instead, we concentrate exclusively on the upcoming task at hand.

Kahneman later elaborated on the original concept in his 2011 book “Thinking Fast and Slow.” According to him, estimation mistakes are usually caused by two factors;

  • Failure to consider the past times when we have completed similar tasks
  • We assume no complications will arise that will delay us

A second mistake relates to optimism bias, which describes our tendency to believe that the future will be a better place than the past. How does this connect to the planning fallacy? People think that things they do in the future will be more efficient than the things they do now.

As a result of our optimism, we believe that delays will be unlikely. But, unfortunately, that means when it comes to estimating time, you go with the best-case scenario. Consequently, we tend to disregard historical data that proves that the best-case scenario is, in fact, highly improbable.

How to overcome the planning fallacy?

In some cases, the planning fallacy is nothing more than an inconvenience. For example, you might have a hungry family when dinner is running late. But, you can put out some snacks in the meantime. However, time estimation errors account for 25 percent of failed projects at work.

The easiest fix? To estimate time spent on different types of tasks, use a time tracking app to track your progress over time or uncover when you’re most productive. The app’s built-in reports make it easy to reference the data later on.

Another easy solution? Give yourself some time than you need. For instance, you could set aside 2 hours for a specific task, even though you believe that it will only take you an hour. If it ends up taking you an hour-and-a-hour, then you have 30-minutes to spare instead of going over the allotted time you planned.

Sorry to continually beat the drum on this same idea — but you should periodically track your time on your recurring tasks to improve your productivity. As you become more proficient at these tasks, you should complete them faster. For example, if you blocked out two hours for a task and it now takes you an hour and a half, that extra time could be used elsewhere.

Not blocking out your priorities first.

Throughout my entrepreneurial career, I have sported a variety of hats. Obviously, this is more important when just getting started. There is no way to hire a talented team when you don’t have the resources. Once the cash starts flowing in, hiring a stellar team to support means fewer hats you have to wear.

That doesn’t mean you should completely ignore these responsibilities. Instead, it means that you can delegate specific tasks to others. On the downside, that could mean that you start filling your Calendar with entries that aren’t priorities.

Instead, follow the advice of Stephen Covey. “The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule but to schedule your priorities.”

This isn’t as easy as it sounds. Still, it shouldn’t be too difficult to achieve. After all, when it comes down to it, your priorities are anything that moves you closer to your goals.

With that in mind, you should book your priorities before anything else. If you don’t, other less critical items will take their place, thus hindering your productivity. Also, keep in mind that you won’t accomplish them all on a single day, so focus only on your three most important tasks. All other activities should be put off until later, delegated, or deleted.

Ignoring calendar conflicts.

Occasionally, calendar conflicts will arise. That’s life. But that doesn’t mean you should just shrug your shoulders and tell yourself, “Oh, well.”

Ignoring calendar conflicts doesn’t mean that they’ll magic resolve themselves. Instead, you’re going to have to be proactive and tackle them head-on.

For example, if you double-booked a time slot, own up to your mistake and try to make it right. So, let’s say you have a doctor’s appointment when you were supposed to have a call with a client. Let your client know about the scheduling error and offer an alternative date to speak. They may be disappointed, but it’s better than leaving them high and dry.

Forgetting to add calendar entries.

It’s possible to lose productivity when you forget to add calendar entries. Don’t wait to add events to your Calendar until the last minute as well. You might miss important meetings if you don’t do it immediately. As a result, you may be unable to meet deadlines, or you’ll need extra time to catch up on missed tasks.

Always schedule items as soon as possible — even if it’s a year in advance. But, of course, with the popularity of calendar apps, you can do this whenever and wherever you can. So, in my opinion, there’s really no excuse for forgetting to add entries to your Calendar.

Not clearing your Calendar regularly.

There are very things in life that you’ll possess forever if you don’t clean things out — including your Calendar. Everything from torn clothing, broken appliances, and outdated pantry items must be replaced. If not, you’ll end up in an episode of Hoarders.

The same is valid with your Calendar. If you don’t declutter your Calendar from time to time, it’s going to be packed with unnecessary entries. How often you go about this is up to you — I personally do this twice a year. Regardless, here are some items that you may want to remove when cleaning your Calendar;

  • Meetings with no purpose or agenda
  • Back-to-back or standing meetings
  • Habitual or minute activities, like brushing your teeth.
  • Unnecessary notifications and reminders, such as “Walk your dog.”
  • Recurring events that no longer fit into your schedule or you have no interest in attending
  • Tasks that can be delegated or outsourced
  • Other people’s priorities

Sticking with calendar default settings.

Make sure your calendar settings are tailored to your specific productivity needs, instead of just accepting the defaults.

For instance, multiple calendars and color-coding options are typically available in calendar apps. By using a different font or all caps, you can also draw attention to necessary entries. Alternatively, you can change the calendar view and decide what day to start.

In addition, you have the option to enable other time zones, hide specific calendars, and change the default time. This last option is particularly important. You can set the time to exactly what you need for an event or task instead of blocking out the default time — usually, this is an hour.

As an example, you might only need to meet with your team for 30-minutes. But, since you stuck with the entire hour, you’re wasting everyone’s valuable time that could have been spent on something more important.

If you really want to supercharge your Calendar and productivity, consider teaming your Calendar with other tools. By harnessing machine learning, Calendar, for example, suggests when, where, and how to schedule your time.

One final piece of advice here. The calendar app and tools that you use should seamlessly sync across multiple devices. Google Calendar, for instance, is equally accessible on Android and iOS devices. That means you can switch between your iPhone and Chromebook, preventing any missed calendar entries.

Failing to review your Calendar constantly.

To start the day on the right foot, you need to plan ahead. I mean, that’s like saying you’re going to cook your family meatloaf for dinner on a whim. Unfortunately, you don’t have all of the ingredients, leaving you scrambling to think of a replacement — on top of a disappointed and hungry family.

As for productivity specifically, let’s say it’s Sunday night, and you didn’t look ahead on your Calendar schedule for tomorrow. Because you’re busy with your family, it slips your mind that you have an early meeting in the morning. Suffice to say, you don’t prep for the meeting and are caught off guard when you receive a calendar reminder 15-minutes before the meeting starts.

In situations like above, that could not throw your schedule off. Or, even if you can keep your schedule intact, you may feel “off” for the remainder of the day. In turn, this could slow your productivity to a screeching halt.

Image Credit: Olya Kobruseva; Pexels; Thank you!

The Assault on Productivity, Neglect of Your Calendar was originally published on Calendar by John Rampton.

The Debate is Over – Yes You Need a Calendar

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you need a calendar

First, there are many reasons you need a calendar. For example, while you’re enjoying your Sunday, you’re planning your week since the weekend is over. Suddenly, there are a million racing thoughts going through your head.

On Monday night, your kids have a soccer game. There’s a meeting with your team on Tuesday morning. Wednesday? There’s a project deadline, along with a dentist appointment. On Thursday, there’s lunch with an investor and parent-teacher conferences. So even though you’re exhausted by Friday, you need to review progress reports and schedule dinner reservations for the weekend.

Take a moment to breathe. Everything is going to be alright.

Our calendars are constantly filled with meetings, events, special occasions, assignments, and tests, even before the week has begun. Therefore, keeping your schedule organized is essential to your success when pursuing your goals. And the simplest, most effective, and inexpensive way to achieve this is by utilizing a calendar.

In short, regardless of whether you use a paper-and-pen notebook or an online calendar, there’s no debate about it. You need a Calendar. Period.

Promotes accountability.

“Did you know that writing down your goals will make you 1.4 times more likely to succeed?” asks Howie Jones in a previous Calendar. “One reason for this is because writing lets your brain know what to focus on.” As a result, it becomes easier to remember.

Moreover, writing clarifies your goals and limits exceptions. “Also, written goals serve as constant reminders, lets you review your progress, and gives you the satisfaction of crossing items off your to-do list,” he adds.

What if you aren’t using a daily planner or wall calendar? Even though adding entries to your online Calendar may not be effective, it still helps you to schedule a specific meeting or doctor’s appointment. As well as giving you the chance to meet up with friends or accomplish particular tasks on your to-do list, it allows you to carve out time for family time.

Additionally, with an online calendar or app, you can set reminders. As a result, this will ensure that you won’t run late for a meeting, miss a deadline, or show up late to your kid’s soccer game.

And, speaking of accountability, with a calendar, you’ll finally achieve your goals. This is clutch since about 70 percent of people don’t reach their goals. But, how can a calendar help you reach your goals? While you can set realistic deadlines for mico-goals instead of setting ambitious and vague goals that take you longer to complete than anticipated. Additionally, you can use your Calendar to track your progress so that you’ll remain motivated.

Helps with prioritizing.

I get it. You have a never-ending list of tasks you need to get to. But, here’s the thing. Not every item on your to-do list is a priority.

Putting items on your Calendar allows us to choose which tasks are essential and which are not. By filtering out the unnecessary, we can make room for the important stuff.

But don’t just take my word for it. According to experts like Daniel Markovitz and Kevin Kruse, you should live by your Calendar instead of making lists. To them, lists give us too many options and fail to provide context, making it difficult to tell what is urgent and what is essential. They also don’t take time into account. And, lists can sway from tacking more challenging and complex tasks.

Aids in record keeping.

It’s also useful to maintain an up-to-date calendar for finding information about past events. Knowing when certain things, such as oil changes, quarterly reviews, doctor’s appointments, pet grooming, annual conferences, ensure that you won’t overlook them. It can also remind you of your child’s school schedule or keep track of your habits.

As if that weren’t enough, you could review past events to know when to book a team meeting, who to invite, and what should be discussed. You may even refer to your Calendar if there are any issues like billing disagreements or getting audited.

And, most importantly, at least for me, this can help you plan out your year in advance. That may sound excessive. But, I firmly believe that this is the key to time management.

Addresses procrastination.

Are you prone to procrastination? For some, this might motivate them to kick it into high gear. However, procrastination can halt productivity, impede innovation, limit opportunities, and strain relationships. And it can also cause anxiety and depression.

Will a calendar alone completely absolve you of procrastination? Most likely not. Nonetheless, having a specific date and time set aside for our tasks gives us a sense of urgency.

What’s more, this motivates us to get to work on time by eliminating excuses. For example, if you must complete a task by noon, then you can politely decline your co-worker’s invitation to join them for a mid-morning coffee break.

Provides structure.

Most of us thrive when we have a structured routine. And that’s precisely what Calendar provides us. For example;

  • Begin your day with a ritual. Get in the habit of waking up early and starting your day on the right foot by establishing a morning routine. Exercise, clearing out your inbox, reading, and planning your day are all excellent ideas for a morning ritual.
  • You should eat frogs in the morning. Not literally. Your “frog” is actually your most important task of the day. According to studies, our alertness and concentration are at their peak two hours after we wake up. Therefore, your morning should be used to tackle your main priority for the day.
  • Make the most of your afternoons by performing soft tasks and doing physical activities. Throughout the day, our energy levels decrease. Because of this, you should spend your afternoons on physical activities, meetings, and organizing your emails instead of working on tasks that require a lot of mental energy.
  • Take advantage of your commute by brainstorming. Chances are, you’ll be exhausted at the end of the workday. However, since you are less likely to be able to make connections in your brain, this is an excellent time to come up with new ideas.
  • Spend your evenings relaxing. The best way to recharge for the day ahead is to relax after dinner. The best ways to spend your evenings are to go for a walk, read, meditate, write, and check your Calendar.

Of course, you can use your Calendar to schedule breaks and fun activities to help you unwind and recharge.

Protects your mental and physical health.

By noting due dates, tasks, and special events on your Calendar, you will be able to free your mind from clutter. In addition, your Calendar is a good place to keep track of things, as you frequently check it. In turn, this can reduce stress and anxiety.

A calendar also “helps your physical health by helping you track things like diet and exercise,” writes Barbara Markway, Ph.D. for Psychology Today. Also, “you can schedule regular doctor and dentist appointments, and make sure you are getting enough fresh air and vitamin D by scheduling days spent outdoors.”

Prevents conflicts and establishes boundaries.

We all know how frustrating it is when we accept an invitation to an event, only to find out that we already have obligations during that time. Or the feeling of embarrassment we feel when we’ve double-booked ourselves into a corner. In either situation, someone will feel let down, which may also harm your reputation.

Calendars let you see what commitments you have and when you are available. It is easier to plan events or other special occasions when you know your availability. And more importantly, a calendar can assist you in setting boundaries so that you aren’t overextending yourself.

Image Credit: William Mattey; Pexels; Thank you!

The Debate is Over – Yes You Need a Calendar was originally published on Calendar by John Hall.

A Beginner’s Guide to Intuitive Calendar Management

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Calendar Management

Entrepreneurs and business professionals have a lot on their plates. There are forms to sign, meetings to attend, and a work-life balance that’s always teetering on edge. But, while the focus of business is almost always money at the end of the day, the real currency for businesspersons is time. The adage “time is money” is more true today than ever before.

If you can genuinely harness your time, there’s almost nothing you can’t accomplish. However, mastering time management is easier said than done. A lot of effort is required to manage time effectively, as well as a solid desire to structure your life and business with extra precision.

To satisfy the time management needs of every person possible, the calendar in its physical and digital forms was made. By learning better calendar management, you can make huge strides forward in your personal time management. Here is a beginner’s guide to help you get started:

Aim for Purpose and Results

When it comes to time management, everything you do should be intentional. Don’t just fill your calendar for the sake of looking busy. You will find a lot more success by aiming for a specific purpose and focusing on results.

One way to ensure that your scheduling remains intentional is to follow a tried-and-true planning method from a time management expert. For example, the Rapid Planning Method from renowned motivational speaker Tony Robbins is crafted with intentional time management in mind.

Use an Organizational System

Once you have a good idea of how you want to use your calendar to improve time management, you need to keep it nice. If you purchase a three-ring binder but fail to follow an organizational pattern, you’re not going to get much value out of it. However, if you’re utilizing a system by using things such as tabs and dividers, you’ll find the binder to be quite useful.

Your online calendar of choice will have various options and features you can use to stay organized. One of the most common and effective options available is color-coding. This will change how your events appear based on how you want to organize them. For example, you can match work events with your company’s logo to easily differentiate them from the rest of your schedule.

The great thing about online calendars is that they are highly flexible. You can use your own combination of color-coding and organize in a way that works specifically for you. Key points to remember are not doing too much and using a practical and memorable system. Too many colors can be challenging to keep track of.

Take Advantage of Recurring Events

As you’re setting up your calendar, note any repeat events you see. For example, you might have a team huddle every Monday morning or attend a spin class on Friday nights. Instead of manually inputting every single one of these events into your calendar, you can take advantage of recurring events.

When you set a recurring event, it pops up in your calendar at an automatic interval. This can be done for monthly, weekly, or even daily activities. This will save you a lot of time when planning out your schedule, as you don’t have to input the same event over and over again manually. This also will ensure that you never accidentally miss an event because you didn’t happen to add it to your calendar once.

Recurring events are also helpful for scheduling routines. You don’t always need to put a morning routine into your calendar, but doing so for a few weeks can help you adapt to a new schedule. For instance, if you’re moving from day shifts to night shifts, you might want to plan out the specifics in your calendar with recurring events until you’re used to the new schedule.

Learn How to Batch

At this point, you should have most of your calendar squared away. You can now start working on fine-tuning your calendar to make it work even better for you. One such thing you can learn to tune up your calendar is how to batch tasks. This will condense your calendar, making it appear less cluttered while still getting just as much done.

Most people batch tasks by starting with a to-do list. This is separate from the schedule that ends up in their calendar. Once you create a to-do list, you can organize each task by function and priority. This will give you batches of tasks that can be added to larger time blocks in your calendar instead of individual pieces that have you bouncing all over the place.

Don’t Forget Buffer Time

If you’re still concerned about how to fit everything into your busy schedule without overlapping, be sure not to forget about buffer time. Adding buffer time to all of your events can be a daily life saver. More often than not, you’ll be glad you included buffer time even if you didn’t need it.

Always leave some amount of time in between your meetings and events. For example, if you have back-to-back meetings, you might try and schedule them on the hour to fit them nicely into your calendar. Including 15 minutes of buffer time in between meetings will protect you if one meeting happens to run long and threatens to make you late for the next.

If you don’t need to use the buffer time, you can always have a backup plan for how you can use that time. For example, you can do some bonus prep as you move on to your next meeting, take care of some emails, or outline your next blog post. Of course, none of these tasks are urgent, but you might as well take advantage of any opportunities you find.

Who knew that something as simple as a Calendar could be used for so much. Simply using a calendar regularly is already a step in the right direction. Add these details along the way, and time management will begin to come naturally to you, and there won’t be anything you can’t achieve.

Image Credit: cottonbro; Pexels; Thank you! 

Tips to Switching Calendars Between Computer and Phone

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switching calendars

If you’re like most people these days, you’re incredibly busy. That said, having access to your calendar in multiple locations is one of the easiest ways to boost productivity and keep on track.

So, what does this “switching calendars” look like? Well, it means ensuring that what’s on your desktop calendar or to-do list syncs to your phone and tablet, too.

Since most people have access to at least one of these items at any given time in the day, it is a great way to always ensure you know what’s going on, where you have to be, and what you need to do.

Here are eight tips for creating a cohesive scheduling system between your computer and smartphone.

1. Choose a Program That Syncs to Both

Choosing a program that syncs to both is the first tip for switching calendars between your computer and phone.

For example, the Calendar app works seamlessly on your smartphone and desktop computer to update in real-time. Additionally, it offers time tracking features for better productivity.

Google Calendar, Microsoft Calendar, and Apple Calendar are also excellent options that offer this type of functionality.

If you have a team of employees to oversee, Hot Schedules and Deputy are two apps that also offer both desktop and smartphone access for better time management and productivity.

2. Know the Steps for Syncing Your Calendars

The next tip to consider is simply knowing the steps for syncing your calendars. In most apps, this takes place automatically every few minutes. However, you have to set this up first to ensure that it does.

How do you find out how to sync your calendar between your smartphone and computer? There are a few really great tutorials out there to do this, but it really depends on the app you’re using.

That said, the best advice is to look on your preferred calendar app’s website. Often, they’ll have a step-by-step guide for you to follow to ensure your schedule is syncing between platforms.

3. Remember to Use Your Synced Calendar

Of course, the most significant part of switching between desktop and smartphone calendars is actually remembering to use them.

In some cases, those looking for increased productivity find an app that works on their computer and phone. Then they forget to use it altogether, which pretty much defeats the whole purpose.

Instead, work to make it a habit to use your new synced calendar as often as possible. Set reminders or leave yourself notes to include this step as part of your daily routine.

After a few weeks, it should become second nature to add meetings, appointments, and tasks to your schedule this way.

4. Create Multiple Calendars for Different Needs

Another tip to help your productivity is to create multiple syncing calendars for different needs. Most scheduling programs allow you to at least have a business and a personal calendar.

But you might consider breaking down yours to add more for things like finance due dates, hobbies, school schedules, etc.

You can even do this and provide access to certain people, like giving your spouse access to the family calendar. Not only does this improve your productivity, but it can help your entire family stay connected with what’s going on.

5. Use Color Coding for Easy Viewing

If you’re guilty of just glancing at your calendar and not really diving into what you have going on in the day, you’ll like this tip.

Consider color-coding different tasks and items for easy viewability on your phone or computer. For example, appointments at someone else’s office might all be blue and in-house team meetings green. Personal time might even be a different color than tasks associated with work.

There are numerous ways to accomplish this, but it really makes things easier to understand at a glance when you’re super busy.

6. Link Your Favorite Smart Assistant

Productivity and smart assistants go well together. You can even link your preferred calendar with your chosen AI—Google Assistant, Siri, Alexa, etc.

Most calendar programs now offer the ability to link the two, making it simple to ask what you have on your schedule for that day. Some even provide the chance to give reminders, get directions and drive times to specific locations, and more.

If you’re looking for a great time hack to improve your daily schedule, this is one to keep in mind.

7. Utilize Pop-Ups and Reminders

If you didn’t already know, calendar applications also offer the ability to use pop-ups and reminders to help keep you on track.

For example, maybe you need an alert on your phone thirty minutes before you have to drive to that dental appointment. Or you want your calendar to email you the evening before trash day.

Generally, this is just a matter of configuring settings to remind you of what you’ve got going on with enough time to plan to attend. However, it can be a real lifesaver for those who are forgetful or constantly running late.

8. Configure Your Calendar to Suit Your Needs

Finally, it is essential to remember to configure your calendar to suit your needs. Each platform generally has a whole host of customizable features to make it simple to boost productivity.

If you aren’t sure of what your preferred calendar program can do, don’t be afraid to do a little research. There are so many excellent guides on advanced features out there that you’re sure to find one that helps you keep on track.

Whether these tips for syncing your calendars between your computer and phone are new to you or something you already use, we hope they help you stay more productive.

Image Credit: picjumbo.com; Pexels; Thank you!

Tips to Switching Calendars Between Computer and Phone was originally published on Calendar by Deanna Ritchie.

Time is All We Have

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Time is All We Have

When we say time is all we have, we’re not just talking about showing up to work on time every day all year long. Punctuality really means getting to work ahead of time.

Punctuality, or being on time, is essential for workplace efficiency (and especially job interviews), but it might be even more critical for your personal branding.

“You can set your clock by him (or her)” is a phrase not heard much anymore. But it is still one of the most valuable compliments an employee can be paid. With modern technology like smartphones and GPS, it ought to be a no-brainer to make it to scheduled appointments on time. Yet so often, managers complain of workers who are still an ‘a day late and a dollar short.’

With this in mind, here are five compelling reasons why timeliness is a vital soft skill to strive towards.

Punctuality equals time equals efficiency.

Few things scream “disorganized,” like being late all of the time.
While being chaotic in social settings may appear eccentric and odd, it is terrible news in the business.

Employers want to know that their employees are productive, and wasting time looking for files, tracking down client notes, or looking for a missing invoice costs the organization money.
Being organized makes it much simpler to accomplish projects, arrive at meetings, and fulfill client needs every time.

You’re on time: so you’re a trustworthy coworker and employee.

When it comes to job advancement, your personal reputation is valuable.
When your coworkers think you’re on time, they’re more inclined to include you in new and exciting tasks.

After all, no one wants to entrust a crucial project to someone who is prone to miss deadlines.

You improve the image of your organization.

It’s a safe assumption that your boss values timeliness.
Customers quickly lose faith in organizations that do not regularly deliver on time in today’s competitive industry.

Whatever position you play in the supply chain, sticking to a schedule helps maintain your company’s excellent image, which is a benefit for its success – and your involvement in it.

Punctuality demonstrates professionalism and detail-oriented thinking.

Let’s face it: storming into a meeting room five minutes late with papers flying and a sweaty brow isn’t a good image.
Furthermore, you are denying yourself the opportunity to test out beneficial techniques.

Whether it’s a client meeting, a team debrief, or a staff training session, being on time allows you to double-check that you have everything you need (iPad, pencils, agenda, etc.) and go over your notes.
It’s also an opportunity to figure out the optimum sitting location for you – one that allows you to maintain eye contact with the primary speaker while also maximizing your personal visibility so you can make a meaningful contribution.
It’s difficult to be seen as a serious contributor when you’re locked in the back of a conference room, bobbing and weaving amongst coworkers simply to see what’s going on because you arrived late.

Being on time implies you’ll have all of the knowledge you need to finish a project.
Even being a few minutes late to a meeting might result in you missing out on essential data that provide the groundwork for the remainder of the conversation.

You hold your coworkers in high regard.

Few things are more aggravating than having your own fine work sabotaged by a colleague’s tardiness.

With good reason, teamwork is a fundamental driver of modern organizations. Being on time is the fuel that runs the machine. Moreover, workplaces are interconnected; when everyone completes duties on schedule, workflows smoothly across the company.

A snag in one location, on the other hand, slows down the entire line, causing everyone else to suffer.
Setting a deadline for yourself to complete your part of the process on time indicates your respect for your coworkers’ ability to fulfill their own deadlines.

Simple strategies to incorporate timeliness into your personal brand

There are several solutions available to help you reach your aim of timeliness. Here are just a few to consider:

  • A simple written diary note or an alert on your smartphone or computer may serve as a handy reminder of scheduled appointments, phone calls, and deadlines.
  • Use a time management tool like Remember the Milk or Time Doctor to keep track of your tasks.
  • Also, avoid attempting to outwit the clock.
  • Learn exactly how long a task, a meeting, or a phone conversation will take — and manage your time better.
  • Setting unreasonable, strict deadlines will almost always result in you falling behind.
  • Allow for unforeseen disruptions by allowing some wiggle room.

These tips might assist you in maintaining your timeliness without being concerned about falling behind schedule.

Image Credit: DS Stories; Pexels; Thanks!

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