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How to Use Appointments to Improve Your Decision-Making

By Jason Barnes | Appointment | No Comments

Snap decisions often cause regrettable damage to our finances, relationships, and overall well-being. When confronted with a difficult decision, especially one that evokes an emotional response, it’s important to take your time and think through it from several angles. Try to let the emotional side take a back seat and consider your decision objectively.

This can be admittedly difficult to do. These decisions and the stress they cause can weigh on your mind and consume your time. How can you think about work or other important matters when such big decisions loom?

Sometimes, putting a placeholder on your calendar can relieve immediate stress and help you assess a wide range of situations more dispassionately. Doing so can also allow you to put the decision out of your mind so you can focus on tasks at hand. Your calendar placeholder ensures you won’t forget to revisit the decision, meaning you don’t have to fret it about in the meantime. That alone will give you some peace of mind.

Block Out Time for Projects and Decisions

Sometimes we have so much to do it’s hard to sit down and concentrate. Scheduling our time through our online calendars and apps can help us get important things accomplished.

Look at everything you need to get done for the day. Then schedule out blocks of time for each task. This will enable you to really focus on one thing at a time and boost your productivity.

Doing this also helps declutter your mind. Keeping all your tasks for your professional and personal life in your head can add to your stress and anxiety. Getting it all down in your calendar enables you to clear your mind so you can actually complete your to-dos.

You schedule appointments to get things done at work all the time. Why not do the same for your personal life? Add in your haircut or your kid’s soccer game. The less you have to keep in your head, the freer you are to be fully present.

Adding appointments for time to reflect or do research will facilitate your decision-making as well. You might schedule time to pore over your budget to see if you can buy the SUV you’ve been eyeing. You might also set aside time to compare various models and the dealer incentives different brands are offering. Taking this prep time lets you keep your purchase a priority but prevents you from recklessly signing on the dotted line at the urging of a smooth-talking sales rep.

Assess How You Use Your Time

As you begin to schedule time for decision-making purposes, you might feel like there just aren’t enough hours in the day to get it all done. How can you decide on the best uses of your time? Start by learning exactly what takes up your time at work and at home.

Calendar analytics can show you what you’ve been up to and inform your decisions about how you spend your time. Are you in meetings all day? Do you devote lots of travel time getting to a shared work space? Do all your kids’ sports have you on the road several days a week? With calendar analytics, you can learn the distribution of your calendar appointment types and see the locations of your meetings.

With this information, you can re-evaluate and make necessary changes so you can make the most of your limited hours. If you need to schedule a time for decision-making purposes, it can open your eyes to the best days and times available.

Use Dead Time for Productive Purposes

After reviewing your calendar analytics, you might discover blocks of wasted or dead time. You might find yourself waiting at the doctor’s office or when picking your kids up. Maybe you have a 30-minute gap between meetings or a long commute. You can make better decisions about how you spend this time, too. These little blocks of time can really add up!

You can leverage this time to learn a new skill or catch up on an enriching podcast. These solo moments could also be a good time to come to a decision on an issue at the office or at home. When you see that gap, go ahead and add an appointment to your calendar. For example, “Reflect on ways to save money this month.”

Improve Your Time Management

When deciding on the best use of your limited hours, it all comes down to time management. Effective time management will increase your productivity and help you stay on top of your obligations both at work and at home. If you find yourself routinely completing work tasks at the last minute or paying your rent late, you’ll need to find ways to be more organized.

After all, disorganization can spill over into those big life decisions as well. Poor time management can cause you to have to make a quick, last-minute choice that you’ll regret later.

When it comes to big decisions, giving yourself plenty of time to make informed, cool-headed choices is key. Setting calendar reminders for these moments can give you the space and mental clarity you need to to set yourself up for a great life.

Why You Need a Productivity Purge

By John Rampton | Appointment | No Comments

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you were able to juggle only one thing at a time? You know — if you didn’t have to always manage multiple projects? Remember in Covid when you were juggling homeschooling with your kids while you’re on a Zoom call? Now it’s summer and it’s dèjá vu — same scenario! So how is everyone else doing with this reality… especially with productivity?

Our lives are so busy it seems like a pipe dream to manage only one task. However, we’ve had a lot of science information come about in the last few years that tells us not to multi-task — have we been listening?

It is actually possible to do one thing at a time — and have great success. For example, take a look at when Albert Einstein was working on his theory of relativity.

The Einstein Principle

Let’s give credit where it’s due. Cal Newport popularized the Einstein Principle. If you recall, Newport is the author of the influential “Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World.”

In a blog post, Newport explains that from 1912-1915, Einstein was primarily focused on his theory of relativity — please don’t ask me to explain that! But, while Einstein had to make sacrifices, he published one of the greatest scientific accomplishments in history.

“We are most productive when we focus on a very small number of projects on which we can devote a large amount of attention,” writes Newport. “Achievements worth achieving require hard work. There is no shortcut here.”

“In a perfect world, we would all be Einsteins,” he adds. “We would each have only one, or at most two, projects in the three major spheres of our lives: professional, extracurricular, and personal.” In turn, we’d be able “to focus on this specialized set, in exclusion, as we push the projects to impressive conclusions.”

Of course, most of us aren’t that fortunate. And why would we? Newport argues that it’s risky, boring, and a tad unrealistic.

But, something does come close. It’s something that Newport calls a productivity purge.

What Exactly is a Productivity Purge?

A productivity purge “a simple strategy for coming as close as possible to satisfying the principle without giving up a quest for the unexpected next big thing.” The principle works as follows:

Grab a sheet of paper and create three columns; professional, extracurricular, and personal. Under “professional,” you would list all of the major projects you’re currently working on. Beneath “extracurricular,” jot down your side projects. And under “personal,” note all of your self-improvement projects, like reading.
Under each list, “select one or two projects which, at this point in your life, are the most important and seem like they would yield the greatest returns,” explains Newport. “Put a star by these projects.”
Next, identify whatever you can “stop working on right away with no serious consequences. Cross these out.”
Whatever projects are left unmarked, “come up with a 1-3 week plan for finalizing and dispatching them,” Newport adds. “Many of these will be projects for which you owe someone something before you can stop working on them.” If so, develop “a crunch plan for the near future for shutting these down as quickly as possible.”
After you’ve “completed your crunch plan, you’ll be left with only a small number of important projects. What that means is you’ve “purged your schedule of all but a few contenders to be your next Theory of Relativity.”

Newport offers a final important tip. “Try to go at least one month without starting any new projects. Resist, at all costs, committing to anything during this month.” Rather, target “with an Einsteinian intensity, on your select list.”

6 Ways to Purge for Productivity

The strategy listed above, in my opinion, is pretty straightforward. And, when done regularly, it is certainly effective. But, I’ve also applied this concept to known productivity thieves.

The result? I’m spending less time and energy on the unnecessary. In turn, that’s made me a lean, mean productivity machine.

1. Update your routine.

Routines can come in handy. They provide structure and make planning easier. And, when you have a routine, you don’t have to make as many decisions.

Here’s the thing, though. Is your routine actually effective? Just because you’re on autopilot doesn’t mean that you’re not on the right course.

Take a moment and assess your daily schedule. And answer the following questions:

Are you working when you have the most energy?
Have you left white space on your calendar?
Are you actually getting close to your short-and-long-term goals?
What recurring tasks can you delegate or remove?

Is there a perfect schedule? Of course not. But, in the words of Stephen Covey, “The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.”

2. Let go of old tasks.

Do me a favor and take a glance at your to-do list. If you haven’t updated this list in some time because you’re on autopilot, you may be in for a surprise. These tasks may no longer be relevant — or even worse, they may now be unimportant or vague.

Those items are actually clutter. So scratch them off your list. As for what’s left, prioritize your list using something like the Eisenhower Matrix.

Whatever is important and urgent, you would do immediately. Important but not urgent tasks will be scheduled for another time. Remember — anything that’s urgent but not important can be assigned to someone else. So, really, copy and paste these tasks to someone else right now.

3. Share your workspace with Mr. Clean.

Not literally. After all, Mr. Clean is a fictional character. So, that would be just weird if he were actually with you in person.

What sharing your space with Mr. Clean means is cleaning and organizing your workspace. It doesn’t have to be sparkling. But don’t let your space become a pigpen.

Some tips:

Whatever you don’t need, chuck or recycle it, such as junk mails.
Organize both paper and digital files so that they’re not on your desktop.
Think like a chef and practice mise en place. The French culinary phrase mise en place means “everything in its place.” Give everything a home and keep your most frequently used items close to you. Then, at the end of the day, put everything back where it belongs.
Create zones. You may do your deep work at your desk. But, you should have other zones for different activities. For example, you could create a resource area or outdoor spot for brainstorming.

4. Avoid information overload.

Being plugged in 24/7 and being surrounded by too much data is causing information overload. When left unchecked, it can hinder your productivity, performance, and collaboration. After all, the brain can only remember so much before popping like a circuit.

The best course of action? Be more selective about what you consume. Preferably, have the things you consume be relevant to what you’re working on right now. Additionally, you could also set a time limit on information gathering and learn to block out distractions.

Not enough? Give batching a spin. Don’t forget to occasionally let your mind daydream and wander.

5. Ask, “Does this bring you joy?”

I know — you associate this question with Marie Kondo when organizing your home. And while many people have found this helpful — I’ve only used the question when it comes to my calendar.

Here’s a recent example. Last weekend a friend had a small outdoor gathering. While I could have fit this into my schedule, I wasn’t just feeling it. That may sound selfish. But, I felt other things were more important, and, in my opinion, that event just wasn’t a priority at the time.

Just to let you know, I gave them plenty of notice that I wouldn’t attend. I also scheduled another time to catch up. I now apply this principle to any time request — whether it’s a new project, meeting, or networking event.

In the immortal words of Derek Sivers, “When deciding whether to do something, if you feel anything less than ‘Wow! That would be amazing! Absolutely! Hell yeah!’ — then say ‘no.’”

Keep this mantra top of mind right now when we, in business, are working to save the economy and our businesses. If you aren’t building yourself and your company, help someone else build or save their business!

6. Break free of stress.

Finally, purge stress from your life. If you don’t, you’re just not hurting your productivity; you’re also putting your health and wellbeing in jeopardy. And, you can get started by:

Identify your triggers so that you can remove them. For example, if a client keeps you up at night, you might want to let them go and work with someone else.
Take care of your body. You know the drill. Get your body moving, eat a healthy diet, and don’t neglect your sleep.
Meditate. Take a break from work and engage in mindfulness — even if it’s just for five minutes.
Learn how to self-soothe. When you’re stressed, try breathing exercises to calm down.
Do something that you enjoy. Examples could be reading, hiking, or spending time with friends and family.
Focus on what you can control. Seriously. Don’t waste your time obsessing over things that are out of your hands.
Take time off. When you’re overwhelmed, spend some time away from work in order to recharge.

8 Backyard Activities for Your Online Calendar

By Abby Miller | Time Management | No Comments

Summer is full of so many fun opportunities, especially with the kids having extra time off from school. However, there will be many days when your kids complain about how bored they are. Is it your job to never let that happen? Well, no, it’s not your job exactly — but here are some fun activities for your calendar that will tickle your young ones.

With the Fourth of July on Sunday, I hope you can get away — but if not, try a couple of these fun activities.

8 Backyard Activities for Your Online Calendar

One way to keep your kids busy and active all summer long is to use your imagination by turning your backyard into a play place. This article outlines just 8 of the many activities you can put in your online calendar this summer and for years to come.

1. Camping

You don’t have to venture out into the wilderness in order to go camping. You can have just as much fun pitching a tent in the backyard. Your lawn will be a lot more comfortable than the uneven ground you normally find at a campground, and being within walking distance of the kitchen and bathroom doesn’t hurt either.

If you want to make it feel more like camping, add in some activities that you would normally participate in on a normal camping trip. Set up a fishing game in a backyard pool and put together a fire pit to roast some marshmallows.

2. Scavenger Hunt

A scavenger hunt will keep the kids entertained for hours if set up correctly. You’ll be able to get some alone time or focus on a summer project while your kids scour the yard for clues leading to a secret treasure or reward. Invite some friends over to load up the search party and so that everyone can have some fun with it.

A successful scavenger hunt will take some planning, so use your online calendar to take some time to make it just right. Write up clever clues, stash away hints, and add some decorations to make the hunt seem like a pirate’s treasure hunt of the incredible journey of some sci-fi adventurers.

3. Movie Night

There’s nothing quite like enjoying a movie in the backyard. All you have to do is get a white sheet, set up a projector, and enjoy the show. A couple of extension cords should be enough to hook up the projector and some speakers for a nearly authentic movie experience.

With your online calendar, you can plan the perfect night where the weather is ideal. Rain clouds or stifling heat will quickly ruin a movie night, so it’s best to avoid a dreary forecast. Additionally, scope out the days when the sun sets early to not keep the neighbors awake with your late-night movie watching.

4. Barbeque

The smell of a backyard barbeque should bring back some summer memories. Why not make some more by grabbing your apron and spatula and whipping up a delicious meal for the whole family. There are all kinds of different meats to try and even vegan options that will add some flavor to your summer.

Suppose you like a party, the more, the merrier. Have some friends, family, and neighbors come over to enjoy the perfect summer meal. Send them a calendar invite asking them to bring drinks, silverware, or a side dish to complement your grilling. Who knows, they might invite you over to their own barbeque later in the summer as their way of saying thank you.

5. Obstacle Course

Has your family watched any American Ninja Warrior this summer or plan on watching the Olympics? Unleash your inner athlete by putting together an obstacle course in the backyard. The best time wins a trip to their favorite restaurant the upcoming weekend.

Your obstacle course can be as creative as you want it to be. Anything you can find or build can become an obstacle. Just be sure to keep safety first! You can even add some water features to make it extra challenging.

6. Photoshoot

When was the last time your family took a picture together? Maybe this summer is the opportunity for you to get an updated portrait together. Even if your backyard is nothing fancy, it’s home. The pictures you take will be full of the memories you make there.

A family photoshoot doesn’t have to be perfect. Candid shots can be a lot more fun than static, cheesy smiles if you plan them right. You might have even more fun having a themed photoshoot with costumes, props, and more.

7. Water Fight

Is it really summer if you don’t have at least one water fight? Whether it’s splashing each other in the pool or running around the lawn with water guns, getting soaking wet is a must if you really want to say you beat the heat this summer.

Tossing water balloons at each other in the backyard is one thing. Getting the entire neighborhood together for a full-out water war is another. Wage one side of the street against the other for the mother of all water fights to highlight your summer activities. You can coordinate with other families by sharing online calendars and deciding which day will be the best for everyone to get soaked.

8. Sports

There are so many sports that can take place in your backyard. Put together a family whiffle ball game or simply play catch together in the shade. Set up some soccer goals, take each other on, or have a penalty shootout to see who has to do dishes that night.

Even some of the more obscure sports can come into play here. Try something your kids might not have heard of before, like bocci ball or croquet. These lowkey sports aren’t as likely to disturb the neighbors or get a ball launched over the fence and can quickly become family traditions.

The possibilities really are endless. Grab your online calendar and start planning out some fun and games today so that the remainder of your summer is jam-packed full of fun from end to end.

Top 25 Calendar Experts You Should be Following

By John Hall | Appointment | No Comments

The purpose of a calendar has always been to calculate past or future times. Centuries ago, this had life or death implications as it let our ancestors know when to plant and harvest crops. It then evolved to remind us when festivals or religious ceremonies were to be celebrated.

Today? We rely on our calendars to not only keep track of time. We rely on them to schedule events, prioritize, stay on task, and be more productive. Yeah. Calendars play a vital role in our daily lives.

As such, you should follow these 25 experts so that you’re getting the most out of your calendar.

1. John Rampton

Named by Entrepreneur as the “Top Online Influencer in the World,” John Rampton and his team have built an impressive four unicorns over the last decade. And, one of these companies happens to be Calendar, where he also serves as its Chief.

Calendar launched in 2018, intending to reinvent the online calendar for the modern person. As a scheduling software, it uses machine learning to make smart suggestions. For example, it analyzes past calendars to recommend when, where, and whom to invite for your next meeting.

Follow John on Twitter (@johnrampton) or connect with him on LinkedIn for the latest calendar, time management, and productivity tips.

Suggested reading: Best Online Calendar and Scheduling Apps

2. Jory MacKay

Jory MacKay is a freelance writer and editor. His work has been featured in publications like Fast Company, Inc., Business Insider, Lifehacker, The Next Web, and The Startup. But, this award-winning writer also shares timeless productivity tips over at the RescueTime blog.

For the uninitiated, RescueTime is a time-management tool that tracks how you spend your days. With this data, you can make the appropriate changes. For instance, identifying when you’re most productive so that you can block this time out in your calendar. It’s also handy if you want to block out distractions when you’re trying to work.

3. Laura Stack

Also known as the Productivity Pro, Laura Stack is a Hall of Fame Keynote Speaker and bestselling author who has been featured on CNN, NPR, Bloomberg, the New York Times, USA Today, the Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur, and Forbes. She’s also written for the American Business Journal, Huffington Post, LinkedIn, Salesforce, Time Management, and Productive magazines.

While her work can help anyone improve their personal productivity, her main focus is assisting leaders in high-stress work environments to increase performance. She shares daily productivity tips on Twitter (@laurastack); she definitely gives her a follow.

4. David Allen

David Allen is a productivity consultant and mastermind behind the time management method called “Getting Things Done.” After first publishing Getting Things Done in 2001, this system has helped millions of people bring order to their chaotic lives. Today, it’s expanded to courses, videos, podcasts, and blog posts to help you capture, clarify, organize, reflect, and engage.

As for your calendar, in GTD, Allen recommends that it shouldn’t be cluttered with miscellanea. Rather, it should only contain time-specific actions, day-specific actions, and day-specific information.

Suggested reading: When to block your calendar

5. Leo Babauta

Piggybacking off Allen’s advice, keeping your calendar simple and mindful can make you feel less overwhelmed. More importantly? It allows you to hone in on what’s truly important.

That’s exactly what Zen Habits is all about. It’s a blog that was founded in 2007 by Leo Babauta. And, it covers how you can implement zen habits into your daily life..including your calendar. Also, follow Leo (@zen_habits) on Twitter for more minimalist and meaningful tips.

Suggested reading: Simplify Your Day Module Plan

6. Laura Vanderkam

One of my go-to experts when it comes to time management and productivity is Laura Vanderkam. After all, she’s the author of books like 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think and Off the Clock: Feel Less Busy While Getting More Done. What’s more, she’s the host of the Before Breakfast and has appeared on The Today Show and CBS This Morning.

As if that weren’t enough, her work has also been featured in publications like The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, City Journal, Fortune, and Fast Company. And, if you haven’t done so yet, her TED Talk, “How to gain control of your free time,” is a must-watch.

Suggested reading: The calendar meeting

7. Steven Griffith

Considered a leading authority on the connection between time, productivity, and performance, Steven Griffith is also the author of The Time Cleanse: A Proven System To Eliminate Wasted Time, Realize Your Full Potential, And Reinvest In What Matters Most. In it, he coins the “Timefulness” solution that “adds time to your life, and life to your time.”

Over the last 25 years, Griffith also has an advisor and coached a wide range of CEOs, entrepreneurs, and athletes. You may have even seen it on ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, or in publications like Forbes or Entrepreneur.

Suggested reading: How to Use Your Calendar Like GPS

8. Barnaby Lashbrooke

Want to free up blocks of time in your calendar? One of the easiest ways to accomplish this is by delegating tasks to others. But, what if you’re a solopreneur and don’t have people to delegate to?

The answer to this quandary is through freelancers, such as virtual assistants. And, you can turn to the award-winning tool Time Etc to accomplish this. You should also follow its founder, Barnaby Lashbrooke, on platforms like Twitter (@blashbrooke), Forbes, or Entrepreneur for top-notch time management and productivity tips.

9. Elizabeth Grace Saunders

Elizabeth Grace Saunders is the founder and CEO of Real Life E®, which is a time coaching and training company. She’s also the author of The 3 Secrets to Effective Time Investment: How to Achieve More Success With Less Stress and writes for Harvard Business Review, Forbes, Inc, and Lifehacker.

What sets her work apart from others is that it’s all about empowerment so that you can stop feeling guilty and overwhelmed. And, with less stress, you’ll feel more accomplished and confident.

10. Michael Hyatt

Not only is he the founder of Michael Hyatt & Company, but Hyatt is also an author, podcaster, and speaker. While much of his work focuses on leadership, he’s also provided solid goal setting and productivity tips.

I would also suggest that you follow him on Twitter (@MichaelHyatt). He’s extremely active on the social channel, where he shares advice on breaking away from the cult of overwork.

Suggested viewing: How to Conquer a Chaotic Calendar

11. Chris Bailey

Another personal favorite writer of mine, Chris Bailey, is the author of Hyperfocus. It’s a practical guide on how to manage your energy. Which, if you weren’t aware, is more important than managing your time.

He’s also written The Productivity Project. In it, Bailey lets us know that productivity is the product of managing your time, attention, and energy. He also discusses what biological prime time is and how to identify procrastination triggers.

For more useful advice and insights, head over to his website, A Life of Productivity.

Suggested reading: Feel overwhelmed by work? Try giving your days a theme.

12. Chloe Leibowitz

Chloe Leibowitz is a trained life coach with over a decade of experience. She primarily focuses on aiding you in forming new habits and boosting your productivity. In addition to one-on-one consultations, Chloe also has events and workshops like Bullet Journals.

If you visit her blog, you’ll find articles involving self-care, goals, mindset, and daily habits. However, she’s also shared her calendar hacks with Business Insider.

13. Craig Jarrow

Craig Jarrow is the author of Time Management Ninja. His main philosophy is teaching others the habits, skills, and tools needed to reclaim their time. He’s also a speaker and coach and featured on Lifehacker, Huffington Post, and American Express OPEN.

Craig is also another expert that you should follow on Twitter (@TMNinja). He posts excellent nuggets of wisdom multiple times a day. And, it also wouldn’t hurt to subscribe to TMN for even more tips and tools.

Suggested reading: Are You Making These 5 Calendar Mistakes?

14. Tope Awotona

Tope Awotona is the founder and CEO of Calendly. Founded in 2010, Calendly is a free online appointment scheduling software that eliminates those pesky back-and-forth emails. What’s more, it users automation so that you can spend less time scheduling and more time doing what really matters.

Awotona also has an inspiring story that you should read. He braved war zones while building the tool in Ukraine. Today? The company is a unicorn.

He’s definitely someone else you should follow on Twitter @TopeAwotona.

15. Justin Pot

Justin Pot is currently a staff writer at Zapier. Previously, he’s written for How-to Geek, Digital Trends, and MakeUseOf. As I’m sure you’ve noticed, these are all tech publications.

There’s an excellent explanation. Justin is a tech writer who has the knack to explain it to us mere mortals easily. And, since calendars have gone digital, he’s a reliable authority figure in this realm.

Follow Justin on Twitter (@jhpot) to stay up-to-date on the latest tech news.

16. Anshul Kumar

Anshul Kumar is the founder and president of Nextgen Digital. The content he produces covers topics like personal growth, digital transformation, and productivity. He’s also a YouTuber and top writer for the self-improvement publication Curious.

Suggested Reading: My Simple Hack for Calendar Blocking — Love It!

17. Caleb Moran

Caleb Moran is a business coach, minister, and father of five. He also just so happens to be the author of Calendar Hacking. In it, Moran shares his proven method that will help you “underwhelm your life and MAXIMIZE your days,” such as;

Giving up so that you can go up with the Mountain Climber method.
The difference between being intentional and busy.
The importance of boundaries.
Why your daily routine is the secret to your future.
How make your calendar a new boss you’ll love.

Suggested listening: 5 Steps To A Productive Work Week

18. Maura Thomas

Maura Thomas is an award-winning speaker, trainer, and author of Attention Management and Personal Productivity Secrets. Her work has also been seen in Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, Forbes, Entrepreneur, and The Wall Street Journal.

Furthermore, her productivity blog is reaped with priceless productivity tips like organizing your life, organizing your emails, and gaining brainpower momentum.

Suggested reading: Should You Schedule Tasks on Your Calendar?

19. James Clear

James Clear is a photographer, entrepreneur, and author. His New York Times bestseller, Atomic Habits, is one of my favorite books from the last couple of years. It’s mainly because it’s jam-packed with practical and realistic tips on breaking old habits and sticking to good ones.

Clear also has produced a Clear Habit Journal. And, he shares even more advice on his Twitter account (@JamesClear).

20. Ellen Faye

Ellen is an ICF Professional Certified Coach and IAC Certified Productivity Leadership Coach. Since 2001, she has helped people work smarter and live better.

Her blog is another excellent resource if you’re struggling with calendar management and productivity. Ellen also shares how you can set priorities, improve efficiency, and juggle multiple commitments.

Suggested reading: Make Space – See What’s Possible.

21. Jill E. Duffy

Jill E. Duffy is a writer who covers mainly personal technology, productivity, and remote work. Since 2012, she’s also been a columnist for PCMag.com, writing for a series called Get Organized. In this digital era, this series has been a priceless resource.

Jill has also written articles for the BBC, Fast Company, and Productivity Report. You can follow Jill (@jilleduffy) on Twitter as well.

Suggested reading: How to Turn Splinters of Time Into Blocks

22. Mike Vardy

Mike Vardy is a writer, speaker, and productivity strategist. Oh yeah. He’s also the founder of a pretty cool website dubbed Productivityist. He’s also the author of The Productivityist Playbook and TimeCrafting: A Better Way to Get the Right Things Done.

Definitely go ahead and give him a follow on Twitter (@mikevardy), listen to his podcast, or visit his blog for some stellar productivity tips.

Suggested reading: The One Thing I Started Scheduling On My Calendar

23. Julie Morgenstern

Julie Morgenstern is a New York Times bestselling author and speaker who has been assisting people to become more organized to reach their goals. She’s written columns for O Magazine, Redbook, and Wells Fargo. And, she’s also shared her expertise on The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, The Rachael Ray Show, The Today Show, Good Morning America, and NPR.

She’s also the founder and CEO of Julie Morgenstern Enterprises. The company publishes original content on its blog and hosts workshops to help bring order to this chaotic world.

24. Cal Newport

Cal Newport is a computer science professor at Georgetown University. He’s also the author of seven best-selling books, including the influential Deep Work. His other work includes Digital Minimalism, A World Without Email, and The Time-Block Planner.

Somehow, Newport also has a podcast featured in USA Today, Good Morning America, and NPR.

25. Matt East

Matt East is a productivity coach and author of The Purposeful Planning Method: How to Plan Your Day, Beat Procrastination, and Regain Control of Your Time. He’s also the host of not one but two podcasts — The Goal Achievement Podcast and the Better Humans Podcast.

Time Blocking and Appointment-Making: 6 Tips to Get Started

By Jason Barnes | Appointment | No Comments

The jig is up. It’s time to admit that multitasking is not a productive strategy for getting stuff done. Research actually proves that the opposite is true. Multitasking makes you less effective at all of the tasks you’re juggling, but time blocking can solve this issue.

The question now is, how can you hope to get multiple tasks done in a single day without multitasking? If you’re using an appointment software package, the answer is right in front of you. This program can be leveraged to use time blocking to increase productivity. Here’s how to get started:

1. Get to Know Time Blocking

To get started, you first need to understand what time blocking entails. This is a time management practice that involves the use of a calendar or scheduling tool to organize your time.

You start by dividing your daily schedule into blocks of time. Each block is then assigned a specific task. During that period, all of your attention is focused on the task at hand until the block transitions to the next.

For example, let’s say you have a bad habit of checking your email throughout the day, diverting your attention away from other tasks and projects. You can use time blocking to set specific times during which you’ll read and respond to emails. Outside of those blocks, email will be left out of the picture.

2. Create a To-Do List

How do you figure out which tasks belong in which time blocks? Start by creating a daily to-do list. Write out everything you need to accomplish in the coming days, both small tasks and large-scale projects.

Next, rank your tasks in order of importance. Some tasks will require more time and attention, while others have specific deadlines that must be met. Prioritizing these tasks as such will give you a better idea of how to organize your time blocks.

Now that you have your list, it’s time to transfer it to your schedule. Make time blocks for your urgent tasks early in the day. Follow up with larger time blocks for your other projects and fill in the cracks with meetings, breaks, and anything else.

3. Practice Discipline

Time blocking will not work if you don’t practice discipline. Your appointment schedule will mean nothing if you constantly allow outside forces to penetrate your time management plan.

If you find yourself struggling to stick with the same task without getting distracted, try using the Pomodoro Technique. This time management approach is a spin on time blocking that helps you break down your schedule into manageable pieces.

It works like this. You schedule your time out in small windows, or blocks, anywhere between 15 minutes to an hour. During that time you focus on nothing but the task at hand. After the block ends, take a scheduled break of five to 10 minutes to recharge. These small sprints will keep your focus level high and help you accomplish tons of tasks in a single day.

4. Ease Into It

Time blocking will take some getting used to. It can be overwhelming to attempt to schedule out every minute of your day if you haven’t done so before. Instead of diving right in, ease yourself into time blocking for a smooth transition.

There are a couple of ways you can ease yourself into a time blocking schedule. First, consider setting only large blocks of time that don’t come with the stress of a tight deadline. Keep each block at least an hour long to get started.

Another method is to use time blocking for only a portion of your day. For example, it can help you have a productive and structured morning, while the afternoon is left more open and free.

5. Make Time for Everything

One of the most common mistakes people make when time blocking is not leaving enough time to complete tasks properly. Not everyone can be like Elon Musk, who schedules his day in five-minute increments. You’ll almost always be better off alloting more time than you anticipate needing for a task.

Let’s use a team meeting as an example. Normally these meetings would last about an hour. Instead of blocking off exactly 60 minutes in your schedule, block off 75 or even 90 minutes. This ensures you have the necessary buffer time to move to another meeting or project even if this meeting runs a bit long.

If you finish a task before your time block is up, there’s no need to stress. Rather, do just the opposite. Use that extra time to stretch your legs and organize your thoughts before moving to the next time block. When your schedule is laid out to your liking, you don’t need to move things up when extra time appears.

6. Get Some Rest

It’s been mentioned a few times already, but getting rest is so important that it deserves its own subheading. While time blocking can help you accomplish more with your day, it’s not meant to burn you out quickly. It’s important for rest and relaxation is key to unlocking your full productivity.

Using the Pomodoro Technique builds in some short breaks, but to really stave off burnout, you need to schedule more rest than that. Use time blocking to get more done in less time so that you can get home to your family earlier or take that fishing trip you’ve been longing for all summer. You’ll feel just as accomplished and have more time to enjoy life outside of the office.

Time blocking will show you just how much you can get done in a single day. Start using your appointment software of choice to organize your time and see just how much more you can accomplish with this time management technique.

How Tech Will Help Your Productivity

By John Rampton | Knowledge Base | No Comments

Let’s not beat around the bush. Improving your productivity, using tech or not, takes a lot of hard work and self-discipline.

How many of us can resist responding to a text message? How often do we engage in busy work? And, are we being as active as we should be while working from home?

However, thanks to technology, these are yesterday’s problems. In fact, with tech, you’ll be able to finally become more productive in 2021 and beyond.

Utilize trackers.

People have been tracking their time for centuries. In fact, the oldest record of tracking time for completing work responsibilities was the Code of Hammurabi, dating to about 1754 BC! But I’m referring to more modern time trackers.

As explained previously in another Calendar article, time trackers “shine a light on when you’re most energetic, focused, and motivated.” Furthermore, “they can pinpoint when and where you’re wasting your valuable time.”

These digital tools also run quietly in the background of your computer or phone. “That means they track your time automatically without you even realizing it.” From there, “they analyze the data and make suggestions on where and how to improve,” such as determining when you’re most productive.

While not as ancient as the Code of Hammurabi, time tracking software has been around for years. But, tools like Toggl, RescueTime, Harvest, Timely, Clockify, and Calendar remain invaluable. Considering that your schedule is vastly different from last year, it wouldn’t hurt to utilize time trackers once again.

Already tracked your time? Well, have you tried a fitness tracker?

Whether it’s a FitBit or Apple Watch, fitness bands can help combat the sedentary lifestyle that we’ve been experiencing since COVID-19 struck. In turn, you’ll be healthier, happier, and more energetic. All of which will increase your output.

Get on board with a smart calendar.

As with time trackers, smart calendars aren’t exactly new. I’d even go as far as to say that solutions like Google, Apple, or Microsoft Calendar have become ingrained in your daily life. But have you tried anything beyond the “big three”?

No disrespect to these online calendars. They’re accessible and come loaded with features ranging from finding meeting times to receiving reminders. However, depending on your exact needs, they may not always be the best fit.

For example, if you’ve found that scheduling meetings consume too much of your time, consider Calendar. It uses machine learning to make smart suggestions for future meetings — it can even automatically schedule them for you as well. And, it integrates with your existing calendar, like Apple, Google, and Microsoft, so that you aren’t always bouncing between them.

AI is a new reality.

“Artificial intelligence is real and helping leading-edge companies gain an advantage in the market through improved automation, enhanced decision-making, and improved productivity,” writes Stephen Boals for Accounting Today. “Whether it’s a simple algorithm that enhances reporting, a cloud-based AP automation suite, or an ERP module your accounting department can leverage, AI point solutions are available and built to solve specific business problems.”

In fact, Gartner predicts that by 2024, 69% of routines done by managers will be fully automated. If you don’t want to be left behind, it’s finally time that you improve your workflow automation game. If you need a starting point, Capterra has an extensive list of automation software for you to review.

Declutter your digital workspace (and mind).

As you know, your workspace and environment have a direct influence on your productivity. I mean, it’s near impossible to focus when you have a cluttered desk or noisy background. But, the same is true of your digital workspace.

It may not be on the top of your mind. But, the biggest distractions that you have at work are, in fact, coming from your smartphone notifications and the internet. While you could evaluate and remove time-wasting apps, I’m looking at your social media; you can use the following tools to achieve digital minimalism.

Keep your email in check with Sanebox, Unroll.me, and FollowUpThen.
For Mac users, there’s Magnet. It keeps your workspace organized by arranging windows into organized tiles. As such, this eliminates switching back and forth between browser tabs and apps.
Don’t worry, Chrome users, I’ve got you. Toby is an extension that allows you to organize and manage your browser tabs — you can also share and collaborate with them.
Station is another browser extension. It provides a shortcut for all your apps, documents, notes, and messages so that you aren’t switching back and forth.
I’m known for jotting down notes. But, all those stickies and notepads can also cause physical clutter. Google Keep solves this problem. You can use it to take photos of whatever you’ve written down, add audio notes, draw, and set reminders.
Do you want to reduce screen time and avoid distractions? Apps like Offtime, Freedom, Moment, and FocusMe let you block app notifications and visiting websites at certain times.

Communicate and collaborate with dispersed teams.

Even if you’re a freelancer or solopreneur, you still have to be in-tough with your clients. For businesses, however, working remotely will most likely be the new normal for the foreseeable future. In either case, you need to have the right tools to seamlessly communicate and collaborate.

While Zoom has been the de facto videoconferencing tool, there are others worth considering. These include Microsoft Teams, WebEx, and GoToMeeting. Verizon has also gotten into the game with BlueJeans.

For my money, though, I’m all about Google Meet. It’s much easier to use than Zoom. More importantly, it’s a part of the Google ecosystem. That means I can use one platform for email, scheduling, docs, spreadsheets, notetaking, and there’s even a whiteboard called Jamboard.

Simultaneously, phone and video calls, texts, emails, and Slack messages can be overwhelming. That’s when collaboration tools like Slab, Eloops, Bluescape, and Figma come in handy. You can interact with team members, create and share content, brainstorm, track projects, or host team-building activities virtually.

Stay focused and on track.

Have you ever been zoned in on a task only to have a thought interrupt your flow? It could be to return a phone call, make a dentist appointment, or pursue a business idea. As opposed to stopping in your tracks, just let Alexa or Google Home know. Using your voice, you can create reminders, add events to your calendar, or generate to-dos.

Besides smart devices and home assistants, apps like Forest, Brain.FM, Serene, Noisli, and Focus@Will can keep you focused and motivated. And, if stress or anxiety has gotten the best of you– Calm, Headspace, and Rain, Rain was designed for meditation and relaxation.

Make the shift to 5G.

For roughly the last year, telcos has been updating their infrastructure to 5G to deliver faster internet speeds. More recently, both Google and iPhone have unveiled 5G phones. But, what exactly is 5G and how can you make the shift?

“It’s not simply another ‘G,’ as it has been in previous generations,” explains Amol Phadke, global network practice lead at Accenture. “It has the potential to completely disrupt the way we work and live.”

“The speed of the connection will bring the biggest change by far,” says Carsten Schaefer, founder and CEO at crowdy.ai. “Given how amazingly fast the Internet connection is, it will make work much more efficient.” That may make downloading files faster, but there are additional benefits. For example, this technology can detect malfunctions before they occur, which will reduce downtime.

Moreover, 5G will improve remote work. For instance, it will drastically improve videoconferences. It can also speed up real-time collaboration or provide VR training and mentorship.

However, to tap into the potential of 5G, you need to make sure that your phone and carrier support it. It’s a little foggy right now. The Galaxy S 20 5G, the iPhone 12, and the Pixel 4a 5G are described as 5G.

As for coverage, Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile all provide maps on where 5G is available. Not all of them are straightforward. But, you can expect more coverage as 2021 rolls on.

Schedule telehealth appointments.

When you aren’t feeling 100%, either mentally pr physically, your productivity stifles. But, the link between health and productivity hasn’t exactly been a secret. What has changed, though, is how more accessible healthcare has become in response to COVID-19.

To limit potential exposure and address mental health concerns like isolation, virtual care visits have skyrocketed. For example, in the first week of March 2020, there was a 154% increase in telehealth visits. Forrester Research anticipates that in early 2021, U.S. virtual care visits will almost reach a billion.

Specifically, Forrester expects one-third of virtual care visits to be for mental health. In fact, this will account for 31% of all virtual care visits this year.

With telehealth literally at your fingertips, there’s no excuse to schedule anything from a checkup with your physician to weekly sessions with a mental health professional. When you do, you’ll be healthier, happier, and more productive.

How to Make Your Work Meetings Work for You

By Gunjan Saini | Scheduling | No Comments

You know all about the workday marathon. You finish with one work meeting, and then you have to sprint over to the next meeting. You may even end the first meeting early just to get to the second one on time. The situation certainly isn’t ideal.

In fact, this kind of terrible time management can cause all kinds of problems. It leaves too little room for error and causes unnecessary stress.

How you schedule your meetings will determine how successfully you’re using your time. If you schedule back-to-back meetings, you’re making your life harder than it needs to be. Thankfully, there are things you can do to change this. The following tips will help you alter your meeting habits for the better.

Add Buffer Time Between Meetings

The first thing you should do to prevent work meeting overlap is to add buffer time to your schedule. A few minutes between meetings will give you some time to catch your breath after you dash from one to another.

Sitting through the end of a meeting knowing you’re going to be late for the next one is incredibly stressful. You’re more likely to be distracted, and you may even miss important information. Plus, a presenter can tell when you’re itching to leave.

Then there are the concerns about the second meeting. Tardiness is often seen as inconsiderate. If it’s a meeting with the boss, you certainly don’t want to look bad.

It’s much better to be safe than sorry. Build-in buffer time even if you don’t think you need it.

Plan for Longer Work Meetings

Don’t be afraid to schedule a bit more time than you actually need when organizing a meeting. Take a training meeting, for example. You can’t predict exactly how many questions employees and new hires will have during the event in question. It’s best to get all questions answered rather than cut the discussion short.

To be clear, this should be separate from adding buffer time. Buffer time gives you what you need to get to and from appointments. Planning for longer meetings also helps other employees manage their schedules.

Basically, this means scheduling an hour and a half for a meeting, even if you think it’ll take an hour. After that 90 minute block, you’ll still want an additional buffer of 10 minutes. After all, nature could be calling by then.

Evaluate Your Meeting Locations

Your work meetings’ locations have as much of an impact as when they’re scheduled. For example, you might need to take a long-time client or a group of investors to lunch one day. You’ll need a lot more buffer time if you have another meeting scheduled back at the office afterward.

This won’t be as much of an issue if most of your meetings are online. However, you’ll still need to keep location in mind. Small relocations, like going from the conference room to your office to set up a Zoom call, can still take time. After all, technology can be unpredictable, and you might need the extra time to fix your mic or hunt down a presentation.

Prepare Meeting Agendas in Advance

Just as important as planning the times of your meetings is planning their content. You’ll find that meetings run a lot more smoothly when there’s an agenda to follow. Use your online calendar to set a reminder to make an agenda before every planned meeting.

If you’re attending a meeting rather than leading it, ask the host for an agenda. This might prompt them to make one if they haven’t already. This small request can help ensure that meetings go efficiently, even when you’re not in control.

Keep the Number of Meetings to a Minimum

Did you know that the average employee is wasting 31 hours a month in unproductive meetings? Think of all the things you and your team could accomplish with those lost hours. How can you reclaim that time? By identifying and cutting out unnecessary meetings.

Deciding which meetings to keep can be a challenge. Start by asking yourself a series of questions. Can everything you plan to say in this meeting be written in an email? Are these meetings actually just a way to micromanage others? After some introspection, you should be able to clear your calendar of at least a few meetings.

Internal communication platforms should keep the need for formal meetings to a minimum. Individual questions can be sent through direct messages. Plus, project management software allows you to give plenty of instructions for specific tasks.

Avoid Last-Second Meetings

Sometimes a last-minute meeting pops up, and you’ve got no choice but to drop everything and go. However, when you can avoid last-second meetings, you should. Nothing will clog up your schedule more than an unexpected meeting. Trying to squeeze it in between your previously scheduled commitments is just asking for trouble.

If someone requests a meeting with you for the same day, take a look at your calendar before saying yes. Look for a clear opening in your schedule. If there isn’t time for a couple of days, see if that time frame would work for the other person. Very rarely will you actually have to fit in a last-second meeting. It’s always easier to negotiate a meeting time than to reschedule existing commitments.

Schedule Blocks of Time Without Meetings

If meetings start to overwhelm you, schedule some times where you won’t allow meetings to take place. This will ensure that you can get some actual work done. If you know when you’re most productive, you can schedule this time accordingly. For example, some people do their best work early in the morning. If that describes you, it’s best to block off that time for your own work.

Some people prefer to have all their meetings on one day. Then they have the rest of their week for other work. Others like to keep their meetings spread apart so that they never run too closely together. Whatever your preference, make sure to designate some time away from the meeting room when you can.

Meetings are an important aspect of any business, but they can take over your professional life if you let them. Finding the right approach to organizing your meetings will keep you from becoming stressed. Open up your calendar now and start making the adjustments you need for smooth sailing at work.

Best Appointment Scheduling Software: 7 Apps for Business Scheduling

By Jon Bradshaw | Scheduling | No Comments

A person manually setting up appointments without any of the best appointment scheduling software.

It isn’t fun to manually set up schedules, follow up with appointments, handle emergency bookings, and skim several calendars to see appointment dates.

Creating manual appointments can cause you to lose customers and set back your business growth because your scheduling processes are all over the place.

It gets worse if you continue to do this day in and day out every week.

What if you could streamline your appointment workflow in minutes, book customers faster, and make more money?

The best appointment scheduling software streamlines bookings, messaging, payments, and other business scheduling. These booking systems help automate repetitive appointment processes and free up time so you can focus on your zone of genius.

Think of an appointment scheduler as your low-cost, super-efficient virtual assistant who doesn’t take breaks but continuously sets up meetings with your customers. It’s a must-have for all business processes and appointment types for an easier booking experience.

Here’s what you’ll find in this guide:

Appointment Scheduling Apps: Definition and Uses

What To Consider When Choosing Appointment Scheduling Software

Best Appointment Scheduling Software

Appointment.com
Calendar.com
HubSpot Meetings
Appointy
Acuity Scheduling
Calendly
Chili Piper

Final Thoughts: The 7 Best Appointment Scheduling Software

Appointment Scheduling Apps: Definition and Uses

Appointment scheduling apps are a solution to manual tasks and processes for booking appointments. With these appointment schedulers, you can automate scheduling processes such as:

Booking
Rescheduling
Cancellation
Follow-ups
Payments

Your customers and prospects can access your appointment scheduling software through a simple URL and book meetings themselves. You can share the scheduling link to your booking page via e-mail and social media, or you can embed an appointment widget on your website and other business pages.

Booking services has never been easier. An appointment scheduler erases the need for the tedious appointment setup, human error, and back-and-forth communications that characterize manual appointments.

Appointment scheduling applications empower your clients to choose a time and date most suitable to them while letting you input your available hours. Your clients can book their own appointments without overbooking and stretching you thin.

The Benefits of Appointment Booking Software

Here are some of the advantages of using appointment booking apps:

Online appointment scheduling software reduces the length of your sales cycle
Provides a better booking experience
The best appointment schedulers ensure you get paid faster
Enables your customers to self-schedule or adjusts their bookings
Reduces the number of no shows
Appointment schedulers eliminate manual tasks and stressful marketing
Prevents overbooking and scheduling errors
Provides automation to follow-up with customers
Saves you time, energy, and customers
Gives you the space to focus on your zone of genius

What To Consider When Choosing Appointment Scheduling Software

The best appointment scheduling software solutions have certain features that cut across them. Here are the five features you should look out for when choosing an appointment scheduling app for your business.

Calendar Syncing

Calendar syncing is one of the most common features of the best appointment scheduling software. It’s essential to integrate your scheduler with your personal and work calendars.

Calendar sync increases your efficiency by conserving your energy and saving time. This feature enables you to view your business appointments alongside your personal to-dos and holidays at a glance.

Check for software that syncs to your Google calendar, iCal, or Outlook. It can be tedious opening one calendar after the other to see when you have appointments.

Flexibility

Companies often have different appointment scheduling needs depending on their business type and niche.

The best appointment scheduling software solutions consider the versatility of the business world by offering several customization options. Some of these booking apps even create tailored interfaces to suit specific types of services.

Understand your business’s scheduling needs before you invest in any appointment scheduler, as this will help you know what customizations your business processes need. Then, look for the appointment booking app that matches those needs.

Easy Access

Your clients need to access your appointment scheduler from anywhere. Go for the best appointment scheduling software that provides multiple access points.

Ideally, your appointment scheduler should provide a sharing link, integrate with social media platforms and messaging channels, and have website embed functions.

Payment Processing

One of the simplest ways to grow your revenue is to set up an easy online payment system.

The best appointment scheduling software empowers you to automate payments alongside bookings so your customers can use a credit card or merchant website like Paypal to pay you quickly and easily.

To reduce financial and time losses, you can have customers pay at the point of sale before the appointment kicks off.

Reminder Settings

Life gets busy, and so do people. Your customers will most likely have other things besides your meeting on their minds. That’s why you should send a reminder ahead of your meeting time to minimize the number of no-shows and emergency rescheduling.

This can be a hassle if you have to send follow-up messages every time you get booked manually.

The best appointment scheduling software automates reminders, so your meeting attendees are always aware of their appointment time and date beforehand.

Best Appointment Scheduling Software

Appointment.com
Calendar.com
HubSpot Meetings
Appointy
Acuity Scheduling
Calendly
Chili Piper

Based on several appointment scheduling software reviews and features we analyzed, we’ve rounded up seven of the best appointment scheduling software you can use for your business.

While the functions and pricing of these app schedulers vary depending on the businesses they support, your choice ultimately depends on your budget, business type, online booking needs, and marketing strategy.

Here’s the breakdown of the seven best appointment scheduling software:

1. Appointment

Appointment.com is one of the best appointment scheduling software you’ll find online. This scheduler has been satisfying the appointment needs of various business types since 1999.

The best part of Appointment.com’s software is that you don’t need a website or to install the app or sign any contracts before you start booking clients.

So, whether you own a coaching business, health club, or tanning salon, Appointment.com has an appointment solution tailored to your unique requirements.

With Appointment.com, customers new and old can book an appointment with you whenever they want, be it day or night. They can also cancel and reschedule appointments themselves.

An advantage of using Appointment.com so your customers can book appointments on their own is that it allows you to grow your customer base cost-effectively.

Key features of Appointment.com:

Fast set up in minutes
Appointment book and scheduler
Full-fledged customization options
Gift cards and a tracking system
Syncs with calendars like Outlook, Google Calendar, and iCal
Appointment reminders and waitlists
Multiple locations, departments, and categories management
SSL encryption for customer transactions
Powerful API that allows for smooth integration with other systems
Extensive business analytics
Supports payments through PayPal
Compatible with any device
Free coaching call

Best appointment scheduling software for: Small businesses, both service providers and product sellers.

Price: Free 30-day trial. Plans start at $29/month (pay-as-you-go, monthly, and yearly plans available).

2. Calendar.com

Calendar.com is a low-cost option among the best appointment scheduling software. It’s an effective bookable calendar and time management solution for solopreneurs and small teams.

Calender.com is an AI digital calendar that syncs across several devices that empowers you to plan bookings, events, time, and scheduling changes in a single dashboard view quickly and easily.

Key features of Calendar.com:

Lets you know when other Calendar users are available and create events around their availability
Analytics so you know how you spend your time
Support for teams
AI-powered — the software learns your schedule and customizes your experience over time
Supports Gmail, Office 365, and Outlook
Web embedding with white labeling
More than 2,000 app integrations with Zapier
Access to 24/7 support from the help center
Automated email notifications
Scheduling time slots
Shared and sub-calendars
Excellent user interface
Available for mobile devices on the Google Play and Apple app stores

Best appointment scheduling software for: Freelancers and small businesses looking for an effective, low-budget scheduling solution.

Price: Free (with limited features). Premium plans start at $6/month when billed annually.

`3. HubSpot Meetings

HubSpot Meetings is a free scheduling tool that has what you need to take your hands off manual appointment scheduling. It’s completely free and one of the best appointment scheduling software you can use for your business.

HubSpot Meetings’ scheduling app empowers you to add form fields to your meeting page to collect important contact details, such as names, email addresses, and phone numbers. It’s an all-in-one field service management app that captures lead and customer data for future marketing outreach.

HubSpot Meetings integrates directly with HubSpot’s free CRM software and automatically creates records for new contacts so you can monitor and manage your appointments. You can also automatically log call recordings directly to your CRM.

Key features of HubSpot Meetings:

Syncs to Google Calendar and Office 365
Unlimited bookings
Round-robin meeting links that connect you or your sales rep to your prospects
Group meeting availability
Support for custom domains
Direct meeting scheduling
Video conferencing software integrations
Automated follow-ups
Automatic integration with HubSpot CRM

Best appointment scheduling software for: Businesses (small, medium, or enterprise) looking for a free, reliable appointment scheduling solution.

Price: Free

4. Appointy

Appointy is the best appointment scheduling software for you if you own a brick-and-mortar business. It makes it a breeze for companies with physical stores — in any industry — to book appointments while adhering to any applicable social distancing guidelines.

Whether you want to schedule appointments, resources, workshops, classes, events, or tours, Appointy will fulfill scheduling demands with its custom-made features.

Key features of Appointy:

Multi-channel bookings on platforms such as your website, Facebook, and Instagram

Group scheduling
Zapier integration
Integrates with multiple payment apps, including Square, PayPal, and Authorize.net
Automatic reminders
Syncs with personal and work calendars, such as Google Calendar, iCal, and Outlook
Integrates with video conferencing apps
Fair usage policy limit of 2,000 appointments a day
Unique subdomain

Best appointment scheduling software for: Brick-and-mortar business owners looking for an appointment solution that adheres to social distancing regulations.

Price: Free (with limited features). Premium plans start at $19.99/month when billed annually.

5. Acuity Scheduling

Acuity Scheduling, owned by Squarespace, takes out the stress and delays of manual appointment scheduling. It is another one of the best appointment scheduling software because it lets you book appointments with clients in a way that allows them to see your real-time availability. This scheduling app also empowers you to send customized follow-ups.

Key features of Acuity Scheduling:

Accepts payments through Stripe, Square, and Paypal
Integrates with Zoom, Google Meet, and GoToMeeting
Integrates with 2,000+ other apps through Zapier
Syncs with Google Calendar, iCloud, Outlook, Exchange, and Office 365
Lets you offer coupons and discount vouchers
Optional support for client tips
HIPAA-compliant for top-notch privacy
Integrates with Google Analytics
Integrates with QuickBooks and Freshbooks for invoicing and accounting

Best appointment scheduling software for: Businesses that want scheduling customization that fits their branding.

Price: Free 7-day trial. Plans start at $14/month when billed annually.

6. Calendly

Calendly is one of the best appointment scheduling software that empowers you to connect your calendar and book unlimited meetings.

With Calendly, simply set up your schedule and automation, share your link, get booked, and it will automatically send out email notifications and reminders to clients who book with you.

Key features of Calendly:

Automates reminders and follow-ups
Automatic “thank you” notes
Connects to Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, and GoToMeeting
Unlimited appointment and one-off meetings
Custom branded pages
Payment processes with Stripe and Paypal (Pro and Enterprise plans only)
Webhooks automatically send updates to connected apps
Custom email and SMS notifications
Connects to Mailchimp, HubSpot, and Intercom
Tracks with Facebook Pixel and Google Analytics
Connects to Google Calendar, Office 365, Outlook, and iCloud
Available on both web and mobile apps (iOS and Android)

Best appointment scheduling software for: Individuals, small teams, and enterprises looking for low-cost customization and advanced features.

Price: Free (with limited features). Premium plans start at $8/month when billed annually.

7. Chili Piper

Chili Piper is an effective scheduler designed to help B2B brands book meetings in one click and send automatic updates to their CRMs. It is one of the best appointment scheduling software that eliminates manual tasks and makes bookings and rescheduling easy. It also enables you to schedule multi-person meetings and hold conversations with ready leads in real-time.

With Chili Piper, when you send emails to clients, instead of adding a link to a landing page where they look through your calendar, you can add buttons for them to book meetings with a single click.

Key features of Chill Piper:

Instant web form scheduling
One-click booking
Flexible round-robin scheduling
Unlimited event types
Calendar integrations with Google Calendar, Office 365, and Outlook
Handoff meetings
Automated emails, email signatures, and SMS reminders
Automatic lead routing to CRM
Embeds within website
Group meetings coordinated using multiple calendars
Instant Booker plugin to schedule appointments from your sales tools
Tracks meetings, no shows, reschedules, and cancellations in your CRM
Team meeting templates and reminders

Best appointment scheduling software for: B2B brands and companies looking to schedule multi-person meetings at once.

Price: Free (with limited features). Premium plans start at $15 per user per month when billed annually (Instant Booker package).

Final Thoughts: The 7 Best Appointment Scheduling Software

As a solopreneur, small team, or large enterprise looking to book more customers and expand your business, you need an appointment scheduler to sharpen your functionality.

While manual appointment scheduling can cause you to burn out, lose customers, create errors, and ultimately lose your vibe, online scheduling software is the virtual assistant you need to book more clients with ease.

If you’re not using an online appointment scheduler, choose the one that suits your business and scheduling needs from our list of the seven best appointment scheduling software.

Ready to book more clients quickly and efficiently? Try Appointment free for 30 days.

Don’t Be Busy. Be Present

By Deanna Ritchie | Time Management | No Comments

From the moment your alarm jolts you from a dream to when your head hits the pillow at night — your day is non-stop. Between all of your work and personal responsibilities — you somehow have to squeeze in one day, you’re “busy.”

Take a second to think — this may not be the way to live. It’s an idea that Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard explored in his 1843 treatise Either/Or: A Fragment of Life by writing, “Of all ridiculous things the most ridiculous seems to me, to be busy — to be someone who is brisk about their food and work.”

“Therefore, whenever I see a fly settling, in the decisive moment, on the nose of such a person of affairs, or if he is spattered with mud from a carriage which drives past him in still greater haste, he adds. “Or the drawbridge opens up before him, or a tile falls down and knocks him dead, then I laugh heartily.”

In short, Kierkegaard’s response to the “busy” individual was to laugh at them. That may sound mean-spirited. But he may have been on to something here.

Don’t Be Busy. Be Present.

To be busy and productive feels great, but people who have to fill every waking moment with something — anything — even if it’s unimportant are the ones who are not present. For some, frantic busyness provides an escape. Others, however, seem to belong to a cult of busyness.

Interested in this phenomenon, researchers from Columbia University, Harvard, and Georgetown explored why we’re so impressed with being busy.

“In general, we found that the busy person is perceived as high status, and interestingly, these status attributions are heavily influenced by our own beliefs about social mobility,” wrote the authors Silvia Bellezza, Neeru Paharia, and Anat Keinan. “In other words, the more we believe that one has the opportunity for success based on hard work, the more we tend to think that people who skip leisure and work all the time are of higher standing.”

The problems with being too busy.

Are there obligations that must be met? Absolutely. But that doesn’t mean you have to be doing something constantly.

It’s been found that being a member of “the cult of busy” creates a chronic stress response in your body and mind. As a consequence, you might experience symptoms like fatigue, insomnia, headaches, and gastrointestinal discomforts. You’re also asking for possible cardiac issues as well.

But, it’s not merely our physical well-being that we’re putting in harm’s way. There’s also a link between stress and depression. Additionally, relationships and work performance suffer too.

Specifically, when you’re busy, you’re;

Not giving essential tasks and relationships you’re undivided attention.
Missing out on new opportunities
Not effectively prioritizing your time.
Making excuses for actual problems.
Forgetting about your “why” and self-care.
Aren’t working to your full potential.
Failing to set healthy boundaries which can lead to burnout.
Not giving yourself time to think, reflect, and dream.

In other words, being busy negatively affects every part of your life. As such, it’s time to leave this cult. And, you can make that possible by focusing on the present instead.

Don’t ignore the past and future.

Let’s be real here. Living in the moment is a formidable force. And, you can thank evolution for that.

“Human psychology is evolutionarily hard-wired to live in the past and the future,” explains Eyal Winter Ph.D. “Other species have instincts and reflexes to help with their survival, but human survival relies very much on learning and planning.”

“You can’t learn without living in the past,” adds Dr. Winter. And “you can’t plan without living in the future.”

Rather than trying to shut out the past or future completely, find a healthy balance. For example, you could reflect on a past accomplishment or mistake during your morning or evening routine. If you’re worried or anxious about a future event, jot it down and develop a plan of action.

Most importantly, take and do these new actions in small steps and small doses. Personally, I allocate no more than 15-minutes of worrying time per day. During this time, I get all of these thoughts out of my head and organize them for later so that I can focus on the task at hand. You may need a little longer — but too much time worrying can easily overwhelm some people.

Fewer, but better.

As I’ve already said. There are responsibilities that you must follow through with. However, most of the items on your to-do lists could probably be removed. Maybe that’s why 41% of to-do items are never completed.

The fix? Do less.

That may sound easier said than done. But, it’s possible to use techniques like the Pareto Principle, aka the 80/20 Rule.

“The Pareto Principle is a concept that suggests two out of ten items, on any general to-do list, will turn out to be worth more than the other eight items put together,” clarifies Brian Tracy.

“The sad fact is that most people procrastinate on the top 10 or 20 percent of items that are the most valuable and important,” which is known as the “vital few.“ Instead, they “busy themselves” with the least important 80 percent, aka the “trivial many.”

You can encourage this by;

Simplifying your to-do lists with the Eisenhower Matrix. You can also try mapping out your main priority, 3 medium priorities, and 5 smaller to-dos.
Tracking your time so that you dedicate the right amount of time to complete your most important tasks.
Restructuring your routine so that you’re working on your MITs when you’re most productive.
Training yourself to bolster skills like concentration.
Thinking beyond work. Following the 80/20 Rule will allow you to pursue other interests outside of the workplace that can make you healthier and happier.

Consider the opportunity cost.

The opportunity cost is often used when making a financial or investment decision. In a nutshell, it’s determining the return you’ll receive from each option you’re weighing.

For example, you decide to spend $2000 on a new Macbook. While you now have a new laptop, you also can’t put that money towards something more beneficial in the long run — such as making sure your emergency fund is full.

You can also use this concept when it comes to how you want to spend your time. You could accept that meeting invite. But, it’s an hour-long and doesn’t have a clear purpose.

Instead, you may determine that that block of time could be better spent finishing an important task so that you can leave early to spend time with your family.

Let go of the narrative so that you can focus.

“If you are feeling fear, shame, overwhelm, anxiety, worry … this is completely natural,” writes Leo Babauta from Zen Habits. “Let yourself feel it fully for a moment.” From there, “see if you can let go of the narrative that’s causing the fear.”

“What narrative are you playing in your head that’s making you afraid?” he asks. Are you concerned about not meeting a deadline you set or being perfect? “These are not necessarily false narratives, but they’re hurting you no matter how true they are.”

Narratives, like the examples above, “keep us from being present, pulling us instead to thinking about other things,” states Babauta. They also “add fear and worry to our experience, which makes it harder to focus.”

“So think of the narrative as a soap bubble that you can just pop,” he advises. “Pop! And it’s gone.”

Bring more mindfulness into your life.

Well, you know that this was eventually going to pop up.

“According to thousands of years of tradition, Buddhists meditate to understand themselves and their connections to all beings,” writes Jill Suttie, Psy.D. in Greater Good. “By doing so, they hope to be released from suffering and ultimately gain enlightenment.”

Research, however, also shows that “mindfulness affects many aspects of our psychological well-being,” adds Dr. Suttie. These “include improving our mood, increasing positive emotions, and decreasing our anxiety, emotional reactivity, and job burnout.” Moreover, mindfulness is good for our hearts, improves immune response, and decreases cognitive decline.

Even better? You can introduce mindfulness into your daily life via;

Start each day on the right foot. Rather than jumping directly on your phone, ask, “What is my intention for today?”
Visualize your goals.
Practice peaceful eating and savory every bite.
Conduct body scans throughout the day.
Take frequent mindful breaks, such as going for a 20-minute walk outside.
Activate the “slow brain” by creating new patterns, such as a series of “If this, then that” messages.
Be more clear about the aim of your physical activity.
Drive yourself calm during your commute. For instance, before turning over the engine, engage in breathing exercises and checking for any body tension.
Review your day and practice gratitude.

Stop making yourself busy.

There’s a rule that I’ve followed for years when you feel over-committed and need to decide where to trim the fat. “If you’re not saying ‘HELL YEAH!’ about something, say ‘no,’” recommends Derek Sivers.

“When deciding whether to do something, if you feel anything less than ‘Wow! That would be amazing! Absolutely! Hell yeah!’ — then say ‘no.’”

“When you say no to most things, you leave room in your life to really throw yourself completely into that rare thing that makes you say ‘HELL YEAH!’”

Whatever you’re invited to, regardless if it’s a meeting or social function, if you’re not 100% into it, politely say “no.” And use this thinking with any other time requests that come your way as well.

Connect with people — in real life.

“In many Muslim cultures, when you want to ask how they’re doing, you ask: in Arabic, Kayf haal-ik? Or, in Persian, Haal-e shomaa chetoreh? How is your haal?” writes Omid Safi.

“What is this haal that you inquire about?” Safi asks. It’s “the transient state of one’s heart.” That means that you’re genuinely asking, “How is your heart doing at this very moment, at this breath?”

“I am not asking how many items are on your to-do list, nor asking how many items are in your inbox,” he states. “I want to know how your heart is doing at this very moment.” Whether it’s filled with sadness or joy, this builds a stronger connection with others.

“Tell me you remember you are still a human being, not just a human doing,” adds Safi. “Tell me you’re more than just a machine, checking off items from your to-do list. Have that conversation, that glance, that touch.”

“Be a healing conversation, one filled with grace and presence,” he advises.

Make everything negotiable.

“You will never find time for anything. If you want time, you must make it.” — Charles Buxto

I can’t stress this enough. You are the gatekeeper of your time. Don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise.

Of course, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be disrespectful of others. For instance, when you get paid to do a job on an agreed-upon deadline, then you have to see that through. On the flip side, if you’re at full capacity, don’t commit to anything new until you have the availability.

The key is to be transparent and flexible upfront. Sharing your calendar, in my opinion, is the easiest way around the stress of being transparent and flexible. As opposed to role-playing as Tom and Jerry, they can see when you’re free to have a conference call, meet for lunch, or start a new project.

Establish tech-free zones.

While you can’t completely go-off-the grid, you do need to establish boundaries with technology. Your phone, as an example, has a knack for distracting and pulling you from the present. Just think about how many times you’re in the zone or relaxing only for a text to transport you to some future event.

While turning off notifications or blocking apps/websites at certain times can help, there’s always the temptation to look at our phones. In fact, there’s even a phenomenon known as phantom vibration syndrome where we think that our phone is ringing or vibrating when it’s not.

The best way to counter this? Go on a tech detox by designating tech-free zones.

When it’s time to eat dinner, leave your phone in the living room. Have your family do the same is that everyone is fully engaged in conversation. When it’s bedtime, turn your phone off and keep it somewhere else in your home — even if it’s just across the room.

While leaving your phone in another room may be uncomfortable initially, it will get easier over time. Eventually, you’ll realize that you don’t always have your phone beside you 24/7. And, that will improve your relationships, encourage a better night’s sleep, and make you in-tune with your surroundings.

It May Be Summertime, but the Living Ain’t Necessarily Easier

By Gunjan Saini | Knowledge Base | No Comments

In reality, it’s mostly only teachers and students who get to take the entire summer off. Even so, summertime is heavily associated with vacations, beach days, and other fun extracurricular activities. Warmer weather certainly enables a lot more outdoor fun than the other months of the year.

Don’t let all the fun in the sun go to your head, though. There’s still work to be done.

It can be all too easy for business owners to adopt a summer vacation mindset and allow things to slide a bit. When you feel the heat slowing you down, it’s important to set appointments — with yourself — to stay productive. Below are five examples of the types of appointments you should set to keep up your forward momentum.

1. Weekly Planning Sessions

Summer often arrives coupled with a “go with the flow” attitude. While this can be an attractive way to spend your days, a sustained lack of structure often leads to decreased productivity. To keep yourself — and your business — on track, schedule weekly planning meetings for yourself.

Weekends might be an ideal time to hold these personal planning sessions for anyone who operates on a regular 9-to-5 schedule. Whatever time slot you select is less important than keeping that appointment each week. If something does come up, reschedule this time immediately.

When the time for your planning session arrives, open your calendar and plot out the next seven days. Are there any events you need to prepare for? Block out time to do so. Is there a milestone you need to reach in pursuit of a summer goal? Write down your task completion percentage. Use this time to organize your time and efforts to pursue a productive week.

Make your plans as specific as possible. Vague notes are more easily overlooked. Plenty of blank spaces in your calendar may unintentionally provide room for idleness. The more you can plan out your work hours, the better.

2. Self-Care Appointments

Scroll through enough summer vacation photos on social media, and you may begin to feel left out. Burnout and idleness are common during the summer months as workers dream about the beach and count the days until the next weekend. One way to avoid such burnout is to regularly schedule smaller blocks of time for yourself.

Self-care might sound counterintuitive when talking about productivity, but it’s been shown to be an effective long-term play. Approaching your personal time by setting appointments ensures that you’re making time for yourself and that you do so responsibly.

Two dangers to be aware of are taking too much personal time or not taking enough. Scheduling a spa day or a movie night will give you quality time to unwind without taking it too far. By being well-rested and in good spirits, your energy and focus during work hours will be increased.

3. Personal Budgeting Meetings

Over half of the U.S. population takes their spending up a notch during the summer months. Oftentimes this is because summer is strongly associated with fun and new experiences. Extra trips and excursions are planned and taken. If you’re not keeping a personal budget, you run the risk of overspending.

What does budgeting have to do with productivity? As it turns out, a lot.

Money problems are one of life’s biggest stressors. The realization that you’ve spent more than you should have can cause anxiety, which in turn reduces your productivity and overall well-being. You might feel inclined to counterbalance stress by working more hours, but that doesn’t always equate to more effective work. This tactic is often self-defeating.

You may not need to set personal budgeting appointments as often as you do for weekly planning. Once a month might suffice unless you have to accommodate a major event such as a summer wedding or an unexpected medical bill. Document your expenses, necessary or not, and do your best to stay within that budget for the rest of the month.

4. Review Your Metrics

Let’s get down to business. When was the last time you checked your business metrics? These will be one of the greatest indicators of overall productivity this summer. Any slump will be directly reflected in your numbers. This is especially true if you’re a small business owner or operating a startup where even the slightest action can have a big impact.

Set a recurring appointment with yourself to review your business metrics. Doing so will ensure you actually glance at them from time to time. Here are a few metrics you should consider:

Response time: How quickly are you following up with a prospective customer?
Website traffic: How many customers are using your website in a given time period?
Social media followers and engagement: What’s the number of customers supporting your business online and interacting with posts?
Cash flow: What’s your total revenue minus total expenditures?

These numbers and others are good indicators of how healthy your business is. A commitment to your personal productivity should cause these numbers to improve. As you look at data metrics, set goals and formulate plans that put your productivity to work instead of throwing ideas at the wall until something sticks. Make appointments with yourself to check progress.

5. Self Check-In

Some of us need constant reminders to keep productivity up. If you’re one of these people, feel free to set personal appointments as often as you see fit. This could even be a daily occurrence where you check in with yourself to gauge your progress that day.

Let’s say you’ve set a personal goal to make 20 cold calls a day to grow your startup business. A self check-in appointment at midday can help you get into gear if you’re falling behind on your quota. Regular self-check-ins will also hold you accountable for the different goals you set throughout the summer.

You definitely want to make time to enjoy summertime, but a small business owner can only afford to get so comfortable. The summer months may be pivotal for your business and your personal progress. Experiment with setting personal appointments to stay motivated so that you don’t let too many opportunities pass you by.