If time is money, then a disorganized calendar will cost you both.
It’s been my experience that the most common problem I see with clients involves setting up their digital calendars.
A well-managed calendar ensures a strategic, efficient, and effective allocation of time. This sets the stage for many other business benefits, including achievement, efficiency, organization, collaboration, and insight.
Keeping appointments and meeting deadlines in a business calendar is essential. Without one, unless you’ve got a fabulous memory, things could get messy very quickly!
Many people struggle with electronic calendars because they think that they need more than one in order to keep their work and personal lives separate. I get this, but since there’s only one you and only one place you can be at any one time, I find it’s less confusing and more efficient to keep everything in one place.
Organizing your calendar can take a little time, but I guarantee it’s worth the effort. Here’s how to start:
- Decide which calendar you’re going to use and start using only that one immediately. Then begin transferring appointments from other calendars manually (or hire someone to migrate them for you). Be sure to look a year ahead so you don’t miss any recurring future events like anniversaries and birthdays.
- Make sure all calendar invitations sent and received are using the email address tied to this calendar.
- Consider calendar “sharing” to improve productivity and organization (For step-by-step instructions on sharing, click here for Google calendar and here if you use Outlook).
When you’re finished with the consolidation, you’ll be able to access your calendar across all your devices, knowing that everything you need is in one place.
What will you do with the time you have saved now that you have an organized calendar?