Fall is here. The leaves are changing colors, painting the hills with beautiful reds, oranges, and yellows. As they fall to the ground, you can admire how they bring with them the changing of the seasons. Sort of an out with the old — in with the new — season, holiday, and maybe even your attitude?
You can use the leaf colors’ changing to remind you of the opportunity to make some changes in yourself.
Change is a good thing. Although it can be uncomfortable at times, positive changes will greatly improve your day-to-day life. In honor of the fall season, here are nine calendar adjustments you can make to see some time management improvements:
1. Clean Up Your Calendar
It’s never too early to do some calendar spring cleaning. A cluttered calendar fails its purpose as an organizational tool. You lose track of events and spend more time trying to find information than is ever needed.
Start by removing unnecessary events from your online calendar. Can some events be condensed into one, or removed and added to notes or reminder app? You can even create separate calendars for personal and work events to keep things clear.
2. Sync Calendars
The company you work for might have already issued you a working Calendar tied to a corporate email address. While separate calendars help with decluttering, they can be tough to keep track of at times. You can fix this problem in a snap by syncing all your calendars together.
Why have separate online calendars if you’re just going to sync them together? This gives you the option to see all your calendars together or individually. Try this out with Calendar by syncing online calendars from different sources and selecting how you view them.
3. Add Color-Coding
One way to improve the organization of your online calendar is by adding a color-coding system. This feature is easy to implement and get used to, helping you distinguish events at a quick glance.
Give each color significance that’s easy to remember. If you work for a company with a purple logo, use that color for all work-related events. You can follow a similar pattern with children’s school colors and your spouse’s favorite shade of blue. You can also use the classic green, yellow, and red patterns to signify the event’s urgency. Find what works best for you.
4. Share Your Calendar
Do you currently share your calendar with anyone else? If you don’t, now is a good time to consider it. Sharing your calendar provides instant communication with those you spend a lot of time with or those with whom you struggle to connect.
Sharing a calendar with your spouse is priority number one. You can coordinate work schedules with parenting responsibilities, all from the same app. This will make it easier to plan a much-needed date night, as well.
5. Set Goals
The primary purpose of an online calendar is straightforward. The tools help you organize your schedule, plan events, and schedule appointments with ease. However, it can be used for so much more, such as goal-setting.
Setting realistic goals enables quick progress. When you set goals, you can lay out a game plan in your online calendar with actionable steps on specific dates. Get into a goal-setting rhythm, and you’ll be astounded at how much you can accomplish.
6. Set Up Scheduling Links
For busy professionals, coordinating with others can be a logistical challenge. Instead of playing phone tag and sending emails back and forth, trying to find times that work for both parties, set up scheduling links.
Using your online calendar, you can open up scheduling events where you’re available for phone calls and meetings. Anyone interested in your availability can be sent a scheduling link that shows the available scheduling events. They can book one of them, which will go straight into your online calendar, reducing the time spent trying to coordinate.
7. Go Digital
If you haven’t done so already, transfer all of your events and appointments to an online calendar. While the simplicity of a calendar on the fridge can be convenient, you’re not about to take it everywhere you go. Having all your information on your mobile device is both effective and convenient compared to the classic paper calendar.
There’s nothing wrong with having both a physical and digital calendar. Keeping the latter up to date is just more beneficial in today’s age of technology. Take the time to make sure your online calendar has all the information it needs, and work to keep it constantly updated.
8. Add Relaxing Activities
An online calendar shouldn’t strictly be for business. While progress and productivity should certainly be prioritized, don’t forget to give yourself a break every once in a while. Including time to relax and unwind in your online calendar can help fight off burnout and fatigue.
Schedule time to pursue hobbies, enjoy an evening with family, or simply recover after a long week. Including this time in your online calendar prompts you to actually take a step back when you need to.
9. Check Privacy Settings
Last but not least, keep your information secure. Calendar secures customer accounts — make sure to check the privacy setting on your end as well — especially on your phone.
Many other online calendars can leave you susceptible to malicious attacks. Proper internet and online calendar safety will always be essential for protection.
Take the time now to view the privacy settings of your online calendar. Choose if you want your Calendars to be viewed by the general public to make appointments with you — or just viewable to colleagues. Decide who you want to share with.
Fall will soon turn into winter, yet another change you can expect as the world comes full circle once again. Keep looking for ways to make positive changes both in your Calendar and in your life, and make every day better than the last.
Hunter Meine
Hunter Meine is a BYU-Idaho graduate, husband, father, and writer. When he's not writing, he's playing sports or enjoying the outdoors with his wife and daughter.