I’m definitely somebody who lives by my calendar. I used to love using a pocket-sized paper planner. My favorite style was the Quo Vadis Sapa, with the weekly view. One feature I enjoyed was being able to see a 12-month spread by flipping to front of the planner. Other things I liked included knowing how much time had passed. For example, every week indicated the number of the day out of 365, and how many weeks had passed since Jan 1. It seems trivial, but I noticed.
Over 10 years ago, I switched to a completely digital calendar. I did this rather reluctantly, I might add. Although the paper planner was quick and easy, the reliance on digital invites made it start to feel impractical. Many invites and appointments now provide an option to add to my calendar seamlessly. Most times this also includes important details such as location, or a link, if the event is virtual. Way easier than rewriting everything in a paper planner.
Today I read an article about families that use Skylight, a customizable, touch-screen calendar. The design makes it easy for families to share and view what everyone else is doing. It can also help with chores, tasks, planning, etc. However, my big question is, can the calendar really help families with all the planning and organizing? I personally feel the effort of creating a calendar style that worked for my family would outweigh the benefits. Then there’s the challenge of making sure everyone in the family fills it out! Otherwise that can also defeat the purpose.
Although I’d like to think I can keep everything organized with a calendar, or task management system, the reality is a lot of details still remain in my brain. Then I’m stuck with a dilemma of the effort and time to add every tiny thing to the planning. Or assume some things are part of the routine and understand they will never be on the planner. I’ve been blogging weekly on The Deletist since June 2013, around the same time I switched to a digital calendar. However, I never record anything in my calendar about writing and posting my blog. Rarely I’ll add “write blog post” to a task list. But mostly, it’s been a part of my routine for so long I know I’ll do it.