Calendars

In terms of managing tasks and appointments, the calendar is still one of my favorite tools.  It’s easy to use and understand.  If I write something on a particular date, it means I’m doing it on that date.  I now rely on my smartphone calendar instead of a paper one, but I still miss certain features of the paper.  Read more here.

I used to load up my paper planner with all kinds of information.  For example, when I used to work as a freelance caterer, payments were tracked in my planner alongside the details of the job (e.g. hours worked, location, company, dress code, etc.).  Since I worked for multiple companies, all with different pay schedules and rates, it was sometimes difficult to track how long I had been waiting and when I received a payment.

The problem was that the information was trapped in my planner, sometimes on a specific date.  I had no tracking system, no way to get summaries, and no search box.  Eventually I transferred the information to an excel spreadsheet for better tracking and summaries.

I love many things about my smartphone planner, including how it is synced with my computer for backup.  But I still miss being able to load up so much information directly into the paper calendar.  There was no limit to what I could write on the pages.  Now I’m limited by screen space and by what is available for integration from the phone to the calendar.  The available screen space is often too tiny to see everything I could easily see with a glance at my paper planner.

In order for me to get something on my smartphone calendar without manually entering it, it has to be stored somewhere else.  For example, my smartphone calendar has seamless integration with my contacts.  When I enter in an appointment with someone, the important details (e.g. phone number and address) magically appear in my calendar.  I also love when this happens after I sign up for an event.  Typically when the confirmation email arrives, the event details appear on my calendar including time, name, location.  If I’ve signed up for a webinar, the calendar event will include the url for me to access it.  Super useful.

The next step is to find a proper task management system that integrates seamlessly with the calendar.