What is your handling of the calendar? Do you have an overview of your appointments and meetings at all times? Does your calendar help you be productive? Or is he totally filled and consists of many overlapping dates and appointments?
Most people I know use the calendar to let others dictate when to do what. If you do not want to belong to these people, then I have 14 simple and simple tricks for a meaningful handling of the calendar.
Tip 1: Keep a single calendar
If your are using multiple calendars, it will make son many confusions to you. Therefore, always use you use one calendar.
Tip 2: The calendar is for appointments, not for notes
The temptation to write tasks, notes or to-dos on your calendar is quite big, but you should resist it. The reason is simple: If you make a note of all these things in the calendar, everything quickly becomes very confusing. Therefore, the rule “In the calendar only appointments and nothing else” should always be observed.
Tip 3: Start early in the day
Early birds are easier to be more productive. The reason is quite simple: At the beginning of the day, it can be much more focused and undisturbed work, because the majority of humanity still sleeps at this time.
Tip 4: Work with buffer times
A meeting, an event or an appointment can always take longer than one would expect. Therefore, it is especially important that you work with buffer times to avoid unnecessary stress. If the appointment is completed on time, you have some free time or time for your other tasks. If it takes longer than expected, you save a lot of stress.
Tip 5: Note transfer times
When appointments take place separately, you must not forget that. Again, it is important to calculate the transfer time again generously, because congestion and delays are there faster than you think.
Tip 6: Do not allow scheduling conflicts
Avoid overlapping appointments, because you can not be in two places at once, right? Appointment conflicts mean a tremendous level of stress and so you should avoid them at all costs.
Tip 7: You can also cancel if you have already agreed
It is all your time alone and you decide what to do with it. If something with higher priority comes in, then say or postpone the appointment. That’s perfectly okay, you just have to allow it yourself.
Tip 8: Block time for your work
If you plaster the calendar with appointments, when will you edit your projects, tasks and to-dos? Finally, that wants to be done, right?
Therefore, I block the necessary time in advance, which my projects and tasks require, and only then do I set up appropriate dates for appointments and meetings.
If you feel like bringing a printable calendar back into your life with the new year, we have agendas and calendars for you in all sorts of colors and shapes.
Tip 9: Block time for your breaks
Especially the lunch break is something that is often deleted when things get tight. But to stay productive throughout the day, you have to take breaks. Therefore, I recommend you to schedule them firmly in your daily routine to have the appropriate recovery periods.
Tip 10: Block time for sport, recreation and regeneration
You also need time to recharge your batteries. If you are physically and mentally unfit, you can not be productive. In addition, your health should be important enough to schedule these things. First and foremost, you and your health have to stand first and then everything else!
Tip 11: Set an end time for your work
At some point the working day must come to an end. If you do not set this time in advance, you will always spend long evenings or nights in the office instead of having a good time with your family and friends. Social contacts are hugely important to your well-being, so take them true.
Tip 12: Set rules for meetings
If you’re the boss, then you can fix it anyway. If not, just suggest it at the next meeting:
No meeting without agenda or agenda.
Set a tight time limit (30-60 minutes), then all participants must concentrate on the essentials.
Hold meetings in a standing position, which promotes productivity.
Tip 13: Analyze your old dates
At least once a month sit down and check the dates of the past four weeks with the following points:
Where are time-wasters hidden that you should avoid in the future?
Which of the appointments were important and which unimportant?
Are there deadlines to be eliminated?
Are there any appointments that need to be automated?
Are there any appointments to delegate?
This will give you a lot of time in the future!