Which Calendar Is Best for You?
Everyone needs to look at how they plan, and then look for that great organizer
By Molly Gold
I’m often asked what kind of planner is best for busy people, all with different families and needs. Too often people make do when it comes to calendars, not realizing there is a marketplace full of products that will make order out of chaos and open the door to a more balanced and fun year ahead. Everyone needs to look at how they plan, and then look for that great organizer with the totally cool cover and, even better, a layout with pages that keep your family on time and your to-do list done. But how can you know which type calendar will work best for you? Use these Calendar Clues that will identify your planning style and point you in the right direction for a wonderful 2008.
Calendar Clue #1
If you:
- Schedule appointments
- Are rarely at your desk at home
- Have to have something portable
- Keep a calendar not only for yourself but your entire family
- Don’t like to add or remove pages
- Want something easy to carry
Then you:
Will thrive with a wirebound appointment book, which can be found in many different sizes, often with a choice of layouts including daily, weekly or monthly pages.
Calendar Clue #2
If you:
- Manage a complicated and busy schedule full of activities
- Prefer detailed records no matter what the topic
- Are happiest when all your reference information is in one place
- Like to customize your organizer by adding information pages that meet your personal needs
- Like a planner that is an extension of your personal style
Then you:
Will actually use all the pages in an organizer made in a binder format in various sizes from purse to desk with every calendar layout available.
Calendar Clue #3:
If you:
- Like to plan for the future and often need to double-check dates as you go
- Do well with very little detail
- Are scheduling for your entire family as well as working with older children to track projects
- Find your schedule changes frequently so your calendar does too
- Need to have a calendar available for everyone to see
- Live in a family that has growing independence and might not all be together at the same time
Then you:
Need a color-coded wall calendar. This will be your most reliable asset for communication, and the bigger the better to make the most of every square!
When it comes to making your calendar actually work, make time to plan daily, build in extra time to give yourself flexibility, be realistic about how much you can do in any given day, and be sure to delegate and defer tasks to future dates whenever it is more efficient. For families, it’s crucial to have a gatekeeper (usually Mom) to maintain a master calendar for everyone and provide a fun family wall calendar that stays at home for ready reference. When you keep a master calendar updated and synched with your personal calendar, you are sure to have a new year full of balance.
Learn more about Molly Gold at www.gomominc.com.
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