That's right - think of a calendar as an entity that loves to get fed information. Yea I know, you put in the date and start and stop time, and the location of your meeting.

Boring!

Whether you use Outlook or Gmail, give your calendar something to really munch on. First of all, a boring calendar is a sad calendar - so liven it up by color coding it. Of course it does have a great advantage to you as well - it helps you see, at a glance, where you're spending your time. Are you networking a lot and have few client appointments? Are there any "me time" entries at all? A quick glance at the color displaying will tell you volumes.

The next biggest favor you can do for yourself is to add just one word in front of each Event name. The word will tell you what the status is -

HOLD - means you're thinking about it but haven't made a commitment
REGISTERED - means you've paid for it, now you have to go!
CONFIRMED - means your meeting partner has sworn to show up.
You get the idea. 

A Sample Color Coded Calendar in Outlook with Descriptor Text

Ready for the next level? Give each slot even more information so you don't have to keep it in the back of your mind (or watch it fall out of your ears). Here are some examples:

Meet with Ann at Morristown Diner: Metered Parking - bring quarters!
Lunch with Joe at Brick Oven: Remind him 1 hour before
Networking event at chamber - $45, pay at door, bring a check!
So your calendar really does become a life saver, as long as you feed it more info. And to top it all off, in the text box of your calendar entry, feel free to add even more information, such as the people you expect will be at the meeting, the directions to the client's office, the menu choices you've copied and pasted from the restaurant's website (especially if you have food restrictions).

Have you been starving your calendar? It will be happier and make you more efficient if you feed it!

 

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