Get out some colourful pens and mark it up:
1. Family- all birthdays, anniversaries, and special events (weddings? graduations?)
2. Get the schedules for all the groups and activities you’re associated with and fill in all their dates.
- School- holidays, professional development days, special events
- Work- holidays, conferences, important meetings, especially if they take place outside of your usual hours
- Sports and hobbies- all meetings, lessons, and practices
3. You know those extra, empty boxes at the bottom or side of the calendar? Maybe it says “notes”? Put that space to good use by
- making a note of the people with birthdays in the following month. That way, if cousin Sue’s birthday is March 2nd, you won’t flip over the calendar on March 1st and fly into panic buy-and-mail-the-(sorry it’s late) card mode
- putting a goal in writing. Is your new year’s resolution to go to the gym more? How about writing “go to the gym ten times” as a reminder? Then…
4. Give yourself some gold stars. A sticker, a checkmark, a smiley face. If you went to the gym, or resisted the ice cream, or got up early to meditate, whatever your goal was… give yourself a little credit when you do. Remind yourself every time you look at the calendar how much closer you are to your goal!
5. The best calendar in the world is useless if you don’t look at it. A quick check in the morning may keep you out of trouble. Better: looking every evening at the following day, so you can mentally prepare, plan, and not be caught scrambling in the morning. Best: take a few minutes every Sunday to look over the week ahead. A busy week will be easier to handle with a strategy in place.
