Skill Highlight: Calendar Management
The third post in my series highlighting each of the skills that I bring to my job as a virtual office administrator is about how I manage calendars! These are tips that I’ve found work best for me, and maybe they’ll be helpful for you too!
Tip #1: Time Blocking
Time blocking is something I’ve tried a few different times and while I love the idea in theory, in practice it took some time to find the exact system that worked best for me. I first tried a more traditional approach to time blocking, meaning I scheduled out every hour of my work day, but it was clear pretty early into this experience that this was not a sustainable system for me, and I was frustrated that I couldn’t stick to the blocks of time I had made. I kept thinking it was my fault until I realized I am neurodivergent and I found a different method that gave me the structure I like with traditional time blocking and the flexibility I need to make changes on the fly.
Knowing that there is more than one way to implement time blocking was really helpful for me, and maybe it will be helpful for you too! Sometimes it just takes a bit of trial and error to find a system that works best for you!
Tip #2: Schedule Tasks
This is a short tip, but one I use several times a week. This is just as helpful for one-off tasks as it is for recurring ones. Making time for tasks in my schedule helps me stay on top of things that are easy to forget, from reminding myself to renew my car registration once a year to putting a new filter in my cats’ water fountain on the first of every month.
Tip #3: Set Reminders for Events
Once an appointment is on your calendar, set up an alert to remind you of it ahead of time. Pick a time that works best for you and the type of event. For example, if I have a virtual meeting with someone, I usually set reminders for one hour ahead and ten minutes ahead of the scheduled start time. If I have an appointment in-person, I factor in commute time (usually giving myself an extra 15 minutes just to be safe), then set a reminder for one hour before I have to walk out the door. This helps me keep the event at the front of my mind so I can make sure I’m prepared for any event on my schedule.
Tip #4: Block Out Personal Time
I am a strong believer in work-life balance, and setting aside time to not think about work is essential to keeping that balance in check. Whether it’s a few hours in the early morning before you start your day, a break in the afternoon for a snack and a sudoku puzzle, or clocking out in the evening to enjoy some dinner and a TV show, making time to do anything else besides work (ideally something you find relaxing) is important. I know from personal experience that when I have a good work-life balance, it makes work a lot less stressful.
Final Thoughts
After many years of feeling disorganized, sometimes running late to events, and forgetting important tasks, I embraced my calendar as the useful tool that it is, and it’s made a huge difference in my life! How about you? Do you use a calendar to keep your life organized? Do you prefer a digital calendar or a physical paper one? Let me know in the comments!
If you need help organizing your own calendar, let me know! I would love to help you create a scheduling system that works for you!
