Three calendaring techniques that get me where I want to go
2022-03-02
Yogi Berra famously said, "If you don't know where you're going, you'll end up someplace else."
My calendar gets me where I want to go because I no longer take it for granted. In my opinion it is one of the most valuable and strategic tools ever created.
Here are my three favorite calendaring techniques. I hope they help you reach your destination.
Timebox your to-do list onto your calendar. This forcing function keeps you focused on the important and not merely the urgent.
Put meeting objectives and agendas in the invite. It improves the quality of meetings and respects people's time. Make the title and goals clear, outcome-oriented, and enticing enough that people want to attend and participate.
Schedule assumptively. Don't send an email or Slack asking when people are available. Assume everyone's calendar is current and book according to their published availability. Let collaborators propose an alternate time with basic calendar functionality, and negotiate only if the key participants need it.
Until next time, I wish you a highly productive future.
Bonus: The Definitive 100 Most Useful Productivity Tips
First published on LinkedIn, 2 March 2022. Lightly revised. Original post.