5 Tips for Better Calendar Management

“I never have enough time in the day” “I struggle finding a good work/life balance” “I always seem to start early and finish late and don’t seem to be very productive”. Are these some of the questions you ask yourself on a daily basis? I am sure a few more questions cross your mind when you are trying to manage your time. Let me share with you a few tips on how to improve your calendar management just that little bit better.

A well organised diary will enable you to be able to set aside a start/finish time each day, along with regular breaks, and even time away from your desk for personal appointments/exercise etc if needed.

Be responsible. Do not fall into the trap of putting meetings in over your break times, or starting/finishing at reasonable times as you will get into the same rut you are trying to get out of in the first place! If you have an Assistant, be sure to let them know where your boundaries are. It’s part of their job to stick to these if that’s what you ask.

To lend a helping hand, why not look at some digital tools or apps to help with your organising. My favourite ones are Trello and Asana (both have similar features for task managing). Click up is also a great tool for managing your diary and to do lists. Google and Outlook also have some great features for blocking out time in your diary, and you can colour co-ordinate certain calls/meetings in your diary to help you see what you are doing at a glance.

Why is it significant to set priorities? Whatever level you are in your business, you will need to be organised to be able to manage your personal and professional life. Having boundaries in your diary (and sticking to them!) is a great starting point. Delegating work to others which you don’t need to be doing will also free up time in your diary for more important tasks. Setting out “focus time” in your diary will allow you to do work which needs to be done rather than being on calls/in meetings. Having this time is also a great planning session for your day/week ahead.

Do you see yourself overrunning on calls or being late dialling into meetings? Think about perhaps shortening your 30 minute calls to 25 minutes, and 1 hour calls to 50 or 55 minutes to allow yourself that little bit of extra time. Alternatively, another way I find works for my clients is to completely block slots out in between appointments (perhaps 15/30 minutes in between calls/meetings) longer if travel is needed. Avoid back to back meetings where possible as this will eventually impact your health resulting in burnout. Not factoring in toilet/food breaks or even just to stretch or walk around for 5/10 minutes.

In the long term, sticking to some simple tips on how to manage your diary just that little bit better will enable you to be more alert and productive in your day to day life.

At Every Cloud we specialise in EA support, and diary management is one of our fortee’s! We can get your calendar working in a very effective way that works for you enabling a great work/life balance.

Are you in need of a virtual business assistant to help with Calendar Management? Look no further than Every Cloud Virtual Business Services. We have got your admin covered, as well as range of other services, which you can explore here. Get in touch to make your next business trip a stress free experience!