Feb 15, 2013

Sanity Saver: Update your calendar as events arise

I use Google Calendar to organize my life. I love it because I can use it to send myself email reminders, schedule repeating events, and more. I even color-code different types of events so that I can spot things at a glance.

At the end of each month, my kids bring home the next month's school calendar, filled with upcoming events. One of the main reasons I quit my full-time job and became a work-at-home mom is to be able to participate in and contribute to various school events, so that calendar is important to me.

A couple of weeks ago, when my kids brought home the February school calendar, I took it and entered relevant events into my own Google calendar while my kids were doing their homework. PTA meetings, fundraising events, etc. were all transferred. Where appropriate, I set up email reminders so I don't forget to go to a meeting, or to bake something for a bake sale.

Doing this calendar update right away has several benefits:
  • I don't miss anything because I look at each event listed (and just skip the ones that aren't relevant to me, like fire drills).

  • I have a good idea of what's coming up, so I can plan ahead. Whether it's buying baking mixes, arranging childcare, or something else, I can avoid last minute scrambles (and possible expenses).

  • I get to toss the paper clutter right away, which is great because I've been working hard not to let paper clutter build up in new places (and working equally hard to get rid of existing paper clutter).

  • I'm setting a good example for my kids. It's important to me to teach my children good time management skills. I want them to know how to plan ahead and be organized, so that they don't have the extra, unnecessary stress that comes from constant last minute emergencies.
How do you save your sanity?

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