By now you probably already have your calendar purchased for the next year and have started recording meetings and “to dos.” But before the new year really gets underway, take some serious time now to set up your calendar for the coming year.
Take your current calendar and go through it month by month. Record all of the birthdays and anniversaries into your new calendar. I like to do this in red so that it really pops out when the calendar page starts to get crowded with other items. If I plan to buy or send a gift or card, I also put in the calendar “buy gift” or “mail gift” a week or two before the actual event.
Now, go through your new calendar and record all standing appointments like that networking meeting you have every Wednesday morning or that Weight Watcher meeting every Thursday.
Take this planning a step further. Put in projects you are planning as well. I mark at the top of each month the zone I will be organizing for that month. I have Office Zone marked for January and Spare Bedroom Zone marked for February. I also list actions that I plan to do during that month. In January I plan to clean out my birdhouses. In February I have a note that the payment for my deposit box at the bank will be deducted from my account. I list when I plan to make doctor appointments and when I plan to renew my passport or driver’s license. On the notes part of my calendar I record when I pay for charities or organizations. January shows that I plan to renew the Nature Conservancy and ASPCA. I also have recorded when professional dues need to be paid. I have found in past years that these notes are very helpful. When an agency starts to send me renewal notices (usually many months in advance) I can look at my calendar to determine when I really plan to write that check.
Now you are truly ready for what the new year is going to bring. Just keep that calendar maintained and up to date and don’t forget to look at it daily.
Happy New Year!
Jonda S. Beattie Professional Organizer