Why Every Business Owner Needs a Daily Calendar
It doesn’t have to be super fancy either
Some of you may be familiar with my content here on Medium. I usually write about content, creativity, authentic engagement, and productivity. There are many tools that I use in my business to help streamline my work.
From Google Keep, which I use for notetaking, Google Sheets, which I use for tracking data and to Google Docs which I use to create and back up all of my written content, all of these are pretty indispensable. You’re noticing a pattern, I can tell. Yes, I am a die-hard fan of all things Google.
*Speaking of Google Sheets, you should really check out everything that Gracia Kleijnen writes on the subject. I particularly love her habit tracker google sheets template.
As a business owner, though, the one tool that I believe has truly transformed my days and weeks has been my daily Google calendar. Bonus: It costs absolutely nothing and isn’t very difficult to set up either.
A Bird’s Eye View of your Week
When you add your daily tasks to your weekly calendar, you get a complete overview of how to plan out different tasks for your week.
If you see my calendar, you’d observe that I put everything on it, from daily meditation to client sessions. In other words, I have a single calendar for all my important tasks of the day- personal as well as professional.
Never Wonder where your Time Goes
I started following the principles of time blocking that I read about in Laura Vanderkam’s books and blog posts, a few years ago, in mid-2017 to be exact.
I loved it so much that I ended up blogging about it. That’s still one of the most-viewed posts on my blog, by the way.
If I can work with a deep focus on my business tasks while also making time for leisure activities at other times of my day, I credit my calendar for that completely.
Check Before Confirming Availability
As a solopreneur, you may be wondering how you can make time for everyone from clients to potential collaborators, without being overwhelmed.
Enter Google Calendar.
At the beginning of every conversation — both over email as well as over video/in-person — I keep my calendar handy. The minute we talk about setting up a future appointment, I look at my calendar to see if I am available on those dates.
- Pro tip: Remember to add important personal dates such as birthdays, anniversaries, graduation dates, family holidays, and vacation days to your calendar.
Link your Appointment Scheduler to your Calendar
As a personal blogging and social media coach, I use Acuity Scheduling. Clients can use this to book both paid and free appointments with me.
When they book a session, it automatically blocks that time on my calendar. That way I can be sure not to schedule anything else that would conflict with that time on the same day.
Give Yourself Enough Space in your Day
A calendar also performs another very important function and that is to allow you time to breathe.
As a solopreneur, chances are you’re wearing multiple hats in addition to juggling responsibilities on the home front. But a calendar is beautiful because it gives you so much extra time that you can now schedule for self-care.
You’d notice that in my calendar I have actually earmarked two hours of my day for reading and leisure. Because here’s the truth: If I didn’t do that, chances are I’d work too hard and too long, trying to keep too many balls in the air at all time. And let’s face it, I am a bad juggler.
Main Takeaway
From keeping your sanity as a business owner to ensuring your productivity without overwhelm, try out Google Calendar. Trust me, you’ll be thanking me before you know it.
