Remember that time you forgot to put that meeting in your calendar? Or the time you told yourself you’ll remember when that payment is due and then forgot and ended up paying a penalty?
I know things get in the way and you’ll think “I’ll do it later” but later comes and goes and so does that date!
As soon as a meeting is set or a hotel is booked it goes straight into my calendar. I’m also very busy arranging events and have various key dates and deadlines to remember.
How many times have you forgotten a family birthday or worse, your wedding anniversary? Putting these dates in your calendar with a reminder means you’ll be prepared and out purchasing a gift ready to give to your loved one on their special day.
However, there is still a chance a date won’t make it onto your calendar and you’ll end up forgetting. Whether it’s as bad as missing an interview or an important client meeting or, you forget to add a deadline date for your credit card payment and your stuck with a penalty charge, keeping track of key dates is important.
Follow my tips and methods below and you can transform the way you organise yourself, you’ll never miss a key date again!
TIPS
How many times have you made an appointment and thought, “I don’t need to write it down, I’ll remember”. You then get a call from your hair salon asking where you are and they’re charging you a 50% fee for not turning up!
We’ve all been there and I’m not ashamed to admit it’s happened to me before. Here are some tips for ensuring that never happens to you:
#1 | Organisation system
Having a good organisation system in general will help you to remember key dates.
Once a date and time has been set for your trip, meeting and/or appointment here’s what you need to do:
- If it’s a meeting or call – send a calendar invitation to all recipients – get into everyones diary.
- Travel dates, appointments or key dates: put straight into online calendar together with any deadline dates / upcoming payment dates etc.
- Add a reminder on your phone if needed.
- Write on your wall calendar.
- Write into desk diary.
#2 | Colour coding
If you’re a creative person injecting some colour can make things a little more visually fun and appealing. I have a colour coding system for my key dates which is made up as follows:
- Red – Financial (for invoice payments and deadlines etc).
- Orange – Meetings/calls/networking and events.
- Purple – travel/holidays.
- Green – personal appointments.
I colour code this on my calendar and use highlighter pens for my diary. It helps me to easily identify what the date relates to.
#3 | Plan ahead
Plan for the day, week and months ahead
Once you know your key date and you’re well into the habit of putting it straight into your calendar, you can review for the weeks ahead.
See what is coming up and might need attention / planning. For example, if you have a meeting coming up you can research travel, car parking etc or prepare your agenda and notes.
Plan ahead as much as possible
I’m always scanning my calendar for the weeks/months ahead so I know what is coming up. With my dates entered and colour coded as above, I know if there is a meeting coming or an invoice that needs paying and I’ll usually set a reminder at least 2 weeks before so it flags up.
With all my key dates saved for my events, I can plan ahead as to what tasks will need completing beforehand.
#4 | Hire a Virtual Assistant
Why do all the hard work above when a Virtual Assistant who specialises in diary management can do it all for you.
They will do all the arranging and organising for you. All you’d need to do is check your calendar to see where and when you need to be from one day to the next.
Your Virtual Assistant will be on top of things and send you reminders so that you know what you’re doing.
Now you have those tips to get started / stay on track, here are some methods to help put them into action.
METHODS
#1 | Use Google Calendar
If you book hotels and flights, the dates should automatically go straight into your calendar.
Once there you can colour code them as mentioned above. I also book events via Eventbrite and these will automatically save straight into my calendar too.
You can also create additional calendars so perhaps have one that is work related and another for family dates. You can share with your partner, so at least there are two of you so it’s less likely to forget a date.
#2 | Set reminders on your phone
If it’s something URGENT which you know you’ll need reminding about, add to the reminder app on your phone. For iPhone users, this will keep popping up on your screen daily until you complete it.
I use this a lot if I need to remember to make a call or I need to bring some important papers to a meeting.
#3 | Desk diary
I have a daily planner on my desk and this duplicates all dates that are in my calendar. I like using this as it’s visual and easy to look during the day, I find that I’m less likely to miss a key date if it’s written in here.
#4 | Wall Calendar
Together with my online calendar and daily planner I also have a wall calendar in the kitchen which has my main dates e.g. when I’m attending an event, vet’s appointment or holidays. It’s useful having this in the kitchen so my husband can see when I’m likely to be out.
If you’re bad at remembering dates then a wall calendar is a great way to have these dates visible. A key date you MUST remember? Just write it in red and highlight in yellow, that should get your attention!
#5 | Post-it notes on the fridge
If you are really forgetful and need reminding, put a post-it note on the fridge, kettle or your bedside table – anywhere that you’ll visit every day and won’t forget.
By using the above tips and tricks you will soon start to get into the habit of putting key dates straight into your calendars (whether online, on your desk or on the wall), as long as the date is noted down and doesn’t stay in your head you shouldn’t forget it.
This is just one step to becoming more organised and in control of your diary.
Another huge benefit to following the above is that your diary will always be up to date and you are less unlikely to double book yourself which can be an embarrassment.
I help clients to keep track of their key dates by helping them manage their diary. This frees up valuable time so they can get on with other tasks during the day.
If you would like to find out more about diary management or other admin services visit my page here or email me info@kelliesimpsonva.co.uk
