Manage Your Time More Effectively by Using the Right Calendar for You (guest post @TimeMgmtWriter)

Note: The following post comes from Jessie Haynes. At various points I share some of my thoughts too. When you see [slhc comments] they are my views.

Calendars come in different time intervals and different mediums, and with all these options it should come as no surprise that no one calendar type will work perfectly for everyone.

When considering calendar options, you may want to ask yourself a couple of questions to help you determine what kind of calendar will work for you.

1. Where will you be using this calendar?

Is this a strictly desk option, or something you'll carry in your purse? Do you need something to use during meetings to record important dates? Where you'll use your calendar should help you choose necessary size and durability options. The more mobile you are, the smaller and more durable your calendar should be, whereas the strictly for-the-desk calendar could be quite large, such as specifically a desk calendar, taking up most of the surface of your desk

2. How much writing will you do on this calendar?

If you're simply writing a few notes per day, week, or month, obviously you can choose a smaller option. However, if you want to write detailed daily notes and / or to-do lists, you definitely want to opt for a calendar that provides more space for writing in each day.

3. Will you be the only person using the calendar?

If you need to share a calendar, large wall calendars or date books that are made specifically for more than one person are definitely options you want to consider. [slhc comment -- Or, you may need to consider an online option where others can access the entries easily.]

When you've got a few of these options considered, then consider the different time intervals for calendars.

      * Monthly Calendars

The monthly calendar can take up one or two pages and vary in size and writing space. The monthly calendar is best for those that will not be overwhelmed by viewing the entire month at once and those that can find the proper size / durability ratio to fit the location in which they'll use the calendar. [slhc comment -- and if you are a big picture thinker, the monthly calendar is great for you.] If you are strictly using the calendar on your desk, you can be more flexible with monthly calendar sizes, but if you must frequently tote this calendar to meetings and client calls, you want to with smaller calendars, which may lead to not having enough space to record daily appointments, tasks and notes.

      * Weekly Schedule Logs

Using a weekly calendar is happy medium for many between the monthly and daily calendar. You can plan an entire week without the overwhelm of viewing an entire month-or the micro-focus of planning each day. Weekly calendars come in one or two page variants, and may simply have lines for each day (or space otherwise per day if not lined) or may have separate quadrants for your notes. Choose according to what will work best for you. [slhc - Weekly calendars are also fantastic for helping you to prioritize if you are a visual thinker.]

      * Daily Planner

A daily calendar, also comes in one or two pages, but usually in one page intervals. Some simply outline the time per day in hour or half-hour intervals, while others separate tasks and appointments.
Again, look for what will work best for you. Daily calendars are usually utilized by those with more than seven daily actions and appointments that want to keep detailed notes or don't want to use a form of shorthand on a weekly calendar.

Your final selections to make are between electronic and paper-based calendars.

*Paper-based calendars are more traditional, and convenient for the desk, and for mobile use (if you plan accordingly). If you don't need to change tasks and appointments frequently and enjoy physical tasks of writing and perusing your calendar, shop the paper-based options. [slhc comment -- many people know that they are more comfortable with paper, but choose electronic because they feel it is the "right thing to do" -- go with what feels right.]

*Electronic calendars are good for those that work primarily on a computer and don't require distance from electronics as some people do from working on them all day. If you are comfortable shifting tasks and appointments electronically and working with multiple views in electronic calendar systems, look at both smartphone and PDA tools and software and online options like Outlook, Sunbird, and Google and Yahoo calendars.

As you see, calendar options are as unique as their users. What calendar options work best for you?

This blog post is a guest post brought to you by Jessie Haynes, freelance time management writer and professional blogger. Learn more about her at her online portfolio and blog, timemgmtwriter.com.