You're Running Out of Time - So Here are Some Google Calendar Tips as a Consolation Prize
Optimize your calendar, but for a good reason
Idea In Brief
I want to encourage you to do three things:
Schedule Prioritization Time
Schedule Wind Down Time
Make It Easy To Schedule Meetings
Block Your Other Time For Work
But, Stephen, that’s 4 things.
Yes! Very good. One is a bonus. I’m not gonna tell you which one until you get there.
So time management is folly.
There are several billion people, some of which are your friends, others your family, others co-workers, bosses, employees, clients, potential clients, past clients, spouses, children, future managers, future investors, and salespeople, who all want your time. On top of that, you don’t really want to spend time with ALL of them all the time, and Netflix keeps on pumping out stuff, you don’t like all of it, in fact, you like very little of it, but you’re still trying to keep up, and HBO Max isn’t so bad, and your friend gave you their Peacock password. And also, you wanna read and keep up with the news, and Twitter’s addicting but crazy, and you should definitely post something on Instagram, so your friends know you’re alive, but it should be really cute - so you should go somewhere where you can take a good photo. And you should really get a vacation. But, how can you vacation at a time like this, with all of the problems that maybe you should be donating your time or money to. But maybe if you spent more time at work, you’d have more money to fix those problems? Or maybe you need to network? And get a new job? Or are jobs pointless, should you just make that invention you came up with and get it on Shark Tank? Should you watch Shark Tank? Should you get a Shark Tank? Probably not right now, you need to figure out what you’re going to have for dinner.
Ok, so that’s what it feels like all the time.
It’s not all going to get done. I’m sorry to tell you in case I’m the first.
But, at work, I think a lot CAN get done. And more importantly, with a little system, you can make sure the right things get done. I use Google Calendar to make it happen.
And since I just started a new job, I figured I’d show you the setup I just built, and maybe you can steal some easy ideas to set up your day, your week, and your years for work success so you can have time for selfies and the latest season of The Other Two.
And this setup essentially consists of four things
Schedule Prioritization Time
Schedule Wind Down Time
Make It Easy To Schedule Meetings
Block Your Other Time For Work
If you’re already doing all this, you can just stop here and you don’t need to:
Schedule Prioritization Time
It’s essential to start your day with some time to prioritize. We all so often ROCKET into our day that we’re running down task after task, trying to get things done that we often forget about the important few things. Success doesn’t come from doing a lot of things, it comes from doing IMPORTANT things. Anyone can mindlessly respond to 100 emails in a day and feel they’ve done a lot. Fewer people can look at the landscape of things that could be done and make sure they do an AMAZING job at the most important thing.
Maybe we’ll talk about what’s important at some point. Would that be interesting?
There are a lot of ways to prioritize, including the Eisenhower Matrix, the ABCDE Method, there are a million. Honestly, I just use a handwritten checklist every day and put my most important items at the top. It doesn’t matter how you do it, you just need to do it. All of my most effective co-workers make sure important tasks get done, not just tasks.
In Google Calendar you can create “Focus time”. It shows up on your calendar a little differently than regular events, but it blocks time on your calendar.
So this is how I’ve set up my prioritization time:
Every weekday, from 8:00 to 8:30, I block off my meetings, and I get my prioritization done. Work doesn’t start until my priorities are clear.
Schedule Wind Down Time
As important as starting up is putting things down for the day. This is doubly important if you’re fully remote. Walking away from your work at the end of the day without a clear break can really keep people stressed. I think of shutting down work ineffectively like clearing off your desk and thinking that’ll mean you’ll be ready for the next day.
No dude! You’re going to have to dig through that mess. Shut down your day right for your mental health in the evening and for your sanity at work the next day.
Every weekday, from 5:30 to 6:00, I block off my meetings, and I halt the day. I get one or two of the last priorities I need to be done out of my way. I tell people that I owe stuff to, “hey I’m gonna get back to you, just not today.” I update colleagues on anything that needs updating. I send thank you notes for jobs well done. I may add a note to my priorities for the next day. I may take a moment to reflect on my day in my journal. And then, I close all my applications, and I walk away from the work.
This helps me feel like I’ve “done” everything I need to do for the day, even if all the work isn’t done. And this is really important because whether you know it or not, you’re carrying around the mental burden of all your unfinished projects, and closing the books on them is helpful.
Make It Easy To Schedule Meetings
This isn’t for everyone. You may not need to schedule meetings as much as I do. But if you DO schedule a lot of meetings, make it easy on yourself.
A huge waste of time, I feel, is scheduling meetings. Do whatever you can to make it EASY, fast. And Google Calendar has a native application that does that lets you create a link, send it to people, and have them easily book time on your calendar. There’s also Calendly, Sprintful, HubSpot, and more, and hopefully, your organization has something like this.
This is how I like to set up my calendar link
The same availability every weekday
You can book up to 30 days in advance, and I need at least 4 hours notice (I need time to prep, y’all).
I space meetings out 15 minutes so I can capture any notes I need to and prepare for the next meeting.
I include a Google Meet link.
I add an item where people can add their agenda items
I have it email the people joining the meeting with a reminder the day before.
And I save that meeting link in my Google Keep for easy access every time I’m sending an email.
If you want to get really fancy, you can also set up a limited-range booking link for a conference or a special event you’re taking meetings at. I’ll be setting one up for Podcast Movement. You could set up a happy hour scheduling link. The possibilities are endless.
Honestly, this was just a bonus one, as philosophically, the why here is rather shallow. But, the cool trick for Calendars.
Block Your Other Time For Work
Ok, so it’s a new day. You ended your day successfully yesterday. You’ve got some meetings booked with you today, and it was fast and painless to set up. Now you’re prioritizing. Look at your day. Look at your email. What needs to get done? What will take time? How much time? Start putting those things in your calendar NOW. If you need 60 minutes to write up a pitch, look at your calendar, find an open 60 minutes, and block it off. If you need to read a contract and get redlines over, block the time in your calendar.
This is where it all comes together.
We shut down our day to break from our goals.
We prioritize our day to identify our goals.
We block off time to ACHIEVE our goals.
Rest. Target. Achieve.
Pause. See. Go.
There are a number of ways to think about it, but the execution of GOING for your goals sometimes doesn’t happen.
And you should look at this honestly. Do you not have enough time in your day to get done one of your major goals? Then you may need to cancel a meeting or get some support. If you’re unable to set time to achieve your goals, you’ll be unlikely to achieve your goals.
When? When will you do it?
Build the time for what needs to get done, build the time for your goals. If you’re not going to build the time for your goals, who will?
Tell me about your time management practices
Stupid Things I’ve Put on My Calendar
A reminder to check to see if a Gelato place in Beverly Hills was still open in a year after I’d visited. It was such a big place, there was no one there, and they were open like 18 hours every day. It WAS open when it came due to check.
A second reminder to go with a friend to that same Gelato place 7 months later. It had shut down by that time
A reminder to book a haircut because I always forget - and my barber doesn’t let me book more than 10 days in advance, which I find insane.
An event that says, “I think I got exposed to COIVD at Target” Yes, I spelled COVID wrong.
Jeopardy! Test - I was not selected, but I think I did VERY good.
Identify, battle, overcome. These are the pillars of a three act story. Seems mighty familiar to how you organize a day. I will take your guidance and advice every time. Thanks!