Planning our days, or week or even the month is something that we must do, in order to be well organized in carrying out tasks. However, the tool with which to do this has remained a debate till date. The debate is between using a calendar, or a to do list. When it comes to this debate, the most common of the two is probably a to-do list. Most people have a to-do list of some sort. You can list out what you have to do each day at work or create a weekend to-do list of all your tasks and the errands you will run.
However, after some researches and actually using both methods for a period of time, I have come to the conclusion that using a calendar is better. Now, calendars are not just for the “very busy” ones as we think. Everyone can use a calendar.
Here are a few reasons using a calendar is better that using a to do list.
Efficient management of time
Have you ever set a long to-do list that you could not complete in a single day or a certain time frame, and then beat yourself up and feel bad for not finishing the tasks? Well, you are not alone because everyone who uses lists are with you.
Do you know why you could not finish the tasks? Here is why. You did not match those tasks with real times.
However, with a calendar, you are essentially filling in time slots instead of just creating a blind list. You are being honest about how much time you have, then scheduling out tasks according to your availability. With calendar, you can’t fix two tasks in a particular time frame. When you commit to adding everything to your calendar, it makes it harder for you to double book yourself.
Learn about proper time management so you can try batching tasks like sending email reminders, doing research or outlining some content and add it to your calendar for an allotted time.
Helps in visualizing and prioritizing goals.
You will agree with me that when your goals are visual, you prioritize them much better. We often tend to waste so much time and energy trying to do everything when we should just prioritize our tasks and fit what is important into our schedule. Adding tasks to your calendar makes it part of the goal, and make you want to prioritize them. Adding same task to your to do list makes it a burden, a disturbance. Also, adding a task as a daily routine in your calendar makes it much more likely that you will actually do it and reach your goals.
With calendar, you can schedule
With calendars, you will be able to schedule things out and officially set aside time to focus on one task. When planning your weekly or daily schedule, putting tasks on the calendar just makes it official. Tasks like important appointments can be added to the calendar as they are non-negotiable. You can even put your day-to-day activities on the calendar. This will definitely increase the chances of the tasks actually being done and completed.
So, basically, using a calendar can help you spread out your workload, meet deadlines and have a clear idea of your daily routines.
Set reminders and alerts
Nowadays, you can use calendars in your mobile devices. It’s as easy as downloading a calendar app. It is also convenient because you can personalize your calendar however you like and even set up reminders and alerts. If you misplace your to-do list or get distracted, there are unfortunately hardly any tools to help you remember, or alert you. Use your digital calendar to remind yourself when you have certain bills that are due or an important meeting that is coming up. If you want to make sure you don’t miss an important event or task, you can even set up multiple reminders.
Use Your Calendar to Reduce Emails and book meetings
Scheduling a lot of meetings in a week means sending lots of emails. However, with calendar, you don’t have to send all those emails. If someone needs to book time with you, you can send them a calendar invite link or include the link in the signature of your email. Imagine saving time with a calendar link, instead of writing ‘follow up with John’ on your to-do list only to forget about it later, as there are no reminders.
In summary, this article is not to relegate to do lists entirely. Although they can be used in certain occasion, generally, calendars are better. What do you think about this debate? Which of the methods have you been using and why? Let us know in the comments.
My name is Chigozie Japhet. I am a content writer, and a brand strategist. I like writing, reading, researching and watching football, especially my team, Man United. i believe in working hard, and also in relaxation as all work without play, makes Chigozie a dull boy.
