Are you wondering how to use Google calendar to keep your life organized? Don’t miss these 7 ways that using Google calendar can simplify your life.
For years, I was an ardent pen and paper gal. I wrote lists. I checked things off the lists. And I prided myself on how I stayed so organized without the aid of any new-fangled techie tools.
Because isn’t old-fashioned better, right? Well, that’s what I had convinced myself was true.
But then, my business grew and my kids grew and our calendar started filling up with more appointments and activities. Needless to say, the pen and paper method wasn’t working so well.
I kept trying to make the paper system work… I was determined and committed. But I often didn’t have my paper with me when I needed to write something down. So then I’d scratch it down on any paper that was nearby — and then often lose that paper.
In addition, my brain felt constantly cluttered up by to-do’s and to-remembers. I didn’t have a streamlined way to post paper reminders of something I needed to remember in 7 weeks and 3 days from now, so I just kept it in my head, kept reminding myself that I couldn’t forget it, and then kept worrying that I wouldn’t remember to remind myself about it.
Yes, I was fighting a losing battle!
My husband — always one to jump on anything techie — strong encouraged me to try Google Calendar. “That’s online.” I protested. “You know that online calendars won’t work for me.” But he persisted and I finally relented.
And I am so very glad I did, because using Google Calendar has revolutionized my life and my productivity. In fact, in spite of the fact that I’m usually the non-techie person, I continually catch myself championing Google Calendar to my friends and family!
7 Ways Google Calendar will Simplify Your Life
Here are seven ways Google Calendar simplifies my life (and can for you, too!):
1. It Gives Me a Place to Brain Dump
You know all those little things you’re constantly thinking you need to remember? I love that I no longer have to carry them around in my brain. Instead, I can quickly and easily add a note about something on an upcoming day my Google Calendar.
Truly, when I stopped having to keep track of such a myriad of information, it felt as if a weight lifted off my shoulders! And it cleared up a lot of space in my brain for other projects to percolate.
2. It Allows Me to Have All Event Details in One Place
When I add an appointment to my calendar, I use the Description section on Google Calendar to add all pertinent details: time, place, any information I need to remember or bring, directions to the location, and/or a phone number for who I’m meeting with.
Putting all these details into one place saves me so much time and headache. Instead of having to scour through my phone or email inbox to retrieve these details if something comes up, everything I could need for an event or appointment is in one central location.
3. It Sends Me Reminders
If you’re anything like me, you have the best intentions, but then life happens and you sometimes forget that you had a phone meeting scheduled or needed to take your child to the eye doctor. This is why the reminder feature on Google Calendar is so handy!
I set up reminders based upon the likelihood of my forgetting about something. Sometimes, I might just set up one reminder to pop up on my phone ten minutes before. Other times, I set up five reminders via email and my phone… just in case!
I can’t tell you how many times these reminders have prevented me from completely missing something I was suppose to do or somewhere I was supposed to go! And knowing they are set up helps me breathe easy instead of feeling anxious that I’ll forget something important.
4. It Allows Me to Easily Re-Assign Tasks
The biggest downfall of pen and paper is that you have to re-write your list when life throws you a curveball. Not so with Google Calendar.
If you end up having a busier day than expected and you don’t have time to get to four things assigned on your Calendar for today, you can just effortlessly drag and drop them to another day.
No more re-writing to-do lists or feeling guilty that you couldn’t get everything done in a day!
5. It Syncs With My Phone
Pen and paper gets really bulky to lug around and have at all times. On the other hand, the beauty of Google Calendar is that you can check your schedule and appointments on your calendar right from your phone. There’s no longer any need to have a big planner with your entire calendar on it with you at all times or to mess with opening up your laptop to check on your schedule.
You can even have Siri update your calendar with new to-do’s and reminders while you’re driving home from the grocery store! It’s like you have a personal assistant right at your fingertips — and all for not a penny more than what you’re paying for your smartphone plan!
6. It Organizes My Travel
I use TripIt to keep all of my travel details together and I adore the fact that TripIt and Google Calendar can be synced together. Now that my accounts are synced, whatever I add to TripIt automatically shows up on my Google Calendar on my phone. This saves me lots of time and hassle shuffling through travel confirmations and also guarantees that I know where I’m supposed to be and when.
7. It Improves My Marriage
Did this last point catch you by surprise? Well, it’s true!
I love the option Google Calendar has that allows you to share calendars with others. We use this in my business to keep track of other people’s schedules and responsibilities and for deadlines and details on projects we’re collaborating on.
But I don’t just use it for sharing calendars with people I work with professionally, my husband and I share our calendars with each other so that we can know what the other has going on each day. This is helpful for logistic purposes, but it goes much deeper than that.
You see, when I look at what all my husband has scheduled for his day, it helps me to know better how to pray for him, it helps me to be able to ask questions about what he has going on, and reminds me to express gratitude to him for all he’s doing as part of his job.
If I didn’t know what he had going on throughout the day, I wouldn’t be able to be as involved in his life and I certainly wouldn’t have the level of appreciation I do for him. And it’s these things that help make our marriage stronger… thanks to Google Calendar!
Do you use Google Calendar? What other ideas do you have for keeping track of your schedule and your life?
To recap, here are 7 ways can Google Calendar simplify your life:
1. It Gives Me a Place to Brain Dump
2. It Allows Me to Have All Event Details in One Place
3. It Sends Me Reminders
4. It Allows Me to Easily Re-Assign Tasks
5. It Syncs With My Phone
6. It Organizes My Travel
7. It Improves My Marriage
Other helpful resources:
- Helpful Resources to Save Time and Money
- #Plannerfail: The 3 Big Reasons You Can’t Stick to a Planner (and How to Fix Them)
- Take Back Your Schedule
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Just curious… do you know how Google Calendar and iCal are different? Is there some reason that I should consider Google Calendar over iCal? I have played around with iCal a little and Google Calendar only once. I think iCal can do all of that hints you mentioned but before I commit to one over the other, I’d love to know if anyone can offer a side by side comparison.
I have an iphone, but I much prefer google calendar. I like the printing feature with google calendar, and I think it shares easier with other people.
I may have to give this a try now. My husband has been talking about this for a while b/c we are always struggling to keep our schedules in synch. It would be nice to have a “family calendar” so we can both see what we have going on or coming up. I like paper planners for some things, but I’m sure this would be helpful for us!! Thanks for sharing!
I really like being able to sync my schedule with my girlfriend’s schedule. We have a blended family with 4 kids with 4 different schools (ugh driving is my existence…for now) I work late shift as a police officer with a rotating schedule and she works traditional day shift hours. That said we can see what is going on in each other’s schedules with visitations, social events we would like to attend, kids events, etc. I have a ridiculously complicated schedule that regularly requires adjustments to my weekly routine (ie training days, court appearances, etc) plus I play with a couple different bands and have to account for rehearsals and performances and not to mention moonlighting part time jobs. We have to schedule date nights and things of that nature and Google Calendar totally makes all this much easier to manage.
I actually still use a paper calendar AND Google cal.. I love Google cal but it’s not perfect. I hate that there’s not a good iPhone app for it and instead, I have to use a 3rd party one which I have yet to find one that is THE one. (I don’t understand why there isn’t a native app) Maybe it’s a throw back to my Outlook days, but I also wish there were a desktop aspect to it.. which is why I still use iCal which synchs to Google and at some point, something gets on one calendar and not the other and it’s a mess. And that is why I still use paper 😉
Kristen,
I use the google calendar on my iphone by using the calendar app that comes with iphone. In settings, I just added my google calendar and it syncs great. I’m also pretty sure there is a desktop version of the google calendar. I could be wrong, but I’m pretty sure that is something I used with my google calendar a couple of years ago. It’s worth looking in to 🙂
If you have a Google account – you do if you have the app on your phone – just go to calendar.google.com. You need to be connected online but can work offline as well.
Is there an iPhone app that you would recommend for Google Calendar?
I use the calendar app on my iPhone and synced it with my Google calendar.
Pocket Informant Pro is the best there is. You can try it free now but I’m sure once you do you will pay for the upgrade.
I just discovered Google Calendar myself. I have always been a paper and pen person with lists everywhere. I am amazed at how this is revolutionizing my life – wish I had found it a long time ago….Cathy