How do you keep track of your busy life?
I plodded along for years BK (before kids) with my trusty diary and wall calendar. They were colour coded with birthdays, public holidays, appointments and events, by way of my trusty coloured pens, textas and stickers. After a while my diary was the envy of others and I was doing this for numerous people, colour coding their diaries and calendars for the year ahead.
Over the years I have changed my organising system as children were introduced to the mix and when they started preschool and then school. Any life event really, work commitments for my hubby is always a good one and that usually sets us all into a spin.
The biggest change and the moment or should I say the year that sent me into organisational mayhem, was when I introduced technology into the organising mix. I had always run with a diary which rarely left my side.
I found myself working with a diary, a calendar and a calendar app on my smartphone. Three schedules are too many to reliably update and there were a lot of missed events and appointments because one of them wasn’t updated.
I could see the potential of the calendar app but I wasn’t happy with the features or lack of features offered by the standard calendar app which came with the phone. I also love the feel of a paper diary, I love the coloured pens and I love the stickers involved which let me create.
I researched many calendar apps, I read reviews, blogs and articles. I found one which let me colour code as well as add pictures (my substitute for stickers). The app also had other features I thought would be handy like setting reoccurring appointments and setting reminders, features which were quicker than me manually writing them all in a diary. Things were starting to get positive.
I trialled the calendar app and my calendar for 6 months and was very happy.
Why do I bother with a calendar at home?
This calendar is located in the hub of the home, it’s where we organise ourselves for the day. The calendar is an easy reference for hubby and the kids. They can see what’s coming up, just in case they need to plan a shopping trip to buy me a surprise (I wish).
Most events are easily recognised by their colour:
- PINK – Me (of course)
- BLUE – Hubby
- RED – Kid 1
- GREEN – Kid 2
- TEAL – Activities involving 2 or more in the family
- LILAC – Visitors
- PURPLE – Birthdays
- ORANGE – Public Holidays
For me it’s an easy system that keeps me organised. The textas for the calendar are on a shelf next to it and the kids know they are “mummy’s textas” and they aren’t allowed to use them! And they never have.
I still miss my paper diary and the ad hoc lists I would make in there. I haven’t quite got a system in place that I’m happy with regarding my To do lists, but the notebooks I once saved are now getting a good work out.
My scheduling motto:
“If it’s not in my calendar, it’s not happening”
Bling and Butterflies xo
Bling and Butterflies 