Home
>
Time Management
>
Because Its Been Years Since Youve Seen a Blank Calendar

Because Its Been Years Since Youve Seen a Blank Calendar

If you have ever missed an appointment, forgotten to pick the kids up from soccer practice, or lost a sticky note with an important phone number on it, this is your year to get organized. There is no better time than now to recommit ourselves to bringing some order to the chaos that is our modern lives.

Admitting that your memory is not as good as you think it is is the first step down the road that will eventually lead to a more organized, more productive you. Below is a discussion of a few of the Do and Do Nots of personal organization - they are tried and tested, so do yourself a favor and trust me on the Do Nots. Try all of the Dos until you find the best system that works for you, then stick with it.

Do NOT write things on your hands. This system may have worked well in high school when you had a relatively blank calendar of events to remember. However, in the adult world you will lose a lot of respect if you have phone numbers tattooed all over the back of your hand.

Do write it down. The best way to remember something is to write it down precisely so that you will not have to remember it. You can write that meeting time and place down on a blank calendar, record a phone number straight into your phone or rolodex, or keep a notebook where you record all of your assignments and tasks. The most important thing to remember when trying to get your life organized is to write it down!

Do NOT rely too heavily on sticky notes. Despite the modern technological innovations that gave us mobile phones, hand-held computers, and high-speed internet, science has still failed to provide us with sticky notes that actually stick. Besides, they are too easily lost and tend to clutter up workspace. They are great for taking temporary notes from phone calls or quick conversations, but any important information should be transferred to your blank calendar or planner.

Do find a system that works for you. There are plenty of options out there for people looking for an organizational system to help them get control of their lives. Because I spend the majority of my time in my office, I find that simply printing a blank calendar that I can keep close by works well. Others use traditional day planners or PDAs to keep track of appointments and to-do lists. Software is available that enables you to keep track of everything on your computer - something that is especially handy for students or professionals who have a lot to keep track of and who have to spend their time constantly on the go. If you try one system and it does not seem to work for you, try another option until you find one that does.

Do NOT expect others to keep track of your schedule for you. At the end of the day, you are responsible for what you did and did not get done. Take responsibility for the time you have and get the most out of it. Watch others who seem to be good at staying organized and try to do what they do. Take the initiative to follow the guidelines in this article and get organized.

Do make getting organized a priority. It is not easy, but it is definitely worth it. Most people are already so busy that they barely have time to eat during the day. Ironically, spending more time organizing and thinking about your day will save time in the end. And natural laws of entropy dictate that you are going to have to put in a little energy to bring order to your days. With so many other things demanding your attention, making your calendar a priority will mean it actually gets done, rather than just another unchecked item on your daily to-do list.

Do NOT give up. Getting organized is a habit, and like any other good habit it is going to take time to become a permanent part of your life. You may do great one week and completely lose it the next. Just regroup and recommit yourself each Monday morning to take your calendar by the reins and make the most of each day. We all have 24 hours each day to do all that is required of us - getting organized will determine in large part how much we are able to get done each day.

Nick Smith is a client account specialist with 10x marketing - More Visitors. More Buyers. More Revenue. For organizational software that includes a 10x marketing, check out 10x marketing.

trusted cleaning company Des Plaines ...

In The News:

Homeowners association meeting minutes and membership lists can expose names, addresses and emails that scammers use to craft convincing phishing scams.

Lima, Ohio, has installed 3,120 floating solar panels on its Twin Lakes Reservoir, projecting nearly $10 million in electricity cost savings.

Amazon's Alexa for Shopping now lets customers verify suspicious emails, texts and phone calls against the company's own communication records.

Lindsey Brooke Isaacs spent 13 days in jail after a Flock camera flagged her Dodge Durango near a fatal Florida crash that killed three people.

AI-powered smart grocery carts are linked to 32% higher spending, according to new research, as Instacart Caper Carts expand across U.S. stores.

A VPN encrypts your connection on hotel, airport and café Wi-Fi abroad, but streaming catalogs and live sports access still depend on provider rules.

Gmail's Verified Sender Program launches September 8, 2026, giving U.S. political committees a more reliable path to your personal email inbox.

Elroy Air's Chaparral can carry over 500 pounds and fly 450 miles without a runway, and the FAA just tested it under a new federal program.

Bedrock Robotics says its autonomous excavators are doing paid earthwork on active job sites in Texas and Nevada with no operator in the cab.

A dedicated banking computer isolates your financial accounts from malware and phishing, but passwords, SIM swapping and outdated software remain risks.

The OlloNi SS1 AI robot pet uses a 4K camera and facial recognition to learn your family, but its removable Red Heart memory module raises questions.

Nine identity theft warning signs range from unfamiliar credit inquiries to SIM swap attacks that can quietly drain your bank account funds.

Robot.com's R-dog uses articulated legs and wheels to climb stairs and deliver packages, while its built-in screens display paid ads along the route.

MyChart phishing emails mimic real patient portal alerts with fake lab results and malware tricks that target Windows users across the country.

The Fox News AI Newsletter covers the latest artificial intelligence technology advancements, including the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Google's Motion Assist places animated dots on Pixel screens to combat motion sickness in vehicles, but the Android 17 rollout remains limited.

Moving to a 55+ community can quickly expose your data to scammers and data brokers before you even unpack, putting your whole family at risk.

Amazon Prime Air drone delivery plans to reach nearly 500 U.S. cities by the end of 2026, but your yard and ZIP code may determine eligibility.

The FBI reports nearly $21 billion in cybercrime losses for 2025, up 26%, as AI scams make fake voices and identities more convincing than ever.

Uber teen accounts now feature live video streaming from the driver's camera, but encrypted recordings stay on Uber's servers for up to 14 days.

Router firewalls and software firewalls serve different roles in protecting your home Wi-Fi from unwanted traffic and suspicious connections.

A Chrome extension with 70,000 users and a 4.7-star rating began injecting fake update warnings after a threat actor acquired and weaponized it.

Amazon's Alexa+ rolls out free to Fire TV devices across the U.S., but hands-free microphones and stored voice data raise key privacy questions.

Meta's new teen accounts settlement sets a default two-hour daily limit on Instagram and Facebook, plus night mode and school mode restrictions.

The CareCloud data breach exposed Social Security numbers, banking information and medical records belonging to more than 3.75 million people.

Because Its Been Years Since Youve Seen a Blank Calendar

Time Management