regular events

kerem parlakgumus

Registered
Dear All,

Greetings from Turkey,

I have stuck with regular, daily events. I will be very happy to get your ideas.

it is not a good idea to insert the everyday, regular events into the calendar (google calendar). how to deal with the regular events? For example, in my google calendar, there are everyday routines, such as every day 06:00 - 11:00 I have got 28 things to do. where should I store them if not in my google calendar?
 

ssksogaard

Registered
I can see the issue with adding 28 tasks every morning in your calendar, might clutter it a bit..
What about adding one task, every morning, telling you to do the "Morning Check List" with your 28 tasks?

It doesn't take to much space in the calendar, and the list is easy to edit, not needing to edit multiple calendar entries..
Just a thought.
 

vino

Registered
I can see the issue with adding 28 tasks every morning in your calendar, might clutter it a bit..
What about adding one task, every morning, telling you to do the "Morning Check List" with your 28 tasks?

It doesn't take to much space in the calendar, and the list is easy to edit, not needing to edit multiple calendar entries..
Just a thought.

Very sensible advise.
 

kerem parlakgumus

Registered
Because If I have my regular events in my google calendar (screenshot below), then when the doctor appointment comes, I can easily miss the doctor appointment within these crowd,mess, too many things to do.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BE1K0-ulrz5_vvo1bf-O5q4gx_M8ofCs/view?usp=sharing

If i dont have something different, such as doctor appointment, I go with regular events (such as working on my job which is Summary of Books). But If i have doctor appointment, then I should rule out, ignore Summary of Books project and go to the doctor appointment.

Generally it turns out that, I can not do my daily routine but I do exceptional thing, so my daily routine become unimportant, when the alert comes from google calendar, i suppose it can be daily routine which is unnecessary, but the alert is for doctor appointment, as a result, İ miss the doctor appointment :)

The real question is how do you manage your daily routines AND your calendar events which are :

1. Time-specific actions. These are meetings or appointments at a specific time on a specific day.
2. Day-specific actions. These are actions you must take on that day, but anytime that day is okay.
3. Day-specific information. For example, you might add directions for getting to a meeting that is on the calendar.
 

devon.marie

Registered
I would still keep these things on your calendar, but perhaps tweak the way you have your calendar set up.
  1. Simplify your colors. I would color-code so that you can tell at a glance if something is a need vs. a want. Maybe a calendar that's colored something subdued for your tentative day plan, and another that's vibrant for required events/tasks? Too many colors adds a lot of unnecessary visual complexity -- the fewer colors you use, the more events you can have without feeling overwhelmed.
  2. You can change notification settings for each event, or for a calendar as a whole. I would make sure your repeating habit/tentative events do not have notifications set, while your required events/tasks do. That way you can still see your daily plan, while knowing that if a notification comes through, it's important.
  3. Use all-day events to mark things that need to be done on a day, but not at a specific time. If it's something that takes a bit of time, though, I'd really block off time for it, so you can be sure it gets done. It's hard to "find time" for a 2 hour task, but easy for something that takes 10 minutes.
  4. I would do as @ssksogaard suggests and make the checklist somewhere in your task manager of choice, and simply link to it in the description. Personally, I put it right in the event description (using the same double bracket setup shown in my image) because I find it easiest... but none of my checklists have 28 things :)
  5. Bonus: Find a way to signify which is a task and which is a meeting/event. I put two open brackets before tasks on my calendar, and then put an x inside once it's done. I've attached an image below so you can see what I mean.
 

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vaughan76

Registered
Two thoughts:

1) if these 28 things are the same every day, why not build a checklist? Then just run down the checklist, mark them off, and don't bother with either your calendar or your next action lists.

2) what exactly are these 28 things? Are they critical things you need to be reminded of? Or are they basic things like, "Brush my teeth"? If its stuff you're going to do no matter what, then don't bother writing them down anywhere. Just do them.
 

TesTeq

Registered
Because If I have my regular events in my google calendar (screenshot below), then when the doctor appointment comes, I can easily miss the doctor appointment within these crowd,mess, too many things to do.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BE1K0-ulrz5_vvo1bf-O5q4gx_M8ofCs/view?usp=sharing

If i dont have something different, such as doctor appointment, I go with regular events (such as working on my job which is Summary of Books). But If i have doctor appointment, then I should rule out, ignore Summary of Books project and go to the doctor appointment.

Generally it turns out that, I can not do my daily routine but I do exceptional thing, so my daily routine become unimportant, when the alert comes from google calendar, i suppose it can be daily routine which is unnecessary, but the alert is for doctor appointment, as a result, İ miss the doctor appointment :)

The real question is how do you manage your daily routines AND your calendar events which are :

1. Time-specific actions. These are meetings or appointments at a specific time on a specific day.
2. Day-specific actions. These are actions you must take on that day, but anytime that day is okay.
3. Day-specific information. For example, you might add directions for getting to a meeting that is on the calendar.
I understand. So the best solution is to use the "Day/Morning/Evening Checklist" as suggested by @ssksogaard !
 

kerem parlakgumus

Registered
I would still keep these things on your calendar, but perhaps tweak the way you have your calendar set up.
  1. Simplify your colors. I would color-code so that you can tell at a glance if something is a need vs. a want. Maybe a calendar that's colored something subdued for your tentative day plan, and another that's vibrant for required events/tasks? Too many colors adds a lot of unnecessary visual complexity -- the fewer colors you use, the more events you can have without feeling overwhelmed.
  2. You can change notification settings for each event, or for a calendar as a whole. I would make sure your repeating habit/tentative events do not have notifications set, while your required events/tasks do. That way you can still see your daily plan, while knowing that if a notification comes through, it's important.
  3. Use all-day events to mark things that need to be done on a day, but not at a specific time. If it's something that takes a bit of time, though, I'd really block off time for it, so you can be sure it gets done. It's hard to "find time" for a 2 hour task, but easy for something that takes 10 minutes.
  4. I would do as @ssksogaard suggests and make the checklist somewhere in your task manager of choice, and simply link to it in the description. Personally, I put it right in the event description (using the same double bracket setup shown in my image) because I find it easiest... but none of my checklists have 28 things :)
  5. Bonus: Find a way to signify which is a task and which is a meeting/event. I put two open brackets before tasks on my calendar, and then put an x inside once it's done. I've attached an image below so you can see what I mean.

Chirmer, hi!

Thank you very very much for really helpful, smart, make my life easier tips. They really worked out for me.

I made all my regular, routine events, habits, personal things Purple & without notification so that I can understand when a notification comes it is an important meeting/event, the work-related thing that I should not miss. When I add a meeting, doctor appointment they are in red color with notification. when it is something my daily routine they are purple, but when something is not routine, obligatory, meeting, work, an event, it is red.

I never miss all-day events, since they are on top of the calendar exceptional from my mess in google calendar.

as @ssksogaard suggests i did it in that way.

I did not understand the 5) Bonus: how can I find a way to signify which is a task and which is a meeting/event? is it like, if it is a task, we put brackets, if it is not a task but meeting, event, no brackets? I really want to follow bracket idea since it is really useful, can you explain it more?
 

kerem parlakgumus

Registered
Two thoughts:

1) if these 28 things are the same every day, why not build a checklist? Then just run down the checklist, mark them off, and don't bother with either your calendar or your next action lists.

2) what exactly are these 28 things? Are they critical things you need to be reminded of? Or are they basic things like, "Brush my teeth"? If its stuff you're going to do no matter what, then don't bother writing them down anywhere. Just do them.

Vaughan76, hello!

Thank you very very much for the reply, smart tip. It really works out incredibly.

* Do we mean creating To-Do Lists (tasks) Using Google Calendar?
if yes, i have added to-do lists tasks to my google calendar
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dbwligGi7L7aoBOwILetsQDOBsHZ-THR/view?usp=sharing

-- as I get, to-do lists (tasks) in google calendar is really helpful for next-action lists since it just has "the thing i should do" and "due date". that is all

What I have in my 5 am - 10 am some of my checklists is this:
* Solgar Nero Nutrients
* Check Google Calendar, review what I have within the day
* Meditation
* elliptical machine
* Inversion Table
* Stretching
* Shower
* Breakfast
* Brush Teeth
* Empty In-Basket
* Prepare the things I will do for today
* dailygood.org
* email reply



 

devon.marie

Registered
I did not understand the 5) Bonus: how can I find a way to signify which is a task and which is a meeting/event? is it like, if it is a task, we put brackets, if it is not a task but meeting, event, no brackets? I really want to follow bracket idea since it is really useful, can you explain it more?

Yes, that's what I do. So a regular event on my calendar will just have the title, like so:
  • Committee Meeting
But then tasks on my calendar have the open brackets before them (this is my attempt to make something that looks like a checkbox). If it's done, I put an X inside it. So some done/not done tasks might look like this:
  • [ ] Clean out inbox
  • [ x ] Create promotional flyer
  • [ x ] Fill out timesheet
  • [ ] Complete weekly review
  • [ ] Brainstorm ideas for new project
The ones with the X inside are completed. This way I can keep my tasks on my calendar while marking them done, so I don't try to do them a second time.

This is really just an extra thing and by no means required. Sometimes it's just nice to see what your day was like and what you got done, so I don't like deleting my done tasks/events. And for me, it helps my supervisor see what I'm up to all day :)
 

John Ismyname

Registered
Hello Kerem; can you run two calendars in Google? In Outlook, I run two calendars. The first one holds only my actual commitment appointments - where and when I have committed to be at a specific place and a specific time. Therefore, this calendar is as sparse as possible. In a glance, I can see my ‘hard’ commitments for the day.


The other calendar is my "ideal life" with everything I want to do six days a week. Each of them is set up as a calendar appointment that repeats daily.


00:00 - 4:00 sleep

04:30 - 5:00 meditate

05:00-05:10 early morning 4H forex trade

05:10-05:30 core morning routine

05:30-07:00 free weights

07:00-07:30 high speed dog walk, aerobics, talking book on MP3

07:30-07:50 breakfast - read newspaper

07:50-08:00 shower & dress

08:00-08:30 drive spouse to work & converse

08:30-09:00 process inboxes to zero

09:00-09:10 morning 4H forex trade

9:10-09:30 finalize plan for day

9:30-10:10 Pomodoro #1

10:10-50 Pomodoro #2


That's a dozen things I do every day before I start my first Pomodoro – the work time management system.


I agree with and use checklists; My core morning routine is a checklist. Everything on it are things I have to do. Thus, I run though it in lock-step every morning. Everything else is optional and flexible.


When I plan my day out the night before, I drag-and-drop from my ideal day calendar to my actual working calendar.
 

kerem parlakgumus

Registered
Yes, that's what I do. So a regular event on my calendar will just have the title, like so:
  • Committee Meeting
But then tasks on my calendar have the open brackets before them (this is my attempt to make something that looks like a checkbox). If it's done, I put an X inside it. So some done/not done tasks might look like this:
  • [ ] Clean out the inbox
  • [ x ] Create promotional flyer
  • [ x ] Fill out timesheet
  • [ ] Complete weekly review
  • [ ] Brainstorm ideas for new project
The ones with the X inside are completed. This way I can keep my tasks on my calendar while marking them done, so I don't try to do them a second time.

This is really just an extra thing and by no means required. Sometimes it's just nice to see what your day was like and what you got done, so I don't like deleting my done tasks/events. And for me, it helps my supervisor see what I'm up to all day :)

Chirmer, Thank you very very much for the explanatory answer:)

I will follow the tactic of using brackets. On "regular events", "meetings", "events" no brackets. But on tasks (which can be "all day" if it can be done any time in that day AND with time specified if the time should be allocated or must be done on a specific time) brackets will be added.
 

kerem parlakgumus

Registered
Hello Kerem; can you run two calendars in Google? In Outlook, I run two calendars. The first one holds only my actual commitment appointments - where and when I have committed to be at a specific place and a specific time. Therefore, this calendar is as sparse as possible. In a glance, I can see my ‘hard’ commitments for the day.


The other calendar is my "ideal life" with everything I want to do six days a week. Each of them is set up as a calendar appointment that repeats daily.


00:00 - 4:00 sleep

04:30 - 5:00 meditate

05:00-05:10 early morning 4H forex trade

05:10-05:30 core morning routine

05:30-07:00 free weights

07:00-07:30 high speed dog walk, aerobics, talking book on MP3

07:30-07:50 breakfast - read newspaper

07:50-08:00 shower & dress

08:00-08:30 drive spouse to work & converse

08:30-09:00 process inboxes to zero

09:00-09:10 morning 4H forex trade

9:10-09:30 finalize plan for day

9:30-10:10 Pomodoro #1

10:10-50 Pomodoro #2


That's a dozen things I do every day before I start my first Pomodoro – the work time management system.


I agree with and use checklists; My core morning routine is a checklist. Everything on it is things I have to do. Thus, I run through it in lock-step every morning. Everything else is optional and flexible.


When I plan my day out the night before, I drag-and-drop from my ideal day calendar to my actual working calendar.

Dear John,

Thank you very very much for the reply, feedback, a very helpful tip about google calendar.

I have two google accounts so that I can have two separate Google calendars.

First Calendar is my ideal life plan.
The second Calendar is my actual commitment appointments - where & when I have committed to be at a specific place & a specific time.

When planning the day out the night before, I drag-and-drop from my ideal day calendar to my actual working calendar.

I have always too many windows, applications open, I hope I can manage, track the second google calendar (I get more confused with it)

You pointed out a very very nice phenomenon that what I do (actual commitment appointments) in a day conflicts with what I really want to do (my ideal life plan). They should intersect at some point which they don't.
 

John Ismyname

Registered
You pointed out a very very nice phenomenon that what I do (actual commitment appointments) in a day conflicts with what I really want to do (my ideal life plan). They should intersect at some point which they don't.

Hello Kerem; One of the benefits of this method is that whether my view is by day, week or month, I am always looking at what I should be doing on the right calendar (as in the right thing to do..get it?) and the left, what my hard commitments are. I keep track of my time as a diary/journal in the left calendar. (It is what is "left", get it?)
 

kerem parlakgumus

Registered
Hello Kerem; One of the benefits of this method is that whether my view is by day, week or month, I am always looking at what I should be doing on the right calendar (as in the right thing to do..get it?) and the left, what my hard commitments are. I keep track of my time as a diary/journal in the left calendar. (It is what is "left", get it?)

aha now i get it. with me, it seems the method is working fine. thank you so much.
 

AFG

Registered
For example, in my google calendar, there are everyday routines, such as every day 06:00 - 11:00 I have got 28 things to do. where should I store them if not in my google calendar?

I was sticking such "routine" events in my Google Calendar for a while. And/or trying to make them recurring checkoff boxes.

I don't do this any more, but one useful trick:

Create a special calendar just for such Routine items, so you can easily show them / hide them, to avoid distraction when looking at bigger events.

Not two separate accounts - two calendars visible from same account.
 

kerem parlakgumus

Registered
I was sticking such "routine" events in my Google Calendar for a while. And/or trying to make them recurring checkoff boxes.

I don't do this any more, but one useful trick:

Create a special calendar just for such Routine items, so you can easily show them / hide them, to avoid distraction when looking at bigger events.

Not two separate accounts - two calendars visible from same account.

hi there AFG,
thank you very very much for the useful tip.
my regular events does not go very well because of my laziness and irregular sleeping habit. but at least, they are there, one day i will do them hopefully.
 
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