Did you know that the average desk calendar is used just 17 times in its entire life? That’s a small number when you consider how much time most of us spend at our desks. The potential for desk calendars to help us be more productive, however, is limitless—if you know how to use one effectively. If you find yourself constantly forgetting important dates or appointments, it’s time to bring the desk calendar back into your working life. This small but organizational tool can help you manage your time far better than relying on your memory alone. With the right desk calendar in place, you’ll never miss another meeting or event again! Keep reading to discover 9 ways that a desk calendar can increase your productivity and help streamline your workday.
Track your most important tasks
Desk calendars are perfect for tracking recurring tasks and appointments, especially ones that are time sensitive or need to be done on a set schedule. If you have recurring tasks that you need to schedule on a regular basis, mark them on your desk calendar. This way you’ll have a visual reminder of what needs to be done on any given day or week. This is great for tasks that are weekly or monthly, such as a staff meeting, client conference call, or quarterly accounting report. By scheduling these events on your desk calendar, you’ll have a daily reminder of the work that needs to be done. This will help you build better time management skills and avoid the urge to procrastinate on those important tasks. Keep in mind that the best way to use your desk calendar to track recurring events is to mark them on consecutive days. Marking an event on the same day each week or month will help you build better time management skills and help you avoid the urge to procrastinate on those important tasks.
Create key deadlines and reminders
Keep track of notable events and deadlines on your desk calendar. You can use a desk calendar to keep track of birthdays, holidays, and anniversaries, as well as any important meetings or appointments that you need to attend. If you work in a team setting, you can also use a desk calendar to track your colleagues’ birthdays or other important dates and milestones. If you’re responsible for managing a project, you can use your desk calendar to keep track of due dates, meeting dates and times, and important milestones. This will keep you on track and help you avoid any missed deadlines. Keep an eye out for any recurring events that you need to keep track of, such as doctor’s appointments, business trips, and conferences. You can also mark important deadlines and due dates on your desk calendar to keep yourself accountable on all fronts. When you mark these events on your desk calendar, make sure you have a visual reminder to stay on top of them, so you don’t miss any important dates or deadlines.
Create routines and habits
If you have a habit or routine that you’d like to build and maintain, you can use a desk calendar to track it. For example, if you’d like to build a regular meditation practice into your schedule each week, you can mark that event on your desk calendar. If you’re trying to break a bad habit, you can also use a desk calendar to keep track of the times and days you do it. If you’re trying to eat more greens, schedule a time on your calendar to make a healthy green smoothie each week. Use your desk calendar to keep track of routines and habits that you’d like to build into your schedule and get into a regular rhythm.
Help you combat procrastination
If you struggle with procrastination, you can use a desk calendar to keep you on track and help you fight off the urge to procrastinate. If you have a project due in 2 weeks, you can mark the date on your calendar, and have a visual reminder to stay on track with your work and finish the project by that date. You can also use your desk calendar to keep track of events, due dates, and other important dates and milestones. This will help keep you on track and help you avoid the urge to procrastinate on these tasks. If you have a tendency to put off certain tasks or events, mark those on your desk calendar, too. If you’re in charge of managing a project, mark the due date on your calendar so you don’t forget about it and you’re held accountable for completing it by the set date. You can also use your desk calendar to keep track of daily, weekly, and monthly tasks that you need to complete. This will help you avoid the urge to procrastinate on these tasks and get them done on time.
Stay organized with to-do lists
One of the most effective ways to stay more organized and productive is to use a to-do list to track all of your tasks, events, and deadlines. If you’ve been using a paper calendar to track your to-do list, consider transferring those tasks to a digital desk calendar. Using your desk calendar to track your to-do list will help you stay more organized and avoid the urge to procrastinate on important tasks. It will also help you build better time management skills and have a visual reminder of what needs to get done and when. If you have a habit of breaking your to-do list down into smaller tasks, you can use your desk calendar to keep track of those smaller tasks, too. This will help keep you on track and add another layer of organization to your day-to-day life.
Track your activities in real time
If you’re a project manager or work in a role that requires you to keep track of your team’s activities, you can use a desk calendar to do so. If you work in an office environment, you can use your desk calendar to track the activities of your coworkers. This will help you stay on top of their progress without having to micro-manage them. It will also help you stay on top of your own work and ensure that you stay productive and on track. If you work remotely and don’t have access to an office desk calendar, you can use a digital or paper calendar to track your activities. This will help you stay organized and productive and remind you to take breaks and stay refreshed.
Confront your unpleasant habits head on
Unpleasant habits happen and no one is perfect. If you have a bad habit that you’re trying to break, mark it on your desk calendar. If you’re trying to quit smoking, mark the date on your calendar when you’re scheduled to quit smoking for good. If you’re trying to reduce your caffeine intake, mark the date on your calendar when you’ll stop drinking caffeinated beverages. If you have a bad habit that you’re trying to break, mark the date on your calendar when you want to break that habit. This will help keep you accountable and remind you to stay strong and break that habit for good.
Use color-coding to organize your tasks
If you like to use color-coding to stay organized, you can use a desk calendar to keep track of your tasks and due dates. You can use distinct colors on your calendar to keep track of diverse types of tasks and remember what they are. For example, if you have monthly accounting tasks to complete, mark those on a monthly calendar in red. If you have weekly marketing tasks to do, mark those on a weekly calendar in green. This will help you keep track of your tasks and due dates and keep your desk calendars organized. You can also use distinct colors to mark important dates and events on your desk calendars. If you have a birthday or anniversary coming up, mark those dates on your calendar in a color that reminds you of the occasion. This will help you stay more organized and on top of your work.
Mark Important Dates and Meetings
If you work in a team environment, you can use your desk calendar to mark notable events and meetings. If you work in an office setting, you can use your desk calendar to track when your team members are scheduled to meet with clients or attend major events. Mark these events on your desk calendar to stay on top of your team’s events and help you stay organized. Your desk calendar is a great place to keep track of important dates and meetings, like team meetings or project kick-off meetings. You can also mark important company dates, like the company retreat or quarterly earnings call. If you work in a remote or virtual setting,
