It would be far more convenient for someone to steal my wallet than to steal my calendar. Not that I’m advocating that anyone steal anything from me (or anyone else). I just know how heavily I rely on my calendar to help me meet my obligations. Then I can fully relax knowing everything is complete.

With the fall comes school, tutoring, athletic schedules, and meetings, among a host of other commitments. The crush of these duties can seem overwhelming and have people running from one place to the other. Here are some calendaring tips that can help relieve the pressure:

Paper versus electronic: For about 20 years, I used a paper planner (writing in pencil in case something changed). Then. My husband asked me to move to an electronic calendar. What? He wanted to cut down on the “Are you free on Monday?” conversations. It was hard to change, but the system is getting easier to use. There is a video at ducksinarowdallas.com that shares more information. There are pluses and minuses to both; the key is to find the one system that you will work. That’s right. One calendar.

Everything is added: Everything. I mean everything is added to one calendar. Birthdays, anniversaries, vacations, work meetings, potluck dinners, games, bill-pay, chores, and everything else you can think of. As you create events to add to the calendar, note details such as uniform color, address, and agenda items that are necessary for that event.

Color-coding: You can use colors in many ways: family members, work, volunteering, relaxing, unconfirmed events, and cancelled items. I use different colors for work items, my husband’s commitments, and relaxing activities. If an item is cancelled, then I turn it grey in case I need to look back at the details later if we reschedule.

Consistently adding information to your calendar will allow you to look in one place for your schedule instead of multiple places. This relieves the stress of running around last minute because your system is working for you. I love, I love, I love my calendar, girl. You will too!

Allison Venuto, who is never without her planner, owns Ducks in a Row Personal Organizing, wherein she works with clients on space and scholastic organizing. Please contact her with questions at allison@ducksinarowdallas.com.

Views and opinions expressed in guest posts are those of the guest author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of ATPE.