EPISODE 16 - Organisation: How do I manage my Calendar?

Michael Seidl: Welcome to a new episode of the Get Shi*t done in IT podcast. My name is Michael Seidl and today we talk about how to manage your calendar. So I figured out some rules and guidance what helps me to have a clear calendar and a clean calendar, most importantly. And those things or guidelines I want to share with you today. So the first and I think one of the most important one is the booking type. So we are talking about Outlook, Microsoft calendar, Office 365. And I think it's also possible in different systems, but just for the note. And for calendars, you can choose a booking type. So you can book free out of office. busy and false option, I can't remember right now. But the most important ones are the free and the other ones. And why it is so important is, for example, you want to have a quick look or possibility to see or calculate any free spots in your calendar. So for my example, I have an external booking system for customers or maybe future customers, they can book an appointment with me half an hour, for example, to get to know each other and to demo the automated portal, our product. And this is completely without an interaction in person. So they can directly book in my calendar over an external system. And for this, it is very important to have those free or busy booking types. So for example, I do one or two days a week on -site consulting at customers and for this I have to drive around one hour each. And it is very important to have that travel time also booked in your calendar and not as free, but as booked as busy. Cause it wouldn't be a good idea that my maybe future customers can book a slot, a demo slot.

Michael Seidl: During that time, I sit in the car. So I can do maybe a phone call. That's OK, but not a demo during driving. So that's not recommended. So make sure you really use those booking types carefully. And the other example is my parents -in -law have been on vacation two weeks ago. And in this time, their dog is at our house. So need to take care of their dog. And this information is also stored in my calendar. So I can see in the calendar, OK, this week the dog is with us. So we can not be away from the house for very long. So that's an important information that needs to be stored in the calendar. But this calendar, this entry, is booked as free because This time is not actively using my time. It's just as information. And at the other hand, if I book a two -week calendar entry, Doug is at our house, and do it not as free and do it as booked or busy, in these two weeks, no one will be able to book in my calendar because the whole day is blocked, the whole two weeks are blocked or is blocked. So be aware that there are different booking types and use it wisely and use it as it's supposed to be. just calendar entries for information is mostly free and everything else should be booked as well as driving time. For example, the next one is everything has to be in your calendar. So I am trying and it's getting better and better over time. my idea is, my system I'm trying to achieve is everything I have to do is stored in my calendar or is planned in my calendar. Of course, I have an external system. In my case, it is Notion to store all my to -dos and ideas and everything.

Michael Seidl: At that point, those things are coming to to -dos or things have to do. This has to be planned for a specific date, for a specific time frame on that day, not just as a to -do on that day. So it has to be planned as a to -do with a time slot. that's so my calendar is my only truth or thing I have to do. That's very important. that's the next thing. Do not store any to -dos in your calendar without the time slots. I did it myself and I see that on other people. They have a lot of just to -dos stored as a full day appointment on that day, maybe 15 entries. And they move those things from day to day because they have no time to do that things. it is not planned in your calendar, it's just a note on top of your calendar list. from your day from 8 to 5, for example, there is no slot for those things because they haven't booked a slot. that's the thing. Don't store any to -dos in your calendar on top, store it as a time slot. So if you have to go to the grocery market, for example, to To get anything for a birthday party on the weekend, book it as a time slot in your calendar. With driving time, with the shopping time, whatever. Not as a, just a mark on top of your calendar. Cause if you do not store those time slots, there is a high possibility that you will not do it cause there is no time left to do it. So really book your time slots from five to six, do the grocery, whatever. So that's the next important thing. One more thing is do not have any double bookings in your calendar. Of course, sometimes this may be hard if your boss or team leader is sending you appointments, then there might be a risk that it is a double booking. But at least maybe it's just to inform you about an appointment.

Michael Seidl: You do not have to be involved, but just as a note. And then make sure that this appointment is once a free booking type and it should be a different color. So maybe try to arrange your calendar to your appointments in different colors and decide at least between two colors. One is booked, not available. I have to do something. The other one is just a note, not my appointment. Maybe it just needs to be stay awake or stay ready if someone asks me anything. But those things have to be different. I know some people also have a different colour for driving time or travel time, so they can do calls in that time, for example. But at least try to have at least two colours busy. my appointment, my calendar, and the other one is something else, just a note. And that's my advice. So the idea of all this and why I try to focus on those rules is to have a clear and visible calendar. And on one side on one blink of an eye I want to see if I am available or what I have to do on that day on that time frame on that specific date whatever so that's the idea that I immediately want to see what's up what's next okay and don't need to open each appointment after each appointment and see if that's for me or not at one blink one blink of an eye I want to see available not available what I have to do what is next That's the idea and that really helps a lot to be more productive in your daily life. So I hope those guidelines or those rules or those hints from my side are helping you. So maybe you try for a few weeks and let me know. If you have any questions for this podcast, please send me a text or a voice message. The best way would be on LinkedIn.

Michael Seidl: I'm very active on LinkedIn. And at the end, thanks for listening and enjoy your week. Stay productive and bye bye.