The planning calendar I use - my gift to you

It’s no secret that most of us are trying to keep a lot of balls in the air.

I’ve tried SO MANY systems, online and off, and while things have still been known to fall between the cracks, I feel like it’s going ok at the moment.

Right now I use Google Calendar and a thing called the ‘Do It All Planner’ diary I got from Officeworks a couple of months ago. It stays on my desk seems to be managing my ‘To Do Lists’ well (I’m now allocating tasks to days rather than having one huge, long list).

And while I find myself continually refining my systems to keep on top of things, there’s one thing that has been a constant for many, many years.

The Pantry Calendar.

Here’s a pic of the version I did in 2012. It was based on the awesome wall calendar REMO used to make.

It’s always been the opportunity to clean down the pantry doors, take a look at what has happened this past year, and start afresh with a new calendar.

I design it myself and it’s slightly refined each year. In fact, I think it’s getting more simple and clear as time goes on.

Why it works for me

I still have kids at school so we work in 4 quarters (school terms).
I like to keep it clear and fresh, and there is space on each page (the light blue boxes) for extra notes.
The week starts on a Monday and there’s enough room for everyone if we write small enough.
The weeks are numbered and the months are marked.
My current printer prints to A3 size. I have been known to take the file to Officeworks and ask them to print it on heavier weight paper, but that is often too much of a hassle.
Here’s this year, stuck to the freshly cleaned pantry doors. Empty with potential.

And here’s our Term 1 plan for the studio – I use the same system, prepping dates and times for classes and instructors. It gets laminated and we use coded dots for events and people (it’s still a WIP for this term!).