What my calendar looks like
Whenever I’m at a coffee shop, and I walk by people with their laptops open to their calendar, I’ll often see something like this:
Or this…
Or a game of calendar Tetris like this…
What?? I can’t identify with this level of busy.
For example, here was my actual calendar for January and the first couple weeks of February, 2017:
I always leave Monday’s open, and only pop something on there that’s casual or spontaneous. Like today I’m going to over to a friend’s office to check out their new space.
Fridays are for nothing, too. That way if something has to happen that week for sure, I can always pop it on Friday.
And other than that, maybe one or two things on a given day. Mostly nothing. Mostly open so I can make decisions about my day that day, not days or weeks before. This lets me make the best use of my time when I know how I want to use that time. When’s that? At that exact moment.
I don’t want to say no to something that comes up today at 2:30 because I agreed to something 3 weeks ago at 2:30. Yes, occasionally that happens, but I want to design that situation to be an outlier rather than the norm.
What do I do with all that empty space? My job! I design, I write, I think, I work!
I know some people love being appointment-busy and scheduling everything out precisely — that’s just not me, and never has been. Different strokes for different folks for sure.
At Basecamp, we don't share calendars. Everyone controls their own calendar, and no one can see anyone else's calendar. You can't claim time on anyone else's calendar, either. Other people's time isn't for you - it's for them. You can't take it, chip away at it, or block it off. Everyone's in control of their time. They can give it to you, but you can't take it from them.
Anything else feels insane to me.
Industrial Designer + Technical Writer + Innovation Sparker
7yWe might be more tolerant of those with wallpapered calendars by understanding that within their particular corporate setting busyness is a leading measure of success and therefore advancement. Fewer among us have the luxury of "skeletal" scheduling owing to uniquely rare positions and reporting structure.
Project management
7yTime is the only resource split equaly aming human beings. Do no twaste it!
Operations Capability Lead / Operation Excellence Specialist
7yA calendar is just a tool, like many tools you need to master its use to be most effective. If others demand to much of your time; block time for yourself. If you find it difficult to plan to see others use it to set a meeting and come in very prepared and give any in used time back. It is a way to show respect. I work with dozens of people who each wear multiple hats, having regular scheduled meetings keeps all our agendas on topic with targeted completion dates.
Sole Proprietor
7yJust to fill up a Calendar full of appointments needs an appointment.😳
Actor -role play specialist -training doctors, disaster response, film, tv, corporate video and voice over artist.
7yHello Thomas from John Rogers in Australia. I am still gathering information re Gwen Rogers.