5 Reasons Calendars Don't Work

We try, as a family, to keep our lives simple. The parental types in the house do not belong to groups. I am a stay-at-home mom, and volunteer locally once a week. I also put in a small amount of time for the progeny's activities (one each, only). Family events are not so plentiful as to be overwhelming. Dental, medical and other appointments are all of a regular, almost routine nature. The calendar has plenty of entries, but not to the point of saturation.

But this morning, it didn't work.

Here's why:
1. I didn't write everything down. My volunteer time wasn't there, because I do it every week, and trusted myself to "remember".
2. I didn't look ahead, last week, to see what was happening this week.
3. I didn't plan menus for this week.
4. I didn't write down the appointment when I found out about it.
5. I didn't read what my eyes couldn't see.

Of course, the upshot of this is that it wasn't the calendar that wasn't working: it was me. Notice that all five reasons begin with "I". So, to make your calendar work for you, like an unpaid assistant, here's what you need to do:
1. Write down all events *as you learn of them*. This allows you to see conflicts early and deal with them. Whether that means cancelling one event, calling for help, or rescheduling, the earlier the better.
2. Check the calendar each week to see what is ahead. Make adjustments as necessary.
3. Plan menus for the week, using the calendar as your guide. This lets you plan a quick meal on the night you really need the quick meal, and lets you leave the elaborate meals to the nights with more breathing room. It also keeps you from all-night baking sessions to meet the social requirements.
4. Write everything down on the calendar. Once you become dependent on a calendar, items not listed on the calendar cease to exist. They disappear until they are upon you, and life suddenly seems far more complicated than it actually is.
5. Look at your calendar. Read it. Use it.