Rohan's blog

When you were in school or college, calendar was just a piece to check the date and holidays. That’s what it was used for. But then you could use it as a means to remember something.

It hangs on the wall which you see daily. So if there is a function coming up then you can simply mark the date. That way every time you see the calendar, you are reminded of that.

Also you can write down money to be recovered which you have landed. And this use to happen a lot because there were no smartphones.

Pen and paper did most of the work. I remember you need to have a pen with you all the time. It was an essential part of your attire when going out.

Imagine writing books on paper. Sure some writers still do it that way. But most have switched to computer or laptop. Where you can write faster. And hence the pen and paper is ditched in most cases.

But as the fashion, it is coming back. Turns out when you have pen and paper, you think a lot, process and get the feel a little stronger.

Each to her own. Whatever helps you accomplish the things, is fine with me. For me, writing on software on laptop, smartphone or computer does the trick.

Dependent On Smartphone

Not too long ago, you didn’t had phone. It was a luxury. The kids used to play on the assurance of the neighbourhood. And it was fine for most people.

Then the internet came which changed the landscape of the world as you see it. There has been transformation in many field – how you learn, work and explore yourself. All the machines are now connected to the network.

Turns out that is the efficient way to work. And so is your smartphone which enables you to do many things which were earlier not possible. It has made your life enriching in many ways. You could use the alarm, radio and watch any video.

As a result of this, learning now isn’t restricted by your accessibility. Because you access to everything if you have internet. All you need is the willingness to learn and the world is at your disposal.

For everything that you had as a physical form is now available as an app. For example, alarm clock, calculator and calendar. So you need to look for smartphone for most of your needs.

No wonder, your life is dependent on phone. It is as if it has become the extension of your body. And so if you forget your phone at home then it doesn’t give you a pleasant feeling. You start to become nervous and then think of all the things which you could be doing.

As an experiment, try keeping yourself away from the phone. And you would find that it is hard to keep yourself away for even an hour.

Sure it can be an important asset for someone whose life and business in reliant on the phone. And need to make decision on the fly. But for most common people, you need phone but to the extent you display your affection.

To Do List

There is an app for to do list too. Also you can use any of the notes taking app as a ‘to do list’ app.

But now the systematic joker has gone far. You put it everything you want to do on your calendar. And the notifications are on. Whenever you hear a long, you see the task and then do it.

At the end of the day, you evaluate and add or remove some of the upcoming tasks. As you do this often, you are training your brain to follow a calendar schedule.

And my personal experience is that it helps you see where you stand in your goals. Also by practicing small tasks, eventually you are trained to do the big tasks as per calendar.

The beauty of the calendar is the recall. I use it for almost anything and everything. It helps me in my best form ever. In a way, I am my calendar. If I need some changes in my life, I add or subtract from the calendar. And all I am left to do is – follow the calendar.

The Deviant

One of my friends does the same thing. She uses the calendar to add tons of things. And one day , I saw her dismissing the notification without doing the work.

I was intrigued. And found that she would excuse herself if she was busy. Which is the exact opposite of using calendar.

One you add something on the calendar, your time should be blocked and you should take anything else.

Hence, as evident – using calendar system was working fine for me but not for my friend. So what was the problem…

No Calendar

Then she started using a different strategy. She cleared up her calendar. And just noted top 3 things she needs to do in a day.

And most of the times, she did all of them. Since she didn’t had calendar. She was technically free unless something came up. So the first thing she did waking up was the one of the three things.

And then slowly she would end up feeling more productive. Those three things were tied to the larger goals she wished to attain.

Hence, she was being as much productive as I was despite not using the calendar.

Conclusion

Doesn’t matter what system works for you. Maybe it is the pen and paper or the laptop. You are one who needs to decide.

The goal isn’t to have a systematic approach which is the best. Instead it is find what suits your style and routine.

The best in the world don’t follow magic shortcuts. They take the cue from many people. And then use which they like to achieve their goals.

Calendar or No Calendar – who cares. Experiment, try new things of accomplishing things. Whatever helps you move forward, stick with that. Eventually your work should shine.