If you are struggling to stay on track at work, just remember the five P phrase of organization: Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance. There is no substitute for committing your intentions to a deadline, and for that there is no better method than maintaining a regular calendar. While digital notebooks and reminders are certainly more sophisticated, it’s hard to beat a classic desktop calendar for scratching out notes and dates on the fly without having to open up a computer screen or smartphone every single time. Print calendars are still a first defense against forgetfulness, and if nothing else offer a convenient place to store your most creative doodles and keep the coffee stains off your desk between naps.
As great as digital calendars are, there is something about jotting out a “save the date” notation by long hand that seems to make the event a bit more memorable. A desk calendar with a monthly grid as well as an annual view on the same page offers at-a-glance reminders for both near- and long-term planning.
Look for a calendar with reinforced corners that will hold up to a full year’s worth of note-taking and desktop abuse. Quality paper that won’t bleed ink through to the next month is also critical.
A desktop calendar with grommets at the top is easy to mount on the wall. This is a great way to keep a casual or informal group calendar in a community space, such as an office break room, without having to distribute every single date or event digitally.
