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How to Make My Own Schedule Calendar

A basic calendar fulfills three functions: daily agenda, date checking, and forecasting for future events. For a daily agenda, you need a space to write your appointments and tasks for each day. Date checking and forecasting require some kind of listing of the dates in the coming year and their significance. Though you can spend as much as $100 on a commercially made calendar, you can make one yourself quickly and cheaply.

Things You'll Need

  • Spiral notebook with at least 180 pages
  • Spreadsheet software
  • Glue Stick
  • Paper
  • Pen
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Instructions

  1. Yearly View

    • 1

      Open a new spreadsheet program, setting the cell width for 5 across and 26 deep per page. You may want to adjust the margins so the cells can be wider.

    • 2

      Use the border outlining tool to outline all cells on the page.

    • 3

      Label the top row of cells SUN through SAT (or MON through SUN if you prefer).

    • 4

      Create an identical second page.

    • 5

      Label the first page with appropriate dates starting the week you built the calendar. Continue on to the second page.

    • 6

      If you wish, take the time to mark holidays and other special dates like birthdays and your anniversary. Color coding the text or entire cell is a good technique.

    • 7

      Print the file. Use the glue stick to paste page one on the inside front cover and page two on the inside back cover. If you have labeling paper, you can print on that instead to avoid needing glue.

    Daily Agenda

    • 8

      Label the top right corner of the front of the first page with today's date. Label the top right corner of the back of the first page with tomorrow's date. Continue for the remainder of the week.

    • 9

      If your schedule permits it, combine Saturday and Sunday onto a single page to save room.

    • 10

      For each day, set up an agenda with the top half of the page. Starting with the beginning of your day, use a line for each half-hour.

    • 11

      Leave the bottom half of the page for notes, tasks and miscellaneous information.

    • 12

      You don't have to hand-label all the way to the end of the notebook all at once. If you keep your notebook filled out through your last scheduled task, it should be ready for most of your jobs.

    Long-Term Planning

    • 13

      Between each week, leave a page blank.

    • 14

      Week by week, use the blank page for basic action plans for each of your goals, tasks and assignments.

    • 15

      Use your monthly calendar view for long-term projects, marking out due dates and events as they become apparent.

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