Get a Google Calendar already

It doesn’t matter who you are. You need a calendar. (More specifically, Google Calendar. It’s free, you know.)

Do you truly respect people and their time?

While working at a law firm for last five years, I learned that everyone uses a physical and/or digital calendar. That calendar is sacred. If it’s not on there, it doesn’t happen.

I get annoyed when something gets planned or bumped at the last minute. I’m not talking about randomly, but on a regular basis.

I’m not calling you an idiot for not having a calendar. I just think you’re foolish to keep your schedule in your head. Additionally, if people rely on your calendar to schedule things involving you, what other incentive do you need to create and maintain a calendar accessible to others?

It’s alright. They can just text/call me and I’ll let them know.

What if you’re off the grid for a few hours, or your cell phone battery is dead? Do you really want the back-and-forth exchange one person has to undertake with several people?

How about if someone is asking me on the spot?

Tell them you’ll check your calendar and get back to them. Or, keep a paper copy on hand with the next few weeks.

Can’t I just keep it on my basic cell phone calendar?

What if your cell phone breaks or it’s lost? Where’s the backup?

Alright wise guy, so how do you keep your calendar?

I love Google Calendar. Look at its features! I’m sharing my calendar for potential customers[1. I still don’t know if it’s better to call them clients.].

• I don’t have a smartphone (e.g. BlackBerry, iPhone), but I have a data plan, so viewing [a few weeks of] upcoming events through their mobile site is simple.
• I can add items via SMS (text message).
• Even though I check my calendar daily, I can choose to receive reminders via SMS.
• Customers looking at my calendar shows when I’m busy – private, yet effective.
• Tip: I can export my private ICAL (.ics) file[2. How? On the left, click the dropbown arrow next to your calendar, then Calendar Settings. Under Private Address, right-click and save the ICAL file to your computer.], then copy it onto my Apple iPod (3G). It’s not painful to do this every few days and it forces me to have a backup on my computer. If you have a newer iPod or iPod Touch, you could do this, too.

Convinced? Setup your own Google Calendar now!