Category: Blog

50 Tips, Tweaks and Hacks to Make the Most of Google Calendar

Christina Laun at the Virtual Hosting Blog comes up with 50 ways to get the most out of Google Calendar. Some are quite interesting:

Much like Gmail, Google Reader and Google’s other products, Google Calendar is fast becoming the application of choice for users all over the world. With great functionality and integration with Google’s other products, it’s no wonder its popularity is growing. But chances are good that you’re not maxing out all the features of Google Calendar that you could be. Here are a few ways you can try to add to your Google Calendar experience.

Basic Tips

You might already be using Google Calendar, but are you using it to the fullest? Here are a few tips to make the most of the basic features.

  1. Make use of the “other calendars” feature. Have a favorite team that you don’t want to miss a game for? Love astronomy and want to keep track of the phases of the moon? You can add both to your Google Calendar. Click the plus sign next to other calendars. From there you can add reminders on your calendar for everything from holidays to your favorite TV show schedules.
  2. Change your view. You aren’t stuck with just the standard view in Google Calendar. Change yours to reflect the format that works best for you. Just go to the Settings page under the General tab and you can change your tabs along the top of the calendar to the time frame that best suits you. You can also change the day your week begins, your date and time format, whether or not to show weekends, and more.
  3. Make the most of quick adds. One of the greatest features of Google Calendar is the quick add feature. Simply hit “Q” on your keyboard or click on the “Quick Add” link in the upper right side of your calendar. You don’t even have to type them informally, plain English works just fine so long as you include the important details. If you don’t specify a time, GCal will schedule your task or event for the current or next day. Additionally, you can invite others by adding an email to the quick add box and even specify that an event should repeat all from a simple entry box.
  4. Set up email event reminders. Never forget an important meeting or to pick up your dry cleaning again. With Google Calendar you can have your events emailed, texted, pop-up, or sent as SMS to you directly. Just set up reminders under Settings-Notifications.
  5. Add events from Gmail. One of the features of Gmail is that it includes some basic language processing that can recognize event-related information. If it finds some, it will give you an option to add it to your calendar. Simply click on the link and you can edit the event and send it right to your calendar.
  6. View the weather. You can see if your weekly events will sync up with the weather or if you’ll need to bring an extra umbrella by integrating the weather report right into your calendar. Go to Settings and General, enter your location and whether you want degrees in Celsius or Fahrenheit, and you’ll have the weather right at your fingertips.
  7. Set up repeating events. Most people have at least a few regularly occurring events on their schedules. There’s no need to type them in again and again on your calendar. Use the “repeats” pull-down to select the days your event repeats weekly, monthly, or yearly.
  8. Share calendars. You can create and share calendars with others using Google Calendar. Share your kickball team’s schedule, coworkers’ vacations or anything else you want by creating a new calendar and simply clicking on the “share this calendar” link.
  9. Share space. Having trouble managing that conference room between different departments or among coworkers? You can use GCal to help you. Use the auto accept invitations that don’t conflict feature. It will accept any invitations to a conference room that don’t conflict with others.
  10. Invite your friends. Looking for an alternative to Evite? Give GCal a try instead when you’re arranging you’re next get together. Though not as colorful or festive, you can send and manage event invitations through your calendar and your friends can even comment and discuss the events just like in Evite.

Scripts

Scripts make it easy for users to customize their Google Calendar experience. Try these to personalize yours and make it easier to use at the same time.

  1. Display current timeline. This simple Greasemonkey script creates a floating red line that displays just where you are during each day so you can keep up to the minute on what appointments are coming up.
  2. Calendar feed for Gmail: Make it easy to see your calendar right from your email with this script. You’ll get a list of upcoming tasks right in your Gmail so you can email about new events easily.
  3. Colorize Saturday and Sunday: Make it easy to differentiate your weekends from your weekdays with this simple script. It will cause Saturday and Sunday to appear a different color on your calendar, preventing any scheduling mishaps.
  4. Extra Tabs: If you’re a lover of tabs and want a few more than Google Calendar comes standard with, then install this script. If you know a bit about scripting you can even further customize it to your needs.
  5. Forecast: Bring your calendar with you anywhere on the web. This script allows you to see the next seven events on your calendar from anywhere just by clicking on a conveniently located forecast button.
  6. Facebook Integration: If you’re a fan of the social networking program Facebook you’ll love this script. It allows you to easily transfer your Facebook events to your Google Calendar so you’ll never miss a get-together.
  7. Compact Header: Clear up your screen space by eliminating the extra stuff that goes at the top of your calendar. This script removes the header from Google Calendar, making it more streamlined and easier to use.
  8. Google Calendar Skin: Air: Change the look of your GCal, Gmail, or Google Reader with this light, airy skin.
  9. Google Calendar Skin: Slate: Want to make your GCal less cheery and bright? Try out this rainy day-inspired skin.
  10. Google Calendar Optimized: Change the look of your GCal with this script. It will eliminate icons, change the padding, and font sizes to make your calendar even easier to use.
  11. Textwrap Events: Sometimes long event names can be difficult to read on Google Calendar. Fix that problem with this script that wraps text around, making it easier to read.
  12. Wheel View: This script allows you to scroll through your appointments and calendars using just the wheel on your mouse.
  13. GCalSecure: Keep your personal appointments private by making sure that your GCal is being used over a secure connection with this script.
  14. ToDo List: Add a simple to do list to your Google Calendar using this script. You’ll be able to check off those appointments and tasks as the day goes by, giving you a sense of order and accomplishment.
  15. Better GCal: This script combines several helpful scripts including skins, collapsed headers, secure connections, text wrap and more.

Extensions and Add-ons

Whether you need to integrate your calendar with your blog or your browser, these extensions can help you make the most of your experience.

  1. GCal Quick Add Extension: Take your quick add function up a notch with this Firefox add-on. It allows you to add tasks and events from anywhere, even when you don’t have Google Calendar open.
  2. Remember the Milk: To do list enthusiasts will enjoy integrating their task lists with their calendar with this simple way to integrate the two. You’ll be able to check off any event or task in your calendar to help you keep track of what you’re getting done.
  3. Firefox Full Cal: Small screens can make reading the fine print on your calendar difficult. Expand the screen real estate of your calendar with Full Cal, which eliminates the list of calendars, the mini calendar, the search box, and other stuff that takes up calendar space.
  4. GCal Widget for TypePad: This easy to use widget makes it simple to share your schedule with your blog readers. You can let your loyal readers when you’ll be on vacation or won’t be able to respond to emails.
  5. Google Calendar Widget for WordPress: Don’t use TypePad? This calendar widget is designed for WordPress instead. Put a small or large calendar on your blog to share upcoming events with friends and readers.
  6. Google Calendar Notifier: If you have a Firefox notifier for your Gmail why not have one for your GCal as well? You’ll be able to see your daily appointments as well as those that are upcoming.
  7. iGoogle Calendar Gadget: If your iGoogle page isn’t already customized enough this gadget will allow you to add your calendar into the mix, allowing you to see upcoming events every time to execute a search or open your browser.
  8. Google Calendar Desktop Gadget: Vista users will appreciate this sidebar gadget. You’ll be able to get your Google Calendar right on your desktop so you can access it anytime.
  9. Twittercal: Twitter isn’t just great for quick updates to your blog, you can use it to add events to your Google Calendar as well. Just send a message to the GCal bot and it will update your calendar.
  10. Rainlendar: This Windows and Linux app allows you to run your Google Calendar right from your desktop, so appointments are always right at your fingertips.

Hacks and Tricks

Use these tricks and tips to make your Google Calendar better when you’re at home or when you’re away.

  1. Have your schedule sent to you. Google Calendar makes it easy to get your daily agenda sent straight to you. If you’ve got GCal set up to use with your phone, getting your schedule is easy. Simply text “day” to the shortcode 48368.
  2. Access your calendar remotely. Even when you’re on the road and can’t hook up your laptop you can still get your schedule sent to you. Text “next” to 48368 to get your next day’s schedule sent right to your phone.
  3. Access your calendar from your IM client. No matter what IM client you use you can have events sent right to you with IMified. Sign up for an account and add Google Calendar with the add services link. After that, you can simply text “M” to IMified using your buddy list, and a small menu containing your calendar will pop up allowing you to see and change appointments without opening any additional programs.
  4. Use keyboard shortcuts. Google Calendar is chock full of keyboard shortcuts that can speed up your appointment making. You can check out a complete list of the shortcuts here.
  5. Use keyword access on Firefox. You can make accessing Google Calendar in Firefox as simple as pressing a key. Bookmark GCal and add a short simple keyword that you can type in and bring it up quickly and easily.
  6. Make Google Calendar your desktop background. This guide from Lifehacker will tell you how you can make Google Calendar your desktop background in Windows XP. It’s a great digital alternative to the giant paper desktop calendars.
  7. Google Calendar Mobile: This program from Google makes it easy to access Google Calendar right from your phone. Just go to calendar.google.com on your phone and you’ll get a phone-sized version of GCal.

Calendar Syncs

Many people can’t just get down to one calendar. Here are some programs to make using multiple calendars easy.

  1. GCalDaemon iCalendar Sync: Mac users will be happy to sync up their iCalendars with this easy-to-use program.
  2. SyncMyCal for Outlook: Outlook is one of the most popular calendar programs and you can easily sync up your appointments in Outlook with your Google Calendar using this simple program.
  3. Calgoo: This multi-platform program will make it simple to sync up your Google Calendar, iCal or Outlook, making it easy to use all three without missing a beat.
  4. Google Calendar Quick Import: This script allows users to quickly import appointments from iCal right into Google Calendar.
  5. Goosync: This program will enable you to sync up your Google Calendar with your mobile phone or PDA quickly and easily.
  6. GData Provider: With this program, you’ll be able to access and change Google Calendar from Thunderbird or Sunbird.
  7. Remote Calendars: This add-on for Outlook 2003 allows users two-way sync with multiple calendar programs including Google Calendar.
  8. Google Sync for Blackberry: Don’t miss out on your Google Calendar while you’re using your Blackberry. Use this program from Google to easily sync up the two.

Make Time To Do Your Best Work

1. Saying No is Rare.
Right now, you may be feeling a little stressed. That stress is mostly coming from trying to do too many things, and not getting satisfaction from doing them as good as you can.

To change that you will have to learn how to say ‘No’ to things. Saying ‘No’ will allow you to have more time to do things well. You can’t do everything to the best of your talent. But you can do a few things to your highest ability.

To do your best work, you have to choose what you are going to be crap at. For me, it was email.

Instead of replying to emails, I spend my time on things that will push my businesses forward. My return on my time invested is greater there. Yes, I will miss some important emails, and therefore opportunities. But that is a small opportunity cost of doing your best work.

The busy fool doesn’t lack effort. But focus.

Also, accept that multitasking is a lie. Multi-tasking relies on you giving partial attention to many things. That is not a formula for doing great work. Multitasking is the delivery method for average work. Avoid.

To do your best work, you have to give it all your attention.

2. Deep Work Is Rare.
We live in a world with more distractions than ever in the history of the planet. The smartphone is the ultimate attention seeker.

“We check our smartphone 221 times a day.”

But to do your best work, you have to commit all your attention to it. And to do so for long periods of uninterrupted time. To do your best work, you will have to become ruthless at blocking out distractions.

“A goldfish attention span is 9 seconds. And as from 2015, a human is 8 seconds.”

Cal Newport has written an important book called ‘Deep Work’. Its essence is you need to find 2–3 hours each day without Wi-Fi, without your phone, and make that a habit of how you go about your work as part of your daily routine. Deep work will deliver you to a state that allows you to do your best work.

That 2–3-hour discipline each day will be worth more than other people’s 8 hours. They may be working longer, but they will be doing shallow work. They will be distracted by gossip in the open-plan office, by an email that has just arrived, by a great photo on Instagram.

When you are doing shallow work, you can’t solve difficult problems. Your best work will require you to overcome difficulty. Your best work will stretch you, push you, find your very limits. This work requires focus, not distraction.

For every distraction we get caught up in, it takes us another 20 minutes or so to get back into the flow of where we left. Distractions leave a residue, which is why it takes so much time to regain our focus.

To do your best work, you will have to replace distractions with focus.

3. Patience Is Rare.
We want it tomorrow. Amazon Prime has taught us impatience. Order before 9 pm and it’s there in the morning. Drones will deliver one day within the hour.

But to build your reputation will take time. To grow your business will take time. To hone your skills that will one day deliver your best work, will take time too. There are no short cuts.

But there is a way to make learning less efficient, and that is to learn while distracted. It takes longer. And the skill levels are reduced. For things to sink in, we have to give them all our attention.

Most people don’t ever do their best work because they give up before they have mastered all the skills required to do it. Malcolm Gladwell was right: Talent is the ability to practice.

We have to understand doing our best work is a journey. We don’t start off being brilliant. We start off at ‘mediocre’. Then we go to ‘not too bad’. Then we go to ‘OK’. Then we go to ‘good’. Then eventually we arrive at ‘excellent’. And, occasionally we will go to ‘great’.

“You can’t get to wonderful without passing through alright.” — Bill Withers

Everyone can learn the talent to do their best work. But not everyone has the patience to practice until they are good enough to deliver it.

4. Love is Rare.
Most people don’t love what they do. Most people have a deferred life plan that will allow them to one day do the thing that matters most to them. Most people don’t look forward to Monday morning.

But if you are lucky enough to find something you love doing, that will give you a life-long edge over others. Learning your craft will be easier. Practice will not be a chore. The hunger to improve will never leave you. And most importantly, it will be fun.

“ The object of life’s journey is not to arrive at the grave safely, in a well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out shouting holy shit, what a ride.” — Mavis Leyrer.

For you, work will never feel like work, no matter how hard you work at it. Even if you start at the bottom, it will be the bottom of the thing you want to do most. Err, and even that will be great fun.

To do your best work, you will have to be in love with what you do. It might be a while before it loves you back. But that is just called practice. And practice, when love comes along to every session, is never miserable. Just hard work.

“10,000 hours learning to be a Grandmaster can be a very short time when you love it. Or an eternity when you don’t.”

Some people live for the weekend. But that is only two days of the week. And there are five workdays. It is much better, even just for mathematical reasons, to do something that you love as you will spend more time on it than anything else. Plus, it will make you happier. And you still get to have as much fun as you want on the weekends.

‘Working hard for something we don’t care about is called stress. Working hard for something we love is called passion.’ Simon Sinek.

5. Ego-less Teams Are Rare.
Most teams have their ego’s. The general rule is the bigger the talent, the bigger the ego.

Conversely, the best and the hardest team to form is one when there is no ego. Where the pursuit of the team goals is the only thing that matters. A selfless team is the hardest to form because putting the ego to one side is a difficult task.

At this stage, the team is the most important thing. The team looks after the team. Individual egos are no longer as important as the team. Teams win because everyone in the team puts the team first.

Once this state is reached it is the most potent that a team can achieve. It has reached its optimum. Not just in what it can accomplish, but in the feeling you get from being part of it. This team, even with less talented individuals, can beat a team with superstars that just play for themselves and not the team.

I am a football fan, so let me share this example. Although Louis Suarez didn’t turn out to be the perfect human, he proved to be the perfect team player. He had immense talent. But maybe his biggest gift was that he could crush his ego. For him, the team would always have to come first. He came second to the needs of the team.

He chased every ball. His chased every lost cause. He did the work. He is a world-class star. But, for him, the team was the star.

“Your potential, the absolute best you’re capable of — that’s the metric to measure yourself against…Winning is not enough. People can get lucky and win. People can be assholes and win. Anyone can win. But not everyone is the best possible version of themselves.” — The Ego is the Enemy. Ryan Holiday. (Which is a must read)

Even if you are a writer tucked away in your little shed, you still need a team. You will need an editor. Probably an agent. A book publisher. Then you need a good friend to tell you when something sucks when no one else will. Or just to kick you up the ass and get on write.

To do your best work, you will have to build a team around you. Where the ego is not allowed to get in the way of you doing your best work.

6. Purpose Is Rare.
Most people don’t know why they are doing the job they are doing. Most companies don’t know why they are in business. Most people float through life.

But if you understand why you want to make this thing happen, what you want to change, why this work matters to you, then that is called purpose.

A strong purpose is a multiplier of your effort. You understand the reason why the work you are doing matters.

Purpose supplies your inner drive. It fuels innovation. It finds you your best people. It keeps them with you when other companies come poaching. (They will.) It keeps you staying true when it would be easy to compromise. It stops you from quitting when times get tough. (And, they will.)

Purpose gives you a reason to fight like you have never fought before. And to keep on fighting. With everything you have. Nothing spared.

The kid in the schoolyard that you shouldn’t fight is the one you have insulted his mother. He knows why he is going to kick your ass. And if you beat him this time, he will just keep coming back. He is fighting for something much bigger than himself. Truly.

To do your best work, you will have to understand why it matters to you. Define your purpose. It will help you do your best work.

7. Big Wins are Rare.
Most people want rapid progress. Most people look for huge wins. Most people want to hit the ball out of the park. These big wins happen rarely. Most people don’t want to work on small things. And yet, they deliver improvements almost without fail.

If today we got 1% better at what we do and continued that improvement each day, it wouldn’t take long before we have hugely improved our skill levels.

In business, in sport, most progress comes from small incremental gains over a set time. Those little improvements may not add up to much by themselves. But once put together with all the other increases, they begin to add up to a significant gain.

Micro gains from micro daily habits almost always deliver some growth.
And that growth applies to talent as much as sales.

To do your best work, find small ways to improve. And do the same tomorrow.

Originally posted by The Do Lectures.