How to Use a Desktop Calendar Pad to Boost Your Productivity

In the digital age, our reliance on digital tools grows.

But there can still be tremendous value in paper-based tools like notebooks, yellow legal pads, index cards, and of course, desktop calendar pads.

I have been using a desktop calendar pad to organize my life since 2016, and when I don’t have it, I almost feel naked.

The calendar pad gives me a bird’s eye view of what’s to come this month (as well as the months ahead). I have used this function to plan meetings, gigs, social gatherings, vacations, and even social media posts.

Although most digital calendars do have monthly views, they are often cluttered and harder to make out. I like the immediacy of the calendar pad.

Step #1 – Log All Upcoming Events

You won’t necessarily be using your calendar pad to plan your routine or what you’ll be doing hour to hour. This is something digital calendars do better.

But all calls, meetings, interviews, social events, and other activities and commitments should go in your calendar, along with the times at which they are to occur.

Don’t forget to keep adding to your calendar as new events are booked.

This is the most obvious use of the calendar pad, but the benefits that come from planning out in this manner might be unexpected.

For instance, twice per month, I have an early call on Wednesdays. But on Wednesdays when I don’t have these calls, I can work on something else. Or maybe even sleep in.

When you have a bird’s eye view of your month, you can easily make snap decisions about your day. Although I have a high degree of flexibility in my life already, I have always found this freedom exhilarating.

When you have a bird’s eye view of your month, you can easily make snap decisions about your day. Click To Tweet

Pro tip: Plan your vacations well in advance and put them in your calendar. Otherwise, something will always come up and you’ll never be able to get away. You’ve got to prioritize yourself.

Step #2 – Log Income Sources

This is optional. In saying that, anything beyond the first step is optional.

On my calendar pad, there is a substantial “memo” section on the right side. Sometimes, I use this for ideas. But most of the time, I just log my income sources.

And that’s my system for creating an income ledger. I may transfer the data to a spreadsheet later (for income tax purposes), but I like to keep things simple, and this works for me.

I have all my calendar pads saved from 2016 onward.

Step #3 – Log What Matters to You

It’s possible to use your desktop calendar pad in a variety of other ways.

Earlier, I mentioned that you could use it to track your social media posts. Well, that’s where I got the idea to use a calendar pad in the first place. I’d read about someone who was using theirs to track their digital marketing activity.

Obviously, I use mine in a different way, but it still ended up becoming an invaluable tool.

Anyway, there’s nothing saying your calendar pad can’t be multi-purpose, and I will sometimes use it to track my scheduled posts (for my blog, Instagram, etc.).

It’s always nice to be able to work ahead and knowing when something is scheduled saves me the guesswork of having to log into WordPress or Instagram Creator Studio to try to figure out when my last post was scheduled.

Whatever you need to track, you can put it in your calendar to make your life easier.

Helpful Resources

The desktop calendar pad is most useful when used in connection with other tools (like a yellow legal pad for notes and to-do lists).

The best book on setting up a paper-based productivity system is David Allen’s Getting Things Done (affiliate link). Although I do not subscribe to the entire methodology, I have applied it piecemeal to my processes, and the habits have stuck with me ever since.

Final Thoughts

There may not be anything especially enticing about a desktop calendar pad, but as I’ve found, it can be a useful tool in helping you organize your life and boost your productivity.

I don’t know whether you do more meetings now than you did pre-lockdown. Personally, I have had far fewer commitments overall.

I still feel naked without my desktop calendar, so I keep one around regardless.

But the more you have to keep track of, the more you will likely benefit from incorporating a desktop calendar into your productivity routine.