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My Perplexing Planner Predicament

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How’s THAT for alliteration? (Took me a bit to come up with it, but it describes how I’m feeling perfectly!)

Do you happen to recall the post I did a while back on calendars? (HERE IT IS, in case you want to revisit it.) I basically talked about my calendar system: what I use, how I sync everything and how I keep it all organized. It was working beautifully. WAS would be the key word.

Yeah, it all works great until the technology that you love so much malfunctions. So, on my phone, I can’t get one of the calendars to sync. It happens to be my personal calendar…which is pretty important. I can see my work calendars…but nothing personal. This has been the case for about a month now.

The crazy thing is, it works fine on both my computers, and on my iPad. Just not on my phone! Seriously! And ALL the settings are the same – I don’t get it.

I even went in and re-did all the settings to see if that helped. Nope. I downloaded several new calendar apps, trying to sync via a new method. Nope. I even set up a completely new email address to see if that might jar everything back into place. Nope.

It’s all well and good if I’m near my iPad or a computer. But if all I have with me is my phone…I’m pretty much out of luck! And when a client calls to book a photo shoot or an organizing session, and I have to tell them that I have to look at my schedule and get back to them later…well, I just don’t like that.

So, for the past few weeks, I’ve just been printing out my calendar. Because I NEED something. It’s just not an option for me to not have something to coordinate all of my appointments with. I’d constantly be late and totally all over the place. (Although half the time I feel like I’m forgetting something as it is, at this point.)

So, my question is this: what do I do?

1. Download the latest and greatest app and manually enter all of my events…and then just leave everything off the online calendars? What IS that latest and greatest app? And will it sync between devices?

2. Go purchase the latest and greatest hard-copy-paper planner and step away from digital? (Here’s a fantastic article with some very pretty ones from Poppy Magazine: CLICK HERE) In the middle of the year?

So I need your help! What do I do? What do YOU do?

21 thoughts on “My Perplexing Planner Predicament”

  1. I have no idea what the solution is because I can’t find one that works for me! I was trying to use iCal but the layout/interface isn’t really working for me (I’m totally an analog person in this area!) I went back to using a combo of iCal, paper month planner and will be adding in a weekly… I hate planners where I have to assign a time for events or choose that they are all day. I need iCal and notepad linked and sync able! lol!

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  2. I use a physical day planner (I like Dayminder weekly because it’s very simple and slim) because, like you, I often find myself frantically writing down an appointment while I’m on the phone with someone, or otherwise on the go. (I also happen to not own a smartphone, but I believe I would continue this method even if I got one.) Then, when I have some free time at work or at the end of the day, I enter things that I’ve written down into Google calendar, and use the Gcal settings to provide myself with e-mail reminders a certain number of days or hours in advance if it’s really important. Since most of my appointments on Gcal are “recurring” this isn’t that much work. Husband and I have three Google calendars, all of which are shared, mine, his, and a “joint” family calendar.

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    • Thanks, Allison! I do often “invite” my husband to events as you do…but his normal response is via a “Where did you say we have to be today?” conversation the day of, ha! I DO try, though! Sounds like you’ve got your system working well!

    • Hi Melissa! To create a new Google calendar, click on the little down arrow that looks like this: [V] next to “my calendars” on the left hand side of the screen, and select “create new calendar”. You can share new calendars with multiple people, and make each calendar a separate color. We do ours by person, but you could also do things like “work” and “social.”

  3. I use a paper calendar and it is for me and Crystal. I write in pencil, until the event happens, then i erase it and write it in pen. Purple pen, of course! Works for me.

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  4. I used a hard-copy planner very successfully for years until I grew tired of friends teasing me about said planner 🙂 After using the calendar on my phone and trying a couple of other options I am going to switch back to my faithful hard copy. I find that it’s simpler AND I tend to remember things better when I physically write them down 🙂

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  5. First important to know what phone you own… secondly is it an Android or an iPhone? If its an Android you can use Gmail whoch can sync Gmail account from home and other devices. It syncs everything on your calandar for so you can access it multiple places. I had similar situation arise just last month and I understand your frustrations. Hope this information as helpful!

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    • Sorry I was texrimg while preoccipied. Google calandar and reminders set is the way to go 🙂 I would not function as a teacher without it! Love this digital system and would never go back to hard copy 🙂

  6. Pingback: Planner Dilemma Solved! (Hopefully…) | The Road to Domestication

  7. I have been using the COZI calendar for almost a year. It feeds to my phone and it can be accessed by computer. I also have an old program on my computer that has been serving me well since 1998, Daytimer Orgaanizer. The COZI app on the phone is good because I can set up reminders for other family members and have them sent to their phones, too. I have found that having paper and technology solves most of the problems. Technology changes so often and I cannot afford to keep changing phones or software. I do what works for me.

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