How do you organize your calendar in FIRE?!

[Markola]

I feel embarrassed asking the question above but I keep screwing up calendar commitments in my new ER’d life. I lived and breathed by the company calendar when I w*rked but now I don’t have much of a schedule. In fact, most days and even weeks, I have nothing on the calendar at all, which I cherish and RELISH, along with having no alarm clock.

It’s like I’ve become allergic to calendar appointments that aren’t inherently fun, in which case I remember them without calendar. Maybe my problem is some kind of deep-seated resistance to obligations now that I’m finally free of serving others in the w*rkplace.

I managed to get to the dentist yesterday on time but today I spaced a call that I, myself, scheduled with someone helping us design a deck. It’s not the first time, either.

Is this some kind of FIRE Scheduling Syndrome or is it just me, while everyone else reading this has their schedules wired down tight and is flawless about keeping their calendars?

Did you have any similar calendar fails and, if so, how did you get yourself organized after you left the hive to fly solo? Are there reminder apps you like or do you just use paper? DW and I use the shared Apple calendar built into our devices but I find that the Reminder function is hit or miss for me for some reason. Ugh, what the heck, I’m putting myself out there.

 

[Montecfo]

Yes I have had the same problem. Always on schedule when employed. The summer after I FIRE'd I missed 2 dr appointments - with the same doctor!

That's right I missed one they rescheduled it and I missed that one. Totally embarrassing.

I'm not sitting in front of my computer all day which is a big plus. What I do now is I use the calendar function on my phone and put alerts in there and give myself a lot of leeway before appointments to get notified.

And I keep it more in my brain too so I know I've got something coming up, whatever it is. Also try to review my schedule at start of week. For me it was just kind of a matter of working into a new rhythm.

 

[OldShooter]

I have the same problem. I have so few scheduled events that I don't do the checking of calendar that I did in Olden Times.

DW and I use Google calendar and share our calendars with each other. Events in the display are color-coded by owner. The calendar automatically synchronizes on our tablets, phones, and home office computers. We can also set default and special notifications.

 

[Dtail]

I still use a calendar for all important appointments.

 

[foxfirev5]

DW, DM and my Dr appts on the paper calendar in the kitchen. A few entries for other important events. Same as it was 60 years ago.

 

[MissMolly]

Everything goes on my iPhone calendar which then also puts it on my computer calendar. I set alerts depending on how far out the appointment is. If it's several weeks in the future I set the alert for 1 day ahead. Then I change it to 1 hour ahead (or 15 min or whatever) for day of the appointment. There is no way I could function without my handy-dandy phone calendar.

 

[Retired Expat]

I got an Apple Watch for the health monitoring and it syncs up with my phones calendar so even if I don’t have the phone, or look at my calendar it reminds me. That and it offers a bunch of really cool features too. Of course you do need to write stuff down, or tell Siri to put it in your calendar if you are too lazy to actually enter it in the app. (or perhaps Alexa. she is also a great secretary). how about reminders that are location based so when you pass the market you buy the milk and bread you wrote down on a slip of paper and stuck in your wallet?

But as we are all getting older now is a good time to develop some helpful habits and learn to use some of the high tech stuff out there to make our lives easier. I for one am counting on self driving cars being perfected in 20 years so I won’t lose my mobility!

 

[Jerry1]

I use my computer, phone or iPad every day so I just check my calendar. If I was having trouble, I would rely on my calendar on my phone (I understand they are synced). I’d just do a quick check every night before I go to bed to make sure I knew what was coming up. Another thing I do is make a to do list that I check pretty regularly. I know what you mean, it’s a bit harder when you have much much less actually on your calendar.

 

[Ronstar]

I use the calendar on my iPhone synced with iPad, MacBook, and Apple Watch and Alexa. Everything works fine as long as I remember to enter appointments.

 

[aja8888]

DW and I use Google calendar and share our calendars with each other. Events in the display are color-coded by owner. The calendar automatically synchronizes on our tablets, phones, and home office computers. We can also set default and special notifications.

That's our simple and effective method too.

 

[GalaxyBoy]

I use the calendar on my iPhone synced with iPad, MacBook, and Apple Watch and Alexa. Everything works fine as long as I remember to enter appointments.

+1

In ER I use my personal calendar more than ever.

 

[PaunchyPirate]

I use Apple products. I place all events on my iCloud calendar either on my iPhone, iPad, or computer - depending which is handy at the time. These events synchronize to all my devices. I set reminder notifications for important ones.

If it’s not really an event, but something I want to remember, it goes in my Reminders app. This also syncs to all devices. In Reminders, I have several lists... the default Reminders, Groceries, Things for Mom, Long Term, and Retirement Things. I use the time/date feature and notifications on reminders too if I want to try and get to the item at a particular day or time.

The Long Term list contains reminders of things like the garage door code and the brand of toilet paper I like. The Retirement Things list contains projects I may or may not get to some day like family genealogy tracking or to put shelf liner in the hall closet.

In addition to getting the notifications of upcoming events and reminder items, I review both the calendar and the reminders lists every day during my morning computer time during breakfast. It keeps me running smoothly.

 

[Markola]

It helps to know that I’m not the only space cadet. I just changed the calendar Reminder tone to the longest and most obnoxious one I could find in Apple/Settings/Sounds and Haptics, which is the one called “Anticipate.”

If I could, I’d have one with trumpets and bagpipes, followed by screaming “Hey, you moron, you’re supposed to call ______ in two minutes.” Maybe I just identified a business opportunity for someone with ringtone skills.

 

[rk911]

i use MS Outlook as our main calendar which is auto-synced to iPhones and our iPad. make, edit or delete an entry and if populates everywhere.

 

[Katsmeow]

Tasks and calendar appointments are different for me. DH and I share a Google calender and I have it notify me and email me a couple of times for all real appointments.

I also use 2 other apps for things that are not appointments or if something is so important I absolutely don't want to forget.

I use an iOS app called Alarmed that I put short reminders on. You can set however many reminders I want to. For important tasks or appointments, I set a relentless reminder. It will remind me ever minute until I clear the alarm. On my phone it does a notification every minute. More to the point I wear an Apple watch and it will buzz every minute until I clear the alarm. This has helped me so, so, so much. Particularly the buzzing on my arm.

I also use Todoist to organize my tasks. I have it on my phone and I use the browser extension. This is more for tasks that aren't really scheduled. MOre just stuff I don't want to forget about. Alarmed exists just to notify of my tasks or appointments and make it sufficiently annoying that I will read the alarm. (You don't have to have an annoying alarm. For some non-critical tasks, for example, I will set a notification to occur only once).

 

[Lewis Clark]

I use Google Calendar and have it send me reminder emails.

My wife maintains her own calendar separately. Every couple of weeks we have a "calendar meeting" to ensure all important events are on both calendars.

 

[Music Lover]

I use a calendar app on my phone and every single event/obligation goes on there from a tee time to band practice to meeting someone for breakfast.

 

[Bamaman]

Calendar? Most of the time, I don't know the date unless I look on my computer screen. I sometimes have to think hard to remember the day of the week.

My secret to making appointments, etc. is to tell my wife. She keeps a big printed calendar, and she watches it closely.

 

[walkinwood]

I use Google Calendar and have it send me reminder emails.

+1

My wife maintains her own calendar separately. Every couple of weeks we have a "calendar meeting" to ensure all important events are on both calendars.

We share calendars so I can see her appts on my calendar and vice versa.

 

[Finance Dave]

Everything goes on my iPhone calendar which then also puts it on my computer calendar. I set alerts depending on how far out the appointment is. If it's several weeks in the future I set the alert for 1 day ahead. Then I change it to 1 hour ahead (or 15 min or whatever) for day of the appointment. There is no way I could function without my handy-dandy phone calendar.

This is me too. I set my first alert a week ahead if it's something "out there" or needs some type of preparation, or 1 day ahead if not.

 

[Sunset]

DW, DM and my Dr appts on the paper calendar in the kitchen. A few entries for other important events. Same as it was 60 years ago.

Same here, we use our Wireless paper calendar hanging in the kitchen, it's always on so we can see it.

 

[DrRoy]

I have to put everything in my phone calendar or I would miss most things.

 

[audreyh1]

Sounds like FIRE scheduling syndrome to me.

I use the iOS calender, and DH and I share some calendars on it that lets us see each other’s or shared appointments as well as planned travel. I add alerts to important appointments to remind me in advance. I also have a calendar with monthly repeating reminders about credit card and bank statements, etc.

I do have to be diligent about making calendar entries right away. Especially as they are few and far between and easily forgotten.

The reminders work well for me. I often use a day before plus 2 hours before alerts. They also pop up on all my devices, so hard to miss.

 

[freedomatlast]

I'm old school. I use a large desk calendar that I keep on the desk in my office. I see it everyday and use it for all appointments and for things like when quarterly income tax payments and RE taxes are due. I like the fact that I can attach any necessary supporting documents for appointments next to it.

 

[Aerides]

Google calendar, and it I get an alert/phone chime about 30 mins prior. If the appointment is something that I need to go to, I set it up to block the time from when I need to leave the house. So at most, I've got 30 mins to get ready and go if I've completely forgotten something that required me to be presentable.

I don't often have anything on it, so I'll usually just have a quick look at it once a week in case I put something on there a while back and forgot.