7 Unusual Scheduling Tips to Save Your Time & Sanity

Beyond simply writing things on your calendar, here are seven great ways to optimize your scheduling that you may not have heard before:

1. For phone meetings, always establish who is calling whom at the appointed time, and on which number. If this is not clear, you can waste 5-10 minutes of your meeting time each waiting for the other person to call! And with so many phone numbers that we all have now (home, work, cell, conference line), it may not be readily apparent which number to use. I write the title of my appointments based on which person is doing the calling. If I am supposed to call, I write "Call Larry- cell." If Larry is supposed to call me, I write "Larry calling."
2. If you have established a day with someone but have not yet finalized a time, make sure you still put it on your calendar during the time slot that is mostly likely going to occur. Use the prefix "Time TBD" ("To Be Determined") to title the appointment. Otherwise, two things might happen: (1) you might not remember to reserve the time for that person and something else takes its place, or (2) you might not realize the time was never confirmed and show up at the wrong time. Example: "Let's have lunch on Friday." Is it 11:30, 12:00, 12:30...? Put the appointment in for 11:30-1:30, "Time TBD-Lunch with Sally." Then when she confirms and you set a time, change the appointment to its confirmed and correct time slot.
3. If you have set the meeting date and time and not the place, you can write "Place TBD" in the title of the appointment to remind you. Sometimes you want to choose a lunch place the day before, or you don't know which meeting room will be available. This can trigger you to figure that out and notify the other person, instead of looking at it and scratching your head wondering if you had set the place or not!
4. If someone is in a different time zone, OVERCOMMUNICATE about the time zones when scheduling with them. Never assume the person knows where you live and will figure it out for themselves, even if he or she really is aware of your location. Always state the time in both places when confirming. Example: "I'll call you on your cell phone at 2:30 Central, 3:30 Eastern."
5. If you have only a couple of possible dates and nothing has been finalized yet, put the appointment(s) on your calendar anyway with the prefix "TENT" for "tentative" in the title. You may want to remember that the "big cheese" customer might be calling you on either this day or that day, especially when other demands are being considered for those days.
6. Remember to schedule everything on your calendar that might possibly be relevant to other appointments. For example, if you work in a home office, you will want to write down on your calendar the range of time that the exterminator is supposed to arrive so you'll remember to be home during that time to let him into the house. You can still schedule phone meetings and tasks on top of it, but you need to know not to be gone.
7. Remember transitional time between appointments. Whether you're driving from one appointment to the next or you need time to prepare, change clothing, or just breathe for a minute, make sure you schedule that time in appropriately. You can use the prefix "TRANS" for transitional time if that is helpful. This is particularly useful if you have an assistant who might be scheduling for you and doesn't understand where everything is being done or what your exact needs are going to be.

If you calendar electronically, use the notes field of your appointment to paste in all relevant details such as questions to ask the person, driving directions, numbers to call, ideas for the meeting, and other information. There are so many ways to be more efficient with your time by just being smarter with the tools you already use. Do you have anything to add? Share in the comments!

Certified Professional Organizer Lorie Marrero is the creator of ClutterDiet.com, an innovative program allowing anyone to get expert help at an affordable price. She is also the author of The Clutter Diet: The Skinny on Organizing Your Home and Taking Control of Your Life. Her organizing books and products are sold online and in stores nationwide. Lorie has been a spokesperson for Brother label makers and FedEx Office, and she is a sought-after expert for national media such as CNBC, Good Housekeeping, WGN News and Woman's Day.