Capture Information As It Flies By

How many times do you wish you knew: when something happened, what the name of the play we saw last year was or when is my cat’s birthday?

In my blog post, Don’t know everything - that is OK, I spoke about reference libraries.  Now, I want to talk about using your electronic calendar as another reference library.

Calendars can be a great place to track long-term information. Unlike a few years ago, most online or electronic calendar systems today do not delete old items, which means you can search your calendar for all kinds of information.

As you see information fly by… post it to your calendar.  Here are some examples of what I store on my personal calendar and how I receive the information:

• Facebook or LinkedIn gives you a notification of a friend’s birthday or work anniversary. Grab that note and add it to your calendar. Then, next year when you see it, you can send them a note and make their day.
• You receive a baby notice from a family member.  Add it, along with the details of weight and height.  As that child ages, you will never forget those early details and can refer to them, when needed.
• You purchase a car. Add it and the notes that might be fun to remember each following year (mileage, dealership, etc).
• A friend passes away.  Add their death and each year you can remember them fondly and possibly reach out to their loved ones to tell them you are thinking of them.
• You adopt a kitten or puppy. Add the adoption date and information. 
• Add your haircuts, oil changes, happy hours, and other events. This allows you to search on when you did what and with whom.  
• Consider also adding a calendar item for the future event, as a reminder that you need another oil change or a happy hour with a friend.
• Create an event for when you got your new flooring or your kitchen remodeled. It will help create a list of major home improvements, should you need that information when you go to sell your house.
• Mark your calendar for when you go on vacation and make notes of what you saw or where you stayed. When you are asked about where you stayed or what you saw, you can refer to the calendar item notes to refresh your memory.
• Search local location websites and add any interesting or fun-sounding upcoming events. Add the URL to the event, so you can check the event for updates. Remember, you are not committing to attending the event. But, if you find yourself with nothing to do that day, you can see on your calendar that the local Renaissance Festival or Ice Sculpture Contest.
• Create a “kid count” of how many trick-or-treaters you have each Halloween. Modify the item every year to add the latest count.  This historical tracking will help you determine how much candy you need the next year.  Consider including weather and start/end times to help you with your planning.

Final reminders:

• It takes just a few moments to add an item to your calendar. 
• You can have them be recurring by week, month, year or whatever you need.  
• Your calendar doesn’t care what information you add to it - it makes no judgments. 
• If you don’t want to clutter your daily calendar, consider making a reference calendar.
• If you see a specific event and realize you no longer need it, then just delete it.