This is what I call “calendar season”.  It doesn’t seem possible, but the middle of summer is when stationery stores put out displays of next year’s business calendars.  If you want the best selection, now is the time to shop.

There are other benefits to getting your calendar now. Many calendars, including the calendar I use from a company called Quo Vadis, have refills which reduce the annual cost by two thirds and waste of having to replace the cover.  Having next year’s calendar now lets me start to record planned events for next year.

It’s a good time to consider “calendar management,” which is what most of us call “time management.”  Manager Tools, a series of podcasts (manager-tools.com) devoted to improving management skills, has a two-part series on Calendar Management.  It’s approximately 60 minutes long and is well worth the time.  They recommend, and I agree, that a week-at-a-time calendar is most effective.  A month display is too long and a day at a time does not let you easily plan the week.  For me, week-at-a-time is the most natural.

While we’re on the subject, I also recommend David Allen’s Getting Things Done, available in both paperback and on CD.  I find the abridged CD’s to be an especially effective way to get an overview of his thinking before diving into the very detailed book.