Happy New Year! Do you have your 2006 day timer or planner yet? If not it is time to get moving on it and get one. A form of calendar is the most important tool for your success in the upcoming year – both as a Mom and a writer. The type of calendar you use is as unique to you as your personality. We all have different styles and preferences that fit our own lifestyle and personality. Some can’t live without an electronic/computerized one and others would throw it at a wall. Rather than a regular book review, this issue I am looking at two calendars written by mother’s for mothers. I have used both and feel they are just excellent. Before we get to the specifics, I wanted to also include a piece at the end that will help you in deciding what kind of calendar system you will use. I also want to caution you on having too many. The key to success with a planning tool is to have only one main one. If you have your schedule in one, the kids in another place, and family events in another, the chances of missing something increase greatly. Once you have decided the format that works for you, get one and use it faithfully.

M.O.M Unlimited is a home-based business started in 2003 by Michelle Appeldoorn. Born and raised in Abbotsford, BC, Michelle has been successfully balancing life as a working wife and mother of four for many years. The M.O.M. Unlimited planner is perfect for the mom on the go. It fits in most purses, diaper bags, or briefcases. It has a monthly calendar which is a must for a glance at the future or a reminder of the past. There is enough room on each day to allow for schedules, activities, and reminders. Helpful components include family schedules, budgets, wish and gift lists, dinner ideas, and note pages. The pages are supplemented with inspirational quotes and timely tips and suggestions. For more information visit: www.momunlimited.ca/organizer.html

For the wall calendar enthusiasts, More Time Moms® Family Organizer has a fabulous wall calendar. I have used it for years, and it is easy to use, has lots of room, and allows you to have some fun. The Founder and President of More Time Moms® is Joanne Lalonde-Hayes. Joanne, the mother of three children, has been active in time management for 18 years and holds an M.B.A. from McGill University. Working as a strategic planner for large corporations, it wasn’t until she married and had three children, born a year apart, that her organizational skills met the ultimate challenge. Joanne left the work force to care for her growing family, and once the children were in school, she gathered family, friends, and other moms to found MTM.

With its use of stickers, moms can glance at this calendar and see their upcoming schedule well in advance. Between inspirational quotes, recipes, seasonal tips, and reminders to take care of yourself, this calendar is made to keep moms on track. For more information visit: www.moretimemoms.com/

Another bonus with this calendar and the stickers is that it is a great opportunity to share the skills of time management with your children. We sit down as a family and transfer last year’s birthdays, anniversaries, and important dates to the new calendar. We then take the school calendar and mark off days off, interviews, and sporting the events. My children are able to take an active role in seeing how our lives vary during different times of the year. They also begin to understand, by a glance at the calendar, when we are too busy or if we have some extra time.

I highly recommend both of these calendar systems – however, only one at a time. Think about your lifestyle and which makes more sense for you – a wall calendar or one you carry around. See below for some tips and ideas on how to choose the right one for you!

Bonus Section: How to Choose the Right Calendar System for You

THE TOOLS

There are certain things that make it easier to manage our time. But they only work if we use them, so make sure to choose a method that fits you and your lifestyle.

1. Choose ONE main CALENDAR or PLANNER for the family and business. More than one can mean overlapping and missed events. (Now it is okay to have a back up. My planner is the main one and absolutely everything goes into it but I also have a wall calendar in the bathroom that I put things on for easy viewing and reminders). With older children, each family member will need their own system and calendar, but in order for you, as Mom, to stay sane, there needs to be one main system, and that needs to be yours.

2. CHOOSE a system that appeals to you and your preferences. The two main types are paper and electronic/computer.

Paper – the possibilities are endless. Spend some time finding one that really appeals to YOU.

Questions to help you decide:

• Do I like to add/remove items? (Go with a binder style)
• Do I want it to be portable?
• Do I like to have themes, styles, inspirational notes or would I prefer to keep it plain?
• Will I use all the components of it? If not, can I remove them?
• Will it fit in my purse/diaper bag/brief case?
• What have I used before?
• What did I like/dislike about it?

Electronic

• Do I need something that I can carry with me?
• Is it compatible with my current system?
• Do I have the option to use or remove different features?
• Do I want it to be compatible with my phone?
• Do I like how it operates?

Use this main planner FOR EVERYTHING – including your work, appointments, family’s activities, exercise, and most importantly, your Me Time.

1. MATCH the size to your lifestyle. My retired mother-in-law uses a small calendar with an entire month on each page. I need at least one full page per day. If you are on the go, make sure it is portable. A big wall calendar doesn’t help when you are at hockey practice or in the office.
   
   
2. The COMPONENTS of your system will vary by preference but there are a few necessary components:
   
   
   • Yearly calendar
   • Monthly calendar
   • A page for each day (or a lot of writing room)
   • Room for notes/lists
   • Your To Do list – which deserves its own section below.
   • Your goals and dreams. List your priorities in your planner. At the beginning of each day review your goals and make sure that you are doing something to work toward them. Each month review your long-term goals, alter your short-term goals, or add new goals.
   
   
3. PERSONALIZE Your System. Now depending on your lifestyle there are lots of different components/options that you may want to include in your system.
   
   
   • Phone List/Phone log
   • Family Budget
   • Expense Reports
   • Travel/car logs
   • Emergency Contacts
   • Medical Information
   • Grocery Lists –a standard one that you always use
   • Assignment lists
   • Fitness Journal

Excerpted from Mom Management, Managing Mom Before Everybody Else © 2003 Tracy Lyn Moland. Used with permission of The Gift of Time. All rights reserved.

Tracy Lyn Moland is the mother of two and wife of an Ironman. She is a regular corporate spokesperson, media guest, and freelance writer. For more tips and ideas, check out her new website http://www.tipsEmoms.com or visit http://www.FindBalance.ca

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