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How to make Monday less of a surprise?

I've never been great with things like Monday morning meetings, appointments the day after vacation, birthdays on the first of the month... tasks that I need to flip a calendar page to see, or tasks that I think of as "next cycle." (Next week, next month, next project.) I tend to start my new cycle, get settled in a bit, then check the calendar and discover I've missed an appointment already.

So far all my hedges against this still depend on me remembering and being good (look further ahead in the calendar, put "heads up" notes about appointments-at-risk in the tickler file, stick my fresh week's calendar in front of the breakfast cereal...). As much as possible I make appointments on Thursdays and the 10ths, but it turns out "as much as possible" is not that much. I just stood someone up (Saturday morning after being out of town), so I'm really ready for any ideas about systems, hacks or some more automated process.

Any ideas, anyone?

jethro.'s picture

I think sabreuse is right:...

I think sabreuse is right: the weekly review is the key. If you tend to lose focus of the work week ahead, considering doing the weekly review on Sunday afternoon or evening. On the other hand, I tend to do mine on Friday afternoon so I don't have things weighing me down over the weekend.

 
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