Chapter 1: The Drawbacks of Google Calendar

Google Calendar is a robust tool, boasting features like events, tasks, notifications, and seamless synchronization with others. It allows you to view others' availability and invite them to your organized events. Despite its many advantages for daily organization and planning with your partner, it has a significant drawback.

The primary issue lies in the level of detail it presents. For instance, a 30-minute meeting might coexist with a 3-hour anniversary dinner or even a 3-day wilderness trip with friends. Depending on your zoom level, you can see all events in great detail, yet if you zoom out, you are met with an overwhelming amount of information, regardless of the event size.

Image courtesy of the author.

During my early relationship with my now-wife, we were quite active, frequently attending theaters, cinemas, and dining out. We needed a system to coordinate our busy schedules and avoid conflicts, like double-booking a swing dance night with a bobsleigh ride.

Photo by author.

While I preferred Google Calendar, my wife advocated for a Google spreadsheet she had been using for a while. Initially, I dismissed the idea, thinking, "A mere spreadsheet? It’s just a grid; it’s not designed for scheduling!" However, my fiancée encouraged me to give it a shot. Reluctantly, I overcame my skepticism and began using the spreadsheet. Ultimately, I found it to be incredibly effective.

For the past seven years, I have been refining this tool.

Chapter 2: Introducing the Mighty Spreadsheet Calendar

The key to effective planning is the right level of detail. The Mighty Spreadsheet Calendar is straightforward, featuring a column for each month and a row for each day of the year, split into morning and evening sections. This layout allows for a comprehensive overview of upcoming months without excessive scrolling.

Image courtesy of the author.

It's crucial to document only significant events that may impact your regular schedule or your partner's, without needing precise timing. This method is ideal for noting trips, social gatherings, cinema outings, medical appointments, birthdays, and more. By consulting the spreadsheet, you can quickly identify any scheduling conflicts.

This is a level of clarity that Google Calendar fails to provide, particularly in offering a full-year overview of your primary plans. Since it's merely a spreadsheet, you won’t receive notifications for events unless you set up advanced scripts, but that’s not the primary purpose. You can always input the event into Google Calendar later if necessary.

3 Tips to Simplify Your Life

Learn how to manage everyday tasks efficiently, such as keeping track of household necessities and avoiding forgetfulness.

The first video discusses the overwhelming nature of time blocking in Google Calendar and offers practical alternatives.

The second video outlines a common mistake users make with Google Calendar and how to avoid it.

Enjoy! If you have suggestions for the template, I’d love to hear them in the comments. I’m always looking for ways to improve. If you liked this post, consider following me for future updates, or even better, subscribe to be notified when the Mighty Calendar Spreadsheet template for the next year is released.