Sitting by the fire last night I wondered how many of you use an online calendar. Maybe the reason you don't is just because the idea seems so millenial-esq! I'm here to explain why and how to make it happen.
First, why would you ever give up a paper calendar? Well, it's kinda handy to have it in many places. I open it on my desktop, laptop, smartphone, and (yes) my wife's smartphone. It's also shared with her so she can see (some of, haha) my events on my personal and work calendars, and a shared calendar we can both make changes on. I can share my next doctor's appointment via text or email right from the calendar. Now she is not a huge fan of an online calendar, but will tell you it helps our family communicate better.
Don't let me loose you yet, baby-boomers!
Let's hook up the technology. You will need a cloud server, like Google or iCloud. I recommend Google because it has an easy-to-use website to view and edit your calendar. You can create reoccurring events and set alerts to remind you when to leave the house. If you have G-mail, you're half way there!
iPhone users can go to Passwords & Accounts --> Add Account and enter your G-mail information. If you've already done this step to add your gmail account to you phone, then ensure the Calendar feature is turned on here.
You can use the default calendar in your phone or purchase another one that may have more functions. We use "Week Cal" because of the ease of use. Either way, when you open your calendar app, you'll need to activate the Google calendar(s) by clicking Calendars and selecting any under Google that may be listed. That's (should be) it.
You can also access your calendar at https://calendar.google.com
Do you use Outlook? You can also sync with Google calendars. You may need third-party software which will also make it super easy to make this integration work. I have Outlook 2010 and use https://www.sync2.com. It's possible that Office 365 users can connect with Google easier, but I don't think that's the case quite yet.
Whether you are a die-hard paper calendar user or just thinking of making the switch, know that there is a transition period and not to get frustrated and give up right away. Give it a month of maybe using both to see what you think. Youtube some videos to help learn the other functions that may help.
If you're a baby-boomer and you make the switch, congratulations and please send me an email to share!!
As always, let us know if you have any questions or need help