Here’s how to create a recurring appointment in your paper calendar or planner:

Fill In Future Appointments

Fill in recurring appointments for the next 2 months or the next appointment, whichever is further away.

If this feels extreme, you should switch to an electronic calendar—your life is too busy for paper.

  1. Pick a time for the appointment to begin. If it starts on a 15-minute boundary, draw a line across the column to divide the 30-minute time slot in half.
  2. Write the appointment name at the top of the time block (Ex: “Work” for a strategic calendar time block or “Call Sue 555-1212” for a regular appointment).
  3. Draw an arrow down to the bottom of the time slot to show that the time is occupied.
  4. Schedule other instances of the recurring appointment now. (To make sure you don’t double-schedule, fill them in for the next 2 months or the next appointment, whichever is further away.)
  5. Show that it is a recurring appointment by adding a circle #x041E; or box R[ ] after the name of the LAST appointment you schedule.

Using that Circle or Checkbox

When you finish an appointment with a circle #x041E; or box R[ ] next to it, immediately reschedule the next missing appointment (in the future), THEN check the old box. The new appointments also get a circle #x041E; or box R[ ]. This keeps the repeating appointments going forward.