Track New Year's Resolutions with Google Calendar & Event Flair Labs

Planning for the New Year: Tracking Goals with Google Calendar

As the New Year draws near, many individuals contemplate creating or updating their resolutions. I recently explored methods for more effectively monitoring my objectives while maintaining a digital record, avoiding the disorganization often associated with traditional, handwritten lists.

Productivity applications like Joe's Goals and Joe's Logbook offer excellent journaling and goal-tracking features within a user-friendly design. These inspired this guide.

Leveraging Google Calendar for Goal Progress

While dedicated logbook apps, such as the free tools from Joe's, provide superior functionality and are ideal for those seeking ready-made systems, an alternative exists for committed Google Calendar users.

This guide details how to utilize your preferred calendar application to document and monitor your progress towards achieving your goals.

Why Use Google Calendar?

Familiar Interface: If you already rely on Google Calendar for scheduling, integrating goal tracking feels natural.
Accessibility: Access your goals from any device with an internet connection.
Reminders: Set reminders to stay focused and motivated.

The simplicity of this approach makes it a viable option for individuals who prefer a streamlined system without extensive setup requirements.

Although Joe's Goals and Joe's Logbook are powerful tools, Google Calendar offers a convenient solution for those already invested in the Google ecosystem.

Organizing Goals in Google Calendar Using Numerical Calendar Names

Consider the key objectives you aim to achieve in the coming year, perhaps focusing on five or three primary goals. For each of these objectives, a new calendar must be established.

This is accomplished by selecting the Add function within the main calendar section, located on the left side of the screen.

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To ensure calendars – and the events within them – are displayed in order of importance, it is crucial to prefix each calendar name with a numerical identifier.

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Benefits of Dedicated Calendars for Goal Tracking

Tasks that may have been relegated to a "Someday" list can now be actively pursued, as their visibility within the calendar promotes follow-through.

Creating separate calendars for each goal offers several advantages. Firstly, events are color-coded, facilitating easier visual comprehension, as Google Calendar lacks individual event color customization.

Secondly, progress on a single goal can be viewed in isolation by temporarily displaying only that specific calendar.
Finally, these goals remain distinct from your primary calendar, preventing a cluttered view of tasks and scheduled events.

iPhone and iPod Touch users can synchronize and view these color-coded calendars, as detailed by Lifehacker, by selecting the desired calendars within the device settings.

Track Achievements & Monitor Progress Using Event Flair or Unicode Characters

For those who prefer not to memorize Unicode values, the Event Flair feature offers a convenient solution. Navigate to Settings > Calendar settings and select the Labs tab. Locate Event Flair, activate it, and then confirm by pressing Save.

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To record your accomplishments toward a specific objective, simply click on a date within the calendar and add an event detailing your progress. Consider designating these entries as all-day events to ensure they are visually highlighted.

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Alternatively, you can assign a specific start and end time to each item. It’s advisable to choose a time slot that doesn't conflict with your regularly scheduled appointments, such as 11:59 PM.

When utilizing the Event Flair functionality, selecting a calendar entry will cause the Event Flair gadget to appear in the right sidebar, displaying the entry’s name. From there, you can choose an icon to indicate whether the entry represents advancement or regression toward your goal.

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The selected icon should appear next to your entry after a brief delay.

A limitation of Event Flair is its visibility; the icons are only displayed when accessing the calendar through a computer web browser. Synchronization with iOS devices, for example, will not show the icons. This is where employing Unicode symbols proves beneficial. The Windows Character Map, accessible through the Start Menu, can be used to locate desired symbols. Alternatively, a comprehensive list is available on Wikipedia. I recommend using the "heavy check mark" (âœ” from U+2714) and "heavy ballot x" (âœ˜ from U+2718) due to their increased visibility. Instructions for invoking these symbols in Ubuntu can be found online.

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As previously noted, entries utilizing Unicode symbols will be visible on iOS devices.

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Regularly updating your progress on a monthly calendar view (or a customized 2- or 3-week view) will result in a visual representation of your achievements, as illustrated below (with other calendars hidden for clarity).

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Limitations of This Approach

Adding entries to your calendars through text messaging presents challenges, as items can only be directed to your primary calendar, not designated sub-calendars. While smartphone applications, such as the native iOS Calendar, allow for direct input, incorporating symbols necessitates copying and pasting, a potentially cumbersome process for frequent use.

Furthermore, Joe's Goals and Logbook offers a broader range of functionalities, potentially rendering this method unnecessary. For instance, Joe's Logbook enables the creation of distinct logbooks for various activities, preventing calendar overcrowding when it's already heavily scheduled.

The system also lacks the capability to visually represent progress for activities requiring significant time investment. If you define start and end times for your entries, consider exploring Youcalc's Time and Activity Report app for GCal, which generates visually appealing charts.

In conclusion, this method can serve as an engaging way to monitor progress towards goals or New Year's resolutions. The timeframe for achieving these goals – whether three months or a year – remains at your discretion, but leveraging a familiar service can facilitate consistent tracking.

Below are alternative services that may assist you in tracking your life in an enjoyable manner. What tools do you currently utilize to document your advancement?