A part of the Microsoft 365 household, Outlook is a extensively fashionable e-mail supplier platform amongst professionals. However moreover being an e-mail supplier, this technique is well-known for its Calendar. In contrast to Google Calendar and Gmail, that are related however positioned on separate apps, Outlook’s Calendar is embedded inside Outlook.

If you open the Outlook app, you possibly can toggle to the Calendar button to view it completely. Outlook and, subsequently, Outlook Calendar might be accessed throughout all units and platforms, together with iOS and Android.

After all — similar to something — it could take a while to arrange Outlook Calendar in your specific use. In the event you’re an administrative or private assistant, you’ll need to guarantee you possibly can view and edit your supervisor’s calendar. Sharing Outlook Calendar will subsequently be of the utmost significance. However should you’re an entrepreneur, freelancer, or only a professional multitasker, then notifications and To-Do lists will probably be important for you too. Somebody working remotely from the remainder of their staff will need to alter their Calendar settings to account for numerous time zones.

Irrespective of how or the place you entry or use Outlook Calendar, there are methods to make the platform work higher for you. In any case, the aim of a digital calendar is to make your life simpler, not more durable. Calendars ought to take a few of the burden off of your shoulders so you possibly can focus in your priorities. Happily, there are numerous options and integrations to just do that. With this in thoughts, beneath are 3 ways to be extra productive with Outlook Calendar.

1. Categorize Your Calendar

Conferences are a part of the norm in at present’s skilled world. With the common employee having 25.6 conferences per week, or simply over 5 per day, they’ll disrupt your productiveness. Whereas Outlook Calendar gained’t reduce the time you spend in conferences per se, there are functionalities to method your calendar higher. Considered one of which is utilizing Outlook Classes. That is Outlook’s labeling system, permitting you to categorise gadgets inside your Calendar, and kind, and filter them extra simply.

Along with leveraging Classes for occasions and conferences, it may also be used for emails, duties, and your To-Do record (extra on that characteristic later). To create a brand new Class, choose from the Categorize drop-down menu on the Dwelling tab.

Outlook has pre-identified Classes primarily based on a coloration system, just like the ‘blue class’ and ‘inexperienced class.’ You may edit these Classes and rename them as you please. There are 25 colours obtainable, so you’ve a Crayola crayon field at your disposal to pick the perfect one for every Class.

Assigning completely different colours to every Class means that you can shortly have a look at your calendar and see the place your priorities are for that day.

After all, to keep away from your calendar trying like a whole rainbow, use Classes mindfully! Outlook will prioritize your prime Classes, however attempt to delete ones as soon as a venture is full. Doing so is pretty easy below the ‘Edit Classes’ dropdown. This can can help you focus in your most pressing duties and decategorize ones now not wanted.

2. Make To-Do Lists

In the event you’re studying this text, likelihood is you’re a fan of to-do lists. Whilst you will not be a fan of getting to get so a lot in your record, these lists may help you keep on monitor. Outlook’s To-Do record is a technique to remind your self of sure duties at a particular time. This characteristic, positioned inside Outlook’s Activity folder, means that you can title the duty, add a precedence, and set a date. So if you wish to reserve a desk at a sought-after restaurant, you possibly can remind your self on a selected day to ebook it.

Within the newest model of Outlook, you possibly can show your record always whereas your Calendar is open. This offers you a greater sense of all that you want to accomplish on a selected day. Duties might be created manually, reminiscent of probing your self to ebook a dinner reservation or created proper out of your inbox. In the event you obtain an essential e-mail however don’t have time to take a look at it instantly, you possibly can flip it right into a process for later. To take action, click on on the flag and choose the suitable dropdown, reminiscent of ‘Comply with up At present.’

In the event you’re actually having fun with the To-Do record performance, you could think about leveraging Microsoft’s To Do app as nicely. This can be a extra superior process administration app with better capabilities than the standalone Outlook. It’s cross-functional, which means it can work along with your present Outlook Calendar and might be accessed throughout your units. ‘My Day,’ a characteristic throughout the app, predicts and personalizes your process record every day or weekly. So should you usually put together in your staff’s weekly assembly on Tuesday evenings, the app will recommend including it to your weekly record.

3. Modify Your Assembly Settings

This tip is for you in case you are all the time a couple of minutes late to your conferences. Adjusting your assembly settings below Calendar Choices may help make sure you present up on time. The default reminder is quarter-hour earlier than a gathering, however that will not be sufficient time for you. It’s possible you’ll miss the notification should you’re on the workplace and away out of your desk. Or, you could discover that quarter-hour is a tad too lengthy, and also you’d wish to be nudged 5 minutes earlier than a gathering begins.

Including completely different time zones to your calendar is one other trick to save lots of you time whereas establishing conferences. That is particularly nice for hybrid or distant groups with staff throughout the nation or the world.

Determining what time of day it’s for them could have you ever going to Google to take a look at the time distinction. As an alternative, you possibly can add a number of time zones to your calendar below the Time Zones part in Outlook Calendar. From there, you possibly can appropriately title the brand new time zone, reminiscent of ‘Los Angeles’ or ‘Tokyo,’ and schedule conferences with out referencing Google.

Additionally, in case you are distant or work with distant staff, think about robotically turning all of your assembly invitations into on-line conferences. This performance is constructed into your calendar invitations should you make the most of Microsoft Groups for video conferencing.

Nevertheless, it additionally works with different platforms, together with Zoom, Cisco WebEx Scheduler, Google Meet, BlueJeans Conferences, JioMeet, and GoTo. Keep in mind that you could be must obtain a distinct app, reminiscent of Zoom for Outlook, for full integration throughout the platforms. As soon as it’s up and working, nevertheless, you’ll by no means need to frantically ship out a Zoom hyperlink instantly earlier than the assembly begins!

Remaining Ideas

Scheduling your day for productiveness is simpler stated than finished. You could have a set of priorities originally of the day, however an impediment could have you ever switching gears by lunchtime. With Outlook Calendars’ numerous options, you possibly can keep on process and on prime of your precedence record.

Whether or not you’re sharing an workplace area along with your teammate or working remotely, Outlook Calendar is there in your wants. Make the most of the shared Outlook Calendar ideas and methods to handle your time higher and maximize your every day accomplishments.

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