Get Shift Done: Tips and Tricks
I asked the team at Google to give me their best tips for making your year more productive using Google Calendar. Here are some lesser known tools that they shared with me and how to get started using them.
1. Goals
Did you make some New Year’s resolutions for your business? Google Calendar Goals is the way to track them. The tool asks you a few basic questions, then sets up a schedule to help you achieve your goal.
To get started, just tap on the red + button on the bottom right of the screen and click on Goals. Then, follow the instructions on the screen.
2. Reminders
Use Reminders to help you stay organized and have a complete view of everything you need to do. Unlike items scheduled to your calendar, reminders stay on your calendar, day after day, to make sure you complete a task.
As with Goals, tap on the red + button on the bottom right of the screen but this time click on Reminders to get started. Then, follow the on-screen prompts.
When you’re done with a task, you can simply slide the task to the side to mark it as done.
3. Shared Calendars
You can create a Google Calendar for your team that multiple people can edit and add to. Sharing is a great way for your work group to keep informed about due dates or project milestones.
To set up a team calendar, open Google Calendar in your browser and click Create a New Calendar. Add the new calendar’s name and description. Then choose location and time zone, if you want. Finally, under go to Share with specific people, and add the email address of the person you want to share the team calendar with. Make sure to go to Permission Settings and choose who can add to the calendar.
When you’re done, click Create calendar.
4. Add Locations
By adding locations to your events, you and your team will be able to see where each event is located on Google Maps. No one will ever need directions or get lost again!
To add a location, make sure to add an address in the Where box when you create a new event.
Then, to see the location on Google Maps, just tap on Your Places and Upcoming. Then, tap on the event.
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