Table of Contents
Calendar
Calendars are timekeeping tools that are said to have been used since the Bronze Age several centuries ago to foretell events. It is a useful tool that has continuously helped people in plotting schedules, reminding them of what day or month it is, and more importantly, keeping everyone updated with daily activities.
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Calendar Definition & Meaning
A calendar is a series of pages or a single chart that contains the months of the year, weeks, and days.
A calendar is a timetable used for scheduling activities on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis and typically includes local and national holidays.
What Is a Calendar?
Calendars consist of 12 months which are January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, and December, and their corresponding dates or days of the week. Ancient civilizations have been using calendars to allow them to predict the future, and schedule important events like harvesting and other agricultural and cultural activities. Over the years, calendars have evolved in shapes and sizes but their main purpose remains the same which is to tell what date it is and keep everyone organized and keep track of activities.
10 Types of Calendars
Budget Calendars
Budget calendars are for business or personal use that records incoming funds, and track payment amounts and dates which are essential tools for accounting and finance. To make sure that finances are closely monitored then it is important to invest one’s time into preparing a budget calendar. Not only that but discrepancies and errors are also bound to be recorded thus making it easier to address these issues.
Marketing Calendars
Calendars are quite useful for those working in the marketing department. A marketing calendar is an essential tool for planning and organizing all sorts of marketing activities. It helps record planned activities, take note of future events and ensure that everything is covered within the given period.
Academic Calendars
Academic institutions such as universities, high schools, cram schools and etc. are always up and about making plans for the present and upcoming school year. With the help of an academic calendar, they are able to organize class enrollments, tuition refunds, class and teacher schedules, deadlines, and many more. Calendars such as these are essential to help run these institutions so they are able to carefully plan their schedules.
Desk Calendars
Desk calendars make popular giveaway items for Christmas, weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, and events. They come in an assortment of designs and at times are personalized with added images and details of a company or an event. Desk calendars, as their name suggests are handy tools that can be popped on top of a table or shelf.
School Calendars
A school calendar is specifically designed to incorporate upcoming academic activities and other school-related schedules. This would also include various holidays such as summer and holiday breaks. This tool is quite useful to not just teachers but to students and parents as well.
Editable Calendars
Editable calendars are usually in digital format. This gives users free rein to customize the calendar’s design by adding photos, notes, and other fancy graphics. What’s good about editable calendars is that anyone can upload or store these online giving them unlimited access to edit and further customize.
Restaurant Calendars
Restaurant calendars are great tools for those who are in the food service or restaurant business. Scheduling reservations, taking note of deliveries from vendors and customers, and staff schedules are one of the main activities when running a restaurant. Thus a restaurant calendar is essential for managers and owners so they can organize their schedules on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis.
Media Calendars
Media outlets, their staff, and those who run their own social media websites would also need to use a media calendar to organize their schedules. Posting in right content can be quite difficult since it must be interesting enough to attract the right audience. However, another essential matter to consider is the timing, this is why it is important to have calendars to ensure that the content gets published at the right time.
Staff Calendars
One of the most important responsibilities of the HR department and department managers is to make sure that they have enough employees working on each shift. A staff calendar manages every employee’s schedule from their scheduled leaves, work schedule, overtime, business trips, and even their birthdays. It is a basic tool that is common in every company however big or small.
Planning Calendars
Planning calendars are widely used by different organizations that engage in business planning whether on a yearly or quarterly basis. This calendar is basically a rundown of events, upcoming meetings or seminars, and other important occasions. A planning calendar is important because it helps management plan in advance, makes sure that there is no conflict in the schedules and more importantly the company is able to identify if they miss anything.
Calendars Uses, Purposes, Importance
Society would be at a loss without calendars. It is used by practically everyone to identify the days, make plans, and anticipate future events. Individuals and organizations all around rely heavily on calendars to plan their everyday schedules which is why we will not be able to fully utilize time without calendars.
Making Plans
Calendars first and foremost are used to make plans for the future or basically plot what we need to do for the next week or months. Planning is essential as we go on with our daily activities as an individual or as part of an organization. With calendars, we plot our schedule and make sure we are able to accommodate each activity without conflict.
As a Reminder
It is human nature to forget, for example, we tend to forget a family member’s birthday or the next doctor’s appointment. With calendars, we have something visual to remind us when is Easter or Christmas Day or when the next monthly meeting would be. Also nowadays, calendars are editable and are available on most electronic devices and online applications and in printed format.
Set Priorities
As much as we want to accomplish everything all at once, such an endeavor is deemed impossible at times. With the help of a calendar, taking one task at a time will help accomplish these in no time. Plotting the schedules on a calendar according to the urgency and usefulness is how you set priorities.
Maintenance
Calendars are also used to maintain one’s schedule. This helps identify if you are available on a certain day or should you need to reschedule an appointment. This rings true for companies that directly manage customer appointments, rescheduling, and cancellations.
Maximizes One’s Tasks
Calendars are handy tools that help you maximize what you need to do during the day. You will be able to properly plot your schedule, and make sure you’ve got all your appointments and your to-do list covered and basically, it helps you become more productive. And what’s great about calendars nowadays is that its available on your phone and some apps have features that will remind you of your appointment.
What’s in a Calendar? Parts?
Year
The year is usually located on the uppermost portion of a calendar.
Months
One of the most basic features of a calendar is the 12 months of the year which can be written in English or in any local language.
Dates and Days of the Weeks
Calendars are never complete without the dates and days of the week which are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Holidays
Although not mandatory, some calendars feature local and national holidays.
Moon Phase
Another added yet optional calendar feature is the moon phases which foretell what phase the moon is on a given day.
Graphic Designs
Nowadays calendars are often decorated with cute, floral, winter, or any other seasonal designs. And these are quite apparent on desk calendars, wall calendars, and calendars that can be personalized.
Title
This feature may not be mandatory, however right beside the year, customized calendars may include a title, for example, a school calendar will contain the school’s name and address.
How to Design a Calendar
1. Choose a Calendar Size.
2. Determine the purpose of the calendar.
3. Select an appropriate Calendar Template.
4. Add photographs, vectors, decorations, and any graphics to the template.
5. Include any notes, moon phases and etc. if applicable.
6. Finalize, save, and download.
Calendar vs. Planner
A calendar is a representation of the months, days of the week, and dates that are used for plotting schedules.
A planner on the other hand may have similar features as a calendar, however, apart from the dates, months, and weeks, a planner offers more room for writing down notes and is normally styled like a notebook.
What’s the Difference between a Calendar, Timeline, & Outline?
A calendar is a chart or a series of pages used to tell what date it is, for scheduling and planning purposes.
A timeline is s sequence of events usually marked with a horizontal bar or line that are arranged in the order of their occurrence.
An outline is a general summary or description of a specific subject without giving away all the details.
Calendar Sizes
From simple to decked with beautiful scenic photographs and intricate designs, calendars have evolved a whole lot from their layout to their sizes. The most common calendar sizes used worldwide are both in printed or digital format.
Printed Format:
- Poster or Wall Calendars Sizes: 8.5 × 11 inches, 8.5 × 22 inches (portrait format), 11 × 8.5 or 11 × 17 (landscape format), and 8.5 × 8.5 inches (square format)
- Calendar Card Sizes: 5 × 7 inches, 2 × 3.5 inches, and 5.5 × 8.5 inches
- Desk or Table Calendar Sizes: 10 × 4.5 inches, 8.5 × 5.5 inches
- Magnetic Calendar Sizes: 5.47 × 4.21 inches
Calendar Ideas and Examples
Over the years, calendar ideas have evolved from printed plain paper to designs made specifically for one subject or event. Calendars nowadays are created to serve a specific purpose thus they come with highly personalized features to enable users to make use of calendars to their full extent.
- Birthday Calendar Ideas and Examples
- Accounting Calendar Ideas and Examples
- Social Media Calendar Ideas and Examples
- Business Calendar Ideas and Examples
- Project Calendar Ideas and Examples
- Appointment Calendar Ideas and Examples
- Monthly Calendar Ideas and Examples
- Event Calendar Ideas and Examples
- HR Calendar Ideas and Examples
- Blank Calendar Ideas and Examples
FAQs
What should a calendar include?
A calendar should include the year, the 12 months, the days of the week, and the dates.
What calendar categories should I use?
When dividing your calendars into various categories, it’s best to always include your priorities such as various aspects in your personal life, work or business schedules, medical appointments and etc.
Why should you color code your calendar?
Coloring coding a calendar helps you organize your schedule and adding colors would also differentiate one activity from another.
What are the benefits of calendars?
Calendars are quite useful in our daily lives not only are you able to tell what date it is, but you are also able to manage your time, properly organize your schedule and ensure that you’ve got everything covered.
How do you create an effective calendar?
To create an effective calendar first choose a template as a guide, then write down your plans in order to plot down your schedule (make sure you think of your priorities first), after which check your calendar and identify your available schedule and keep monitoring so you won’t forget and that no tasks overlap the other.
What makes a good content calendar?
A good content calendar should be properly organized, and detailed, goals are clearly identified, establish viable timelines and keep on monitoring for updates.
What are calendar notifications?
A calendar notification is an update that helps you remember an upcoming appointment, event, or meeting and users would usually receive a message, a sound notification, or an email.
How does a calendar improve time management skills?
A calendar improves time management because this tool helps you accurately plot your schedule, and reminds you of upcoming appointments thus maximizing your productivity.
Why are calendars important to early civilizations?
Calendars play an important role in early civilizations since they use calendars to determine the next harvest, schedule their festivals and events, and plan other social activities such as hunting or migration.
What are calendars based on?
Most calendars are based on the Gregorian calendar which is known as the solar calendar.
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