3 quick Google Calendar productivity tips

Posted on May 23, 2008 at 5:29 am

I’m a big fan of Google Calendar and it’s become my main online app for creating appointments, saving tasks, and storing reminders. Also, since it’s online, it accessible from anywhere! If you’re also using Google Calendar a lot, there are some tips and tricks you should know to increase your productivity.

Most of us need to create events when something happens, such as reading an email, or talking with a friend while at dinner, etc. The other aspect is actually getting reminders or messages when something we put in our calendar is coming up soon.

Here I’m going to go through 3 things: how to create Google Calendar events from your Gmail account, how to use SMS to add events to your calendar and perform other administrative tasks, and how to receive an email of your daily agenda.

How to Create Google Calendar Events from Gmail

If you’re using Google Calendar as your main online calendar app, you also might be using Gmail for your email. Did you know that you can create Google Calendar events right from Gmail? Here’s how:

First open your Gmail Inbox and open an email. Then click on the More Actions button at the top right drop down menu and choose Create Event.

Now you’ll get a pop-up window where you can enter in all the details of the event! Click the Save Changes button when you are done. No need to go to Google Calendar at all!

How to Add Events To Your Google Calendar via SMS

This is actually pretty cool! You can control your Google Calendar by sending it SMS text messages. This is perfect if you are not near your computer, but need to update your calendar.

First off, register your cell phone with Google Calendar. Here are the instructions for doing that:

1. Log into Google Calendar
2. Click on the Settings link at the top right
3. Click on the Notifications tab
4. Type in your phone number and select your carrier
5. Click Send Verification Code
6. Once you receive the SMS message on your phone, enter the verification code and click Finish Setup
8. The phone is now reigstered

Now you simply need to send a message to 48368 or otherwise known as GVENT. Now you just need to follow the instructions mentioned by Google Help to start adding events, etc.

For example, you could send a message like this to your calendar:

Pick up kids tomorrow at 4 in school

or

lunch with John at “Taco Tuesdays” Friday 12 pm

You can do a bunch of other stuff like create re-occurring events, etc, so read the help guide to learn more.

How to Send an Email of your Daily Agenda

Now that you have created your crap load of events, you need to actually remember them! Keeping track manually is tedious, so you can setup Google Calendar to send you an email of your daily agenda of all events you have in your calendar for that day.

First, log into Google Calendar and then click on Settings at the very top right. Then click on the Calendars tab.

Find the calendar you want to setup the email for and click on the Notifications link that is on the right of the calendar.

In the “Choose how you would like to be notified” section, check the Daily Agenda box at the bottom.

That’s it! Now you can quickly create events from Gmail, via SMS and you can get a daily email sent to you or your phone that summarizes all of your events. Enjoy!

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» Filed Under Google Software/Tips

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3 Responses to “3 quick Google Calendar productivity tips”

Colin said on : May 23rd, 2008 at 7:44 am

the SMS notification only works in US. ,right?

Maggie Ryder said on : May 29th, 2008 at 8:13 pm

I haven’t used it in Australia to SMS events, but I know of others who have.

Hani Mourra said on : July 18th, 2008 at 4:53 am

Google Calendar is great because it allows you to create multiple calendars, turn on/off individual calendars, and easily share calendars with friends! Here is a short video tutorial on how to take advantage of Google Calendar’s features:
http://www.eztechtips.com/get-.....-calendar/