How I Organize My Google Calendar | The Best Time Blocking App for Scheduling + Productivity

[@KalynBrookeCo]

For those who are looking for the color palette, you can find it here! kalynbrooke.com/google-calendar-color-codes/

[@wallsofgab]

This is the best explanation of a time blocking system I've seen on youtube. I'm disabled, and the concept of time is hard for me. It's even harder for me to focus and stay consistent with most planners, even physical ones. Thank you for making this easy for my frazzled brain!

[@KalynBrookeCo]

I'm so glad that this was a helpful way for you to grasp this concept! It can really help to find the right visuals to sort of cement a picture of how it works in our minds, for sure.

[@francinepataray7930]

I use Tasks for recurring to-dos! Like taking out the garbage (or prepping for a weekly meeting). For tasks like doing laundry (or monthly budget updates), I won't always have time on the day the recurring task falls on, but I can move the task without disrupting the recurring schedule

[@KalynBrookeCo]

That's a great tip! Thanks for sharing. :)

[@silleecat]

If someone is averse to using Google calendar or other apps, here’s an alternative. My first life coach 15 years ago (before all these cool apps existed) had given me an excel sheet with time blocks that were color coded for each task group: work, personal time off, self-care, appointments, and family/social. It was so effective for my life and productivity! You can do this too. Create the first column and enter the hours going down from when you start your day and go to bed. Then across the top add the days of the week. Finally create your time blocks similar to what it would look like in this tutorial the colored blocks of time and there you have it! Another way to manage your schedule which can be changed at anytime if you don’t like it or doesn’t fit your needs. Don’t forget to print it out and tape it up somewhere so you see it every day to remind you of what you’re working towards. 😊 For me, I love this new system to manage my busy single mom schedule while building a new business, and I’m excited to move over from using an excel sheet to using Google calendar. Thanks for this awesome tutorial! 😅

[@KalynBrookeCo]

Great option as well! Thanks for sharing.

[@silleecat]

my pleasure, and thank you again for this tutorial. I created my calendar and downloaded the google calendar app on my phone, and I am loving it!! @@KalynBrookeCo

[@teamraggio7481]

Your input is very helpful. Thank you 🙏

[@NYC_CuriousG]

Finally a time blocking system made simple. Of all the videos I’ve watched, I can see myself using yours. Subscribed and thank you!

[@KalynBrookeCo]

That makes me so happy to hear that! Thank you!

[@MrsGixxer]

Thank you for the video. I consider myself a very organized person but always have room for improvement. I've half heartedly tried time blocking in the past with no success. I think I went into it expecting failure for some reason. I do use Google and I do have multiple calendars. However, until your video, I kept thinking there wasn't a better way to use multiple calendars. You have changed my mind. And honestly, I've rejected digital planning over and over for years but keep coming back to try it. Now I really have skin in the game because we bought a Cozyla wall calendar. I have to plan digitally or we just wasted a bunch of money!!! I'm going to give time blocking another try, and I am going in with an open mind and a thought that it will work. I buy a Franklin Covey planner every year for work. I even bought one for home for 2025 a few weeks before we bought the Cozyla! AHHHH!!! It will be ok, I will make it all work or I will give away one of my paper planners. I'm hoping that after 2025 I will want to move all of my work tasks and planning to digital and save on buying the planner. My job is very task oriented which I think is why I like using paper for that. But I'm tired of copying tasks month after month. Anyhow! Just wanted to say thanks and I'll let you know how it goes. :)

[@KalynBrookeCo]

Thank you for your comment! It can be a big shift to jump in to digital planning, but I've found that for my many repetative, but always evolving tasks as a business owner, it saves me a lot of time and effort, at least once it's set up! Sending you wishes for great success in your ventures into digital planning!

[@parentteachervoice]

My coach sent me a link to your video to support me with time management and productivity. This is very helpful. I just subscribed! Thank You!!

[@KalynBrookeCo]

Glad to have you here! Thank you for your comment. :)

[@thaisgosti]

I also have potato days and I love them.

[@KalynBrookeCo]

I love it when someone else gets how wonderful they are!

[@MyLifeAsAMum]

Firstly I LOVE your colour palette, i choose similar but not the same. I also LOVE the set basic time blocking but then week to week go in and time block the days... I implemented that, this is all something im starting from the second week of January. and now I want to see more of your video's, Im quite the noob on Notion so excited to learn more from you XO Merry Christmas btw.

[@KalynBrookeCo]

Hi and welcome! I'm glad you liked the videos and am excited to see you around!

[@uwdfields1287]

Thank you for this! I’m finally going to time block so I can get more organized. I typed in color coded time blocking and your video was the first to pop up. This was sssooo easy to follow! Thank you so much! I’m excited to get started! I also love the potato day idea. 😊 Headed to watch that video too!

[@KalynBrookeCo]

Hi! Happy you are here and so delighted to hear that this was helpful!

[@Mom2rbdl]

Great tip about how to find the codes for the colors. I will definitely be using that hint.

[@KalynBrookeCo]

I’m glad it was helpful to you! 👏

[@RitaSlanina]

this was great! I am giving this a try! paused the video to get the colors and calendar all streamlined! thank you!

[@KalynBrookeCo]

That makes me feel so happy that you loved it!

[@tammara6139]

First time taking a go at color-coded calendar and time blocking. I look forward to getting organized and a place of calm.

[@KalynBrookeCo]

I'd love to hear what you think when you've given it a try!

[@kisha_mt]

This is very helpful, I will try to learn time blocking. Thank you for this video

[@KalynBrookeCo]

Let me know how it goes! 🙌

[@garethellison01]

This was incredibly helpful and very well structured video. 🙏🏻

[@KalynBrookeCo]

I'm glad it was a help!

[@heatherbates2052]

ADHD. Searching for planner that fits. I’ve been looking at physical paper ones. I already use Google Calendar but only in month view and don’t time block. I’m going to try it. Thanks for the info.

[@KalynBrookeCo]

I'm so glad this is helpful for you! Thank you for stopping by. :)

[@jfpdc888]

Time Blocking is the best! I use this method with my Morgen Calendar to stay oh-so-organized! Thank you for such a great explanation. All The Best!

[@KalynBrookeCo]

I love hear this! Thank you for being here. :)

[@debt8545]

Great ideas and pointers. I use several Google calendars a little differently, this logic will help me, for sure. Thanks.

[@KalynBrookeCo]

I am glad you found it helpful!

[@lofivibesinspace3879]

Thanks so much! I'm going to try it this week, I'm working on it right now.

[@KalynBrookeCo]

AWESOME! I hope it goes very well.

[@lofivibesinspace3879]

It is!@@KalynBrookeCo

[@Kosuy1]

What type of color palette are you using. It looks amazing

[@KalynBrookeCo]

I’m working on getting the info about the color pallets and all my other style tips updated so I can share it! Hopefully in the next couple weeks. I’ll come back and let you know!

[@KalynBrookeCo]

Here it is! kalynbrooke.com/google-calendar-color-codes/

[@Kosuy1]

@@KalynBrookeCo Thank you :)

[@cherylreynolds8148]

Great video

[@brandiknight2851]

Great video. This is my first time blocking virtually. How did you add the icons to your calendar titles?

[@KalynBrookeCo]

It’s super easy! If you’re on a Mac, click to rename the calendar and do CMD + CTRL + SPACE to bring up an emoji window. Then you can choose whichever icon you would like. 🙌🏻 I’m not sure how to choose one from a PC, but you can always go to emojipedia.org and copy and paste an emoji from there too.

[@brandiknight2851]

@@KalynBrookeCo Thanks for the assist. Happy New Year!

[@tspmcfarlane]

Useful advice, thanks!

[@KalynBrookeCo]

Always glad to hear it!

[@boots8562]

I'm going to try this for work tasks. Normally, I keep it in my head what batch of work I'm doing on specific hours but often get tunnel vision and lose track of time.

[@KalynBrookeCo]

Awesome! I hope you find it as helpful for you as it is for me. :)

[@BigDogMom]

Terrific video! Thank you! I have tried time blocking in the past with Google Calendar. I stuck with it for several weeks with notifications 15 minutes before the next block was to start. I really liked the schedule and routine, but I didn’t set up my calendar correctly. Everything was set up as an event,.. not as a new calendar like I see you doing. I’m going to try this! Do you set up notifications to stay on track or just print the calendar at the beginning of the week. I purchased a Deep Work paper planner too for time blocking… perhaps there’s a way to make both work for me?

[@KalynBrookeCo]

I'm glad that this helped you with some ideas of how to make Google Calendar work for you! I personally find notifications as well as just getting in the habit of opening my calendar daily is good, but I do refer to it and write my big tasks for the week in a paper calendar as well. Experiment and see what works for you, and I'd love to hear about it!!

[@Kimdobsonrealtor]

Time blocking does make me anxious. I am going to try it and hope to overcome my anxiety

[@KalynBrookeCo]

Time blocking might not be a good fit for all, and that's okay! I hope that your experience will be positive though. :)

[@angiesolorio8156]

Thank you so much for this video. I’m working with a coach that uses time blocking and she’s had a great explanation. However, I just needed a little more help and this was definitely a great video for me to watch. This is my first time to tackle time blocking and I’m very excited.

[@KalynBrookeCo]

I'd love to hear how it goes for you!

[@lisarkippen2182]

How do I add little icons like the house for the home calendar?

[@KalynBrookeCo]

You'll want to click the three dots, enter the settings, and paste a Google-friendly emoji in the "Name" box, right in front of the Calendar's name. Hope that helps!

[@Affirmation25]

Your notion dashboard is beautiful! Do you have a free template?

[@KalynBrookeCo]

Thank you so much! I don’t have a free template, but I do have a dashboard walkthrough so you can see up close what I have in mine and how it functions which may help you in building out your own. :) kzbin.info/www/bejne/rJqtiWeMacuGiKcsi=7NCRQOMHyGTvzE5H

[@cherbear8282]

How do you obtain the layered look in your calendar? Example: your work day 7-4 appears behind your focused blocks instead of side by side.

[@KalynBrookeCo]

Hi! I think it comes down to the start time. If the start time of any other block (from a different Google Calendar, of course) is the same time as my Work Block, then it will appear side-by-side. Otherwise, it will have a layered look.

[@cherbear8282]

Thanks! I’m going to look into this, as I want to have a layered look for a classy/presentation. I wish to have sections in the background, with more detailed segments showing within each section.

[@KalynBrookeCo]

@@cherbear8282 Oh, that sounds nice. I hope it works for you!

[@AS-ld5mz]

how do you add icons to calendars, please?

[@KalynBrookeCo]

Hi! It's easy to do! If you’re on a Mac, click to rename the calendar and do CMD + CTRL + SPACE to bring up an emoji window. Then you can choose whichever icon you would like. I’m not sure how to choose one from a PC, but you can always go to emojipedia.org and copy and paste an emoji from there too.

[@AS-ld5mz]

@@KalynBrookeCo that's very helpful. Thank you so much :)🥰

[@liangga]

could i get your color pallete?

[@KalynBrookeCo]

Absolutely! I’m working on updating a post to include these for easy reference and will share as soon as I am done!

[@KalynBrookeCo]

And here it is! kalynbrooke.com/google-calendar-color-codes/

[@RozBurton-Torres]

I've been using time blocking for years, but the tool I relied on for tracking my time no longer supports that feature. How do you calculate the time spent on tasks like Content, Website updates, and more? I used hashtags previously for reporting, but now I'm exploring alternative methods. Thanks!

[@KalynBrookeCo]

I use the ATracker app to “clock in” and “clock out”, which shows me how much time I usually take with a certain task. For example, it takes me about an hour to film a KZbin video, but I always allot 90 minutes to give myself that extra buffer. :)

[@nikarose]

does ANYONE know how to remove default Birthdays calendar from your Google Calendar. In the video there is a birthdays calendar but with a cupcake, you cant rename the default one. it just sits there in the sidebar, I have in unchecked but its bothering me to even have it in the sidebar since I never use it. cant delete or unsubscribe from it either

[@KalynBrookeCo]

Unfortunately, it doesn't look like you can do this yet. 😕support.google.com/calendar/thread/299046629/remove-birthdays-calendar?hl=en

[@JanisMartin-v6f]

How do you get your events to not color the entire bock. It looks like your work block only covers 70% of the block and the other blocks are offset. I'm trying to figure that part out.

[@KalynBrookeCo]

Are you using two different calendars? I believe this is showing offset because they are time blocks from two separate calendars layered on top of one another instead of from one calendar. Let me know if that works!

[@JanisMartin-v6f]

@@KalynBrookeCo It works with event/task as well. Thanks,

[@sincerelym11]

Is there a way to link our google calendar with Notion?

[@KalynBrookeCo]

There is a way, but I believe it costs money because you need to use a service like Zapier to do it. I just haven't found Notion to be a great source for time blocking, especially in regards to your main event calendar. You can't see the hour by hour blocks or easily change the times if your schedule changes.

[@sincerelym11]

Thank you.🙏🏼

[@KalynBrookeCo]

@@sincerelym11 Absolutely!

[@wfranco37]

Hi how you add emojis in the calendar name??

[@KalynBrookeCo]

You can use the "insert character" tool to add emojis to event titles or in the text. I think some are copy/paste approved as well--but you may need to experiment with that as sometimes it's also device dependent.

[@candiceseretin7230]

I have been using Outlook calendar but would love to be able to organise my calendar like this, perhaps I should move it into Google calendar. What is your view on this?

[@KalynBrookeCo]

I have never used Outlook before, but from what I've seen with it, I think it tends to be outdated and not as modern looking. However, it DOES seem possible to time block in Outlook (www.maketecheasier.com/set-up-block-schedule-in-outlook-calendar/) so it all depends on how you would like your calendar to look!

[@DaisyJo1022]

Would you be willing to share your color codes?

[@KalynBrookeCo]

Absolutely! I’m working on updating a post to include these for easy reference and will share as soon as I am done!

[@KalynBrookeCo]

I’ve updated this with my color codes! kalynbrooke.com/google-calendar-color-codes/

[@nancyasnicar]

Do you have a video that shares your routines?

[@KalynBrookeCo]

@@nancyasnicar Hi! I don't have one video that covers all my routine, but I do have an older one that talks about my morning routines, and one that talks about how I use Mondays. I do talk about different parts of my routine through out different videos, but no dedicated one. I'll keep that idea in mind! kzbin.info/www/bejne/e2LFpGCNr5KBm6s kzbin.info/www/bejne/m6HHc5x6ftKbY6M

[@nancyasnicar]

@@KalynBrookeCo thank you

[@pjg2688]

I've used Apple Calendar rather than Google but I do like the better color options in Google Calendar. (Stupid) Question: do you have to go through Google Drive every time to pull up the calendar? Is there an easier way?

[@KalynBrookeCo]

Visual organization is just as important in my book! So it's not stupid at all. :) I just type in calendar.google.com to bring up the Google Calendar. I also keep it as a bookmark on my browser so I can easily click to open it up. Hope that helps!

[@joyfender460]

Can anyone confirm that changing the colors for events/tasks on a Google Calendar entry cannot be done on a mobile phone or IPad app? I almost never use my laptop so I’m bummed that I can’t find a way to do this in the app

[@KalynBrookeCo]

Hi, I think that from the apps you can't make as many aesthetic changes, yes. If you were to perhaps use the browser on your tablet, you could possibly access it the same as the browser on a computer, though!

[@wrdots7953]

I color coded all my family members, but when adding an event to a certain date it don’t show the “label” color like yours, it’s just a dot with the color next to the name of the person.

[@KalynBrookeCo]

Oh interesting! Do you share the calendar with their accounts as well? It's nice to keep everyone on track in one space!

[@josephcomings]

Your calendar always looks so organized…mine…does a sticky note count?

[@KalynBrookeCo]

Sure. ;)

[@parulgupta788]

Is each item in your calendar scheduled as an event?

[@KalynBrookeCo]

If it's an appointment, I would put it as event. If it's a to-do item/chore, I would use the "task" option.

[@rmendeljacobs2832]

feel like this doesn't work for someone married with a kid lol

[@rmendeljacobs2832]

like I'm needed often to put my daughter to bed, or help out around the house at random times etc. I love the idea of time blocking because everything is all organized, I just don't have my life to myself anymore, it's kind of difficult, I wonder if you have any advice for that, because similar to adding buffer and white space in the scheduling, I think even more flexible time is necessary in situations like mine - which is difficult - because more responsibilities exist.

[@KalynBrookeCo]

There are seasons when some things don’t work as well as others, for sure. I think sometimes it takes some trial and error to find a system that will work for you instead of being yet another burden. That said, there is value in working towards ways to create some regularity within your need for flexibility. Maybe it won’t look quite the same as some, but maybe creating more general time blocks could work? Mornings are for certain things (even if you don’t have it set to the hour.) and then you can transition to your next set of “things” as it works for you?

[@PorChristo_LaLuz]

1st example of insufficiency is my adhd in a nutshell 🥲😅

[@KalynBrookeCo]

I can understand! It can take a lot of "extra" to find the right tools for ADHD, that's for sure.