We all know that a well-made plan can help us achieve goals more efficiently. A one-week calendar is a plan that can help with this. It includes micro-goals and action steps that serve as a guide to accomplishing various objectives. A weekly schedule helps keep track of your tasks and activities for a week. The template can also help in figuring out how much time you have to accomplish everything. Without a plan, it’s easy to waste valuable time. Without even realizing it, the weekend would come, and would be many tasks waiting to be completed.

Weekly Calendar Templates

What is a weekly calendar?

A weekly calendar is a combination of a calendar and a journal. It’s used to plan and organize appointments, responsibilities, and tasks. You can set up an empty weekly calendar every week to improve organization and efficiency.

The template typically shows what you need to accomplish for the whole week. It’s designed in such a way that it’s easy to see what to do at a glance. This even provides the opportunity to analyze performance by the end of each week, and then decide what to do for the next week.

Why do you need a weekly calendar? 

This template is very versatile. For instance, a workweek calendar is a plan of action that includes all of your tasks and responsibilities at work. The calendar could include anything.

It’s an excellent way to accomplish the most important and urgent tasks in a timely manner. Here are the most significant reasons for creating this template.

  • To keep track of tasks. If there are many tasks to accomplish every week, it’s essential to have a weekly calendar to keep track of all those tasks. This prevents you from missing or ignoring anything. It’s easier to write a to-do list of all possible tasks. After that, schedule each task in advance. This provides you with a reference to help you avoid forgetting anything important.
  • To increase productivity. Without having a plan, it’s easier to waste time trying to think of the next tasks. Having one eliminates downtime. It serves as a plan and a guide that contains everything you need to do and the order of doing them. After accomplishing one task, it’s easy to move on to the next one.
  • To avoid making too many commitments. There may be times when you over-commit without even realizing it. For instance, you agreed to do volunteer work at your child’s school. On the same day, you agreed to attend an important meeting at the office. Such a situation could have been easily avoided with a schedule. You can avoid overlaps in commitments, and it’s easier to decline when you have concrete proof to share.

Weekly Planner Templates

How do I create a weekly calendar?

After figuring out the purpose of the empty week calendar, the next thing to do is to come up with a system for how to organize the information. Here are some pointers to consider:

  • Be as realistic as possible. Creating realistic goals for each day of the week makes it easier to complete all of them. Even if you have tons of things to do, focus on the most urgent ones first. Cramming too many activities into the schedule would render it useless, especially if you know that you can’t complete everything anyway.
  • Start with a to-do list. Create a separate to-do list first. Make sure to include all the tasks and appointments for the week. If you receive a new task during the week, include it in the list too. Doing this ensures that you cover every task without forgetting anything. After creating the to-do list, go through it, and begin prioritizing. Try to think of a way to code each task to make categorizing them easier. For instance, one option is to color-code the tasks using a highlighter or marker. Another way is to use a number system.
  • Rank each task according to urgency. Using numbers to arrange tasks in their order of priority is an excellent way to classify them. The organization system you decide will determine the efficiency of your template. Even if the schedule gets too hectic, the plan provides an overview of what must absolutely get completed and what you can do for the following week, if needed.
  • Include timings if applicable. Another way of organizing tasks in the calendar is by assigning a set amount of time for each task. Next to each task, take note of the amount of time you would need to complete it. Color coding the timings can also be very helpful. This makes it easier to quickly scan and choose the tasks based on how much time you have each day. It also helps prioritize all tasks. For instance, you can choose to accomplish several easier tasks in a short amount of time to feel motivated and productive.
  • Simplify complex tasks. It’s easy to think that complex tasks are too difficult to handle. Having these as a starting point could make you feel de-motivated. An easy solution is to break down such tasks into smaller sub-categories or actionable steps. For instance, if the original task is a research project. Such a task can be quite overwhelming. When feeling this way, it’s tempting to deviate from the schedule in an attempt to procrastinate.  To avoid this, break down the task into smaller, easier steps. Start with finding credible sources or creating an outline. Then organize the information. Write each section separately and so on. Doing this will make you feel accomplished each time you complete a smaller task and cross it out from the list. It feels more inspiring to do this instead of waiting to finish the main task.
  • Include downtime in the schedule too. Activities like meeting friends, engaging in hobbies, and more help relieve stress. Take these things into account when creating a weekly calendar template. Make it a point not to cram the schedule with tasks and activities only.

Allot time for activities like these. This is important to create balance in life. Also, allow for flexibility. Do this by including break times between each activity. That way, when one activity takes longer than planned, you don’t have to move the entire schedule around.

How do I create a weekly calendar in Word? 

Many consider Microsoft Word as one of the best word processors. Aside from the main function of creating text documents, you can use it to create templates. One such template is a weekly calendar.

It’s possible to select a template from the built-in library of templates. Another option is to design the template from scratch. For the second option, here are the steps to follow:

  • Launch the program.
  • Insert a table by clicking on the Table option in the Tables group of the Insert
  • Doing this causes a drop-down menu to appear. Hover the mouse over the grid to select the number of columns and rows in the table. For a calendar template, opt for a 7×7 table. Hover the mouse over the appropriate squares in the grid, then click to insert a table.
  • After inserting the table, it’s time to format the template. First, adjust the height of each cell. Hover the mouse over the table for an icon to appear. Find the icon at the top-left corner and right-click it.
  • Click on Table Properties.
  • Click on the Row tab, then tick the box next to Specify Height. Input the desired height. An ideal height is 2.5 cm but you may choose your own cell height.
  • Click OK after entering the height value.
  • After setting the height of the cells for the template, it’s time to adjust the top 2 rows. Highlight the top 2 rows by clicking the cursor over them and dragging it across all of the cells.
  • Adjust the height of the 2 rows by right-clicking the table icon, then clicking on Table Properties > Row > Specify Height. Make the 2 rows smaller than the other rows. You can choose a height of 1.5 cm.
  • It’s also possible to click on the row and drag it up or down. This also allows you to adjust the height if needed.
  • After setting the height of all the cells, it’s time to input the name of the month. Place this at the top. Before doing this, merge the cells of the 1st row. Click on the first cell and drag the cursor to highlight the entire row.
  • Right-click to see a drop-down menu. Click on Merge Cells.
  • After merging all of the cells in the 1st row, input the name of the month. Choose the font and size according to your preference.
  • In the 2nd row, input the names of each day of the week, then choose the font and size according to your preference.
  • Finally, input the days of the month in each of the cells.

Repeat these steps for each month of the year. At the end of each week, input all of the tasks needed for the following week. Keeping this schedule makes it possible to complete the calendar each week in a very organized way.

Weekly Schedule Templates

How do I print my calendar? 

After creating the template, save it first. When it’s time to print, click on File, then Print. In the printer settings, select the style and size of the paper. Depending on the schedule, you may need more than one page for the whole template.

Using your calendar template effectively 

After creating an effective template, it’s also essential to learn how to use it effectively. Here are some pointers to ensure that you get the most out of the weekly calendar template:

  • Maintain consistency. According to studies, it takes around 2 months for a new habit to develop. This applies to using a calendar too. To get used to this schedule, it’s important to maintain consistency in its use. Keep the template in an accessible place. It’s best if it’s the first thing you will see in the morning. Apart from getting into the habit of using it consistently, doing this allows you to prepare yourself from the time you get up.
  • Input important information right away. As soon as possible, it’s recommended to write down all of the important deadlines and dates right after learning about them. This habit makes it easier to keep track of all the tasks and responsibilities. Doing this also ensures that you have all notes in a single place – the calendar.
  • Come up with a system for organizing tasks. Many find it easier to color code the tasks in the plan. Use bright colors to highlight more urgent tasks. For instance, if you may have 5 meetings and other responsibilities in one day. Seeing all of these can look overwhelming, especially if they’re all crowded in the same cell with the same color. By using color codes, it becomes easier to discern the most urgent tasks. Color coding is also helpful for remembering special events like birthdays every week.
  • Consider using the time-blocking technique. Time blocking is a technique that involves planning out schedules in advance, then dedicating specific blocks of time for each obligation and activity. This technique helps predict what you can do each day.  By practicing time-blocking, you can make better use of your time. Allotting specific times for work tasks helps improve productivity and focus.
  • Make the most out of the template by including extra features. There are some templates that come with additional features, specifically the ones you can download for free. These include things like important dates, password logs, goal trackers, and more. If the template you downloaded offers these features, make the most out of them. 

Having a weekly calendar template is an effective way to stay organized. It can improve time-management skills. It may take a bit of trial and error, especially at the beginning. Finding out what works for you is a process. When you get into the habit of using the calendar, it will make a positive impact on your life!

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Tagged:CalendarPersonalPlanningscheduleWeekly Calendar
TemplateLab October 12th, 2022