One of my three words for the year is “focus.” In the post where I introduced the idea I asked, “What’s your focus? what do you want to make clear to others?” To answer the question, I started making calendars.
Some of you are thinking, “It’s about time Jon started using a calendar. He could use a watch while he’s at it.” But the calendars I’m making aren’t helping my time management much at all. They are helping my attention management.
The two words that we want to characterize our organization (a church) are “changed lives.” We use those words a lot, but I realized that we didn’t see them anywhere. And so I decided to make a calendar for January that had those two words. I made up a photo montage of faces (using the powerful photo editing capacity of … PowerPoint).
I put it on the top half of a page. I put a calendar of January on the bottom 3/5. And at the bottom I put part of the transcript of our pastor’s first sermon of the year where he talked about…changed lives. And I printed one for my office and one for home.
It was helpful.
I made a new one for February. By doing a new one each month, I have to think about the statement again. Twelve times a year I am committed to look at and for changed lives. This one has a bunch of our kids singing (including our daughter).
This one is now in our main office. It’s on the wall of a couple of our staff members. And I’m starting to look for the picture for March that will illustrate another part of our activity that is connected to changed lives.
I know that it’s no big deal. It’s just a calendar. That hangs by my desk. So that every time I need a date I look at it. And am reminded that I am wanting to focus this year.
It’s your turn. Follow the link in the picture to my flickr account where I’ve put a February and a March calendar. Download the calendar. Put your own picture on the top. Put your own passion statement or vision statement or three words on the bottom.
And focus.
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By the way, if you actually make a calendar, let me know. I want to cheer.
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Levite Chronicles 
Hi Jon. Great idea.
I also have some images slowly coming into my Shout Out Social Flickr group – may also be helpful for calendar images
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Shout-Out-Social/52115616850
Hi Jon. Great idea.
I also have some images slowly coming into my Shout Out Social Flickr group – may also be helpful for calendar images
they look great for this!
Thanks.
I was just having a twitter exchange with someone the other day about calendars. I’ve yet to find a calendar, paper or electronic that really does what I want it to do. I guess making my own might be a remedy to that issue. I know that I’m not alone in this issue of finding a good functional calendar that really works.
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I have found that when I get a new calendar platform, I try to conform to
it…rather than it conforming to me. A significant problem. If you solve
it, for you, let me know.
The calendar is a tool and therefore should be something that assist’s us. Having to conform or hold it or confront how we interact with the tool in a way that isn’t normal or friendly certainly diminishes the tools use.