7 Features to Prioritize When Customizing Your Online Calendar Having an online Calendar with customizable features might not sound like the biggest deal, but it can drastically impact your performance at work and personal life. Think about it. Have...

Having an online Calendar with customizable features might not sound like the biggest deal, but it can drastically impact your performance at work and personal life. Think about it. Have you ever missed an important meeting or your child's school event, even though you had it on your Calendar? Of course, it would've been nice if you were sent an automatic reminder to ensure you were on time, right? Well, that's one of many features you can add to your online Calendar.

In this article, we highlight the Calendar features you should know about:

1. Multiple Calendar Function

Chances are, you have more than one online Calendar. Maybe one Calendar is synched to your personal email and holds your events (i.e., happy hours, workout classes, etc.). The other might be linked to your work email and hold your professional events (i.e., work meetings, deadlines, etc.). Wouldn't it be great if you could merge those Calendars into one?

Merging Calendars is a popular feature you should prioritize when shopping for the correct online Calendar. What's nice is a Calendar that offers this feature also color-codes each Calendar so you can easily keep track. For example, you might see your child's soccer game event in orange and your company town hall in blue.

Having everything on one Calendar will keep you from missing an important event.

2. Automatic Reminder Feature

You have a busy schedule. Whether you're driving your kids around or managing a team of employees, your life is hectic. And you might not always remember what you have coming up — even with an organized online Calendar.

Thankfully, you can set up automatic reminders to ensure you never forget and are always prepared. So whether you schedule a five-minute reminder before your meeting or a 30-minute reminder, this feature keeps appointments from sneaking up on you.

3. The Schedule View Feature

Being able to see your colleague's Calendar can enhance your productivity. Think about it. How many times have you emailed a co-worker a question and waited an hour for them to send you a response so you could complete a task?

If you had access to their Calendar, you would've known they were at a doctor's appointment or in another meeting, and you could've moved on to another project. So when looking for the right online Calendar, make sure it offers the ability to view multiple Calendars at once — and make sure your colleagues are taking advantage as well.

4. Advanced Search Feature

Maybe you forgot your client's email address or your last one-on-one meeting with your manager; having a search feature will save you from having to spend time looking over the previous few months.

Instead, you'll be able to search your entire Calendar simply by typing in a keyword. For example, your client's name or the term "one-on-one." Then, once you the event you're looking on, click it, and in no time, you'll have all the necessary information.

5. Out-of-Office Feature

According to Lifehack, the average American works a little over nine hours a day without a break. Even more shockingly, only one in three people take a lunch break, and the remaining two in three admit to eating at their desks.

Not taking breaks during the workday can significantly decrease productivity, impacting your performance. However, taking breaks isn't always easy. How many times have you stepped away for a coffee run only to be bombarded by Slack messages? If only there were a feature on your Calendar that let everyone know you were taking a break. Good news, there is.

Some online Calendars offer a feature that lets you block off time to be "out of office." This feature also enables you to decline any meetings or events that pop up during that time, so you can truly enjoy yourself.

You can also block out time for appointments (for example, a doctor's appointment), so your colleagues know you can't be reached during that time.

6. Weather Forecast Feature

Do you visit clients across the country? Check the weather status before traveling can help you prepare your travel time correctly. For instance, let's say it's raining where you're traveling. You probably don't want to schedule a meeting on a patio or pack a sundress, right?

Well, believe it or not, some Calendars offer a weather forecast feature, so you don't have to check another third-party service. You can check if it's raining, snowing, or clear skies right from your online Calendar.

Here's how it works. Let's say you're scheduling an in-person event for next week. As you schedule the event, the weather forecast for that day will pop up and will even update as you get closer.

7. An Intuitive App Feature

It's 2022. This means almost everything offers an app — including Calendars. With that said, you want to make sure your Calendar app is intuitive and user-friendly. For example, if the font is too small or the app has too many pop-ups, you probably won't use it on your mobile device.

A good Calendar app requires minimal clicking. Meaning you should be able to see your events and meetings without having to scroll or spend time looking. A good app is also easy-to-use from your phone. You should be able to create events, block off time, and do everything you can on your computer from the mobile app.

With today's hectic schedule, you want an online Calendar that makes your life easier — not more complicated. Thankfully, your online Calendar offers many features that can help streamline your day and enhance your productivity. From viewing multiple Calendars at once to having a user-friendly Calendar app, consider integrating the features above to ensure you have a great experience.

Image Credit: Towfiqu barbhuiya; Pexels; Thank you!

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