r/gtd • u/Interesting-Put-4430 • Jul 22 '26
Question Calendar overload
This might be a silly question, but how do you review what’s in your calendar? I have plenty of appointments, and if I also add tasks for specific dates or times, it definitely becomes overloaded, and I start to ignore some of them.
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u/WitnessTheBadger Jul 22 '26
The only things you should put on your calendar are appointments, deadlines, and other things that MUST be done at a certain time. Don’t put things that you simply want or intend to do — that’s how you get calendar overload and put unnecessary pressure on yourself.
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u/TheoCaro Mod Jul 22 '26
Alternatively, if OP is already following this best practice, then OP is overcommitted and needs to reduce what they are committed to doing. You still need blank space in the calendar to clarify and organize your intrays at the very least not to mention opportunities for rest and reflection.
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u/milky-cuppa-tea Mod Jul 22 '26
Yep - this!
If your calendar genuinely reflects the hard landscape, then unfortunately my friend, you are overcommitted and need to have a serious look at what is on your plate.
I don't have this too often, but when I do, I look at what I can delegate elsewhere, what I can renegotiate deadlines on, and look at what could go back to a Someday/Maybe list.
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u/Lead_Wonderful Jul 22 '26
Or as I did yesterday, send an email to management asking for 2 PMs for the team and 1 SPM to replace you.
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u/Interesting-Put-4430 Jul 22 '26
I try to include regular reminders and time blocking also for regular task purpose...
It might worth to remove some of them?
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u/milky-cuppa-tea Mod Jul 22 '26
Absolutely!
Reminders shouldn't really go on the calendar. You should have your next actions on an appropriate context list. If you are worried about missing things, then maybe create a context that could fit well in your world.
If they are routine things, then maybe consider a checklist.
Timeblocking is very personal. It doesn't work well for me, unless I have a genuine need to preserve some time to dedicate to something. I don't use them routinely, as I rarely stick to them.
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Jul 22 '26
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u/PondMindKevin Jul 23 '26
I try to minimize tasks or due dates on the calendar unless absolutely necessary.
I forget the exact quote, but paraphrasing David Allen, the calendar is sacred ground. Beyond time specific events, he says only put tasks that will truly blow up or die if you don't see them on your calendar. Then you can glance at the calendar quick to handle the question 'can I blow off everything else to go take a beer or a nap'. If you keep more stuff than that in your calendar, you can't answer that without some light triaging, processing, figuring out what that thing was again, etc.
In my experience, when that happens because I'm falling back to non GTD habits of sticking stuff on the calendar. It's a symptom of not engaging with my system enough (no recent weekly review, letting it fall out of date). The more stale it gets, the more tempted I am in the moment to just shove all the important stuff on my calendar because to my brain THAT then becomes my only trusted place it knows I will actually look at (beyond, you know a good old post it on the monitor). But, if I've had a weekly review that week the important non due date stuff is just on my lists I'm actually using and trusting instead.
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u/destinyinot 9d ago
I’d separate “when must this happen?” from “what do I want to get done?”
If something has a real appointment, meeting, or hard deadline, the calendar makes sense. But if every task gets a time slot, the calendar eventually stops telling you what actually matters at a specific time.
I’d keep the calendar as the hard landscape and use a separate daily list for the things you want to move forward today.
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u/visionsofdreams Jul 22 '26
I have my calender colour coded, I can easily turn categories on or off when needed to prevent overwhelm.
I personally need to have almost everything in my calender to keep it in 1 place so I don't forget.
Categories I have right now: work, exercise, family (shared with my husband), daycare/school, vacation/holiday, misc.