How To Create and Manage Calendars in Outlook

Creating Calendars in Outlook

Outlook is designed to make managing many aspects of your day much easier. Creating calendars in Outlook is simple and easy to manage. If you find that you are lacking in the productivity department, it could be that you are actually lacking some calendar management (or creating) skills. Here’s how to solve those issues, and boost your daily productivity.

Even if you are not currently using Outlook as your email client, you can still use all of its other functions, which include the calendars. You might want to set up your email account with Outlook anyway so that you can easily share events or appointments.

To create a new calendar:

• Click Calendar in the left hand side windowpane.
• Underneath My Calendars, right click on Calendar and then select “New Calendar” from the menu.
• The “Create New Folder” dialog box will pop up, and here is where you can name your new calendar.
• Make sure it says “Calendar Items” under “Folder contains:” and then click OK.

Your new calendar should be displayed underneath My Calendars in Outlook. Now if you want to create another, just follow the same steps again.

Outlook Calendar Basics

By default, the Outlook calendar will show you the monthly view of the chosen calendar. If you would like to see a different view then go to the Arrange section on the Home tab and click on a different view.  You can also click on the View tab to see a whole range of things that will help you organize your Outlook calendar to better suit your needs:

You can change the views, write different kinds of appointments in each view, and change the colors being used in each calendar.

You can also add a To-Do Bar to the right hand side, which will allow you to write down very specific things that you need to get done that day.

There is also a Daily Task View, which allows you to see your daily calendar with all of the tasks that are due on that day on the bottom part of the window.

While subtle, many of these options can help you stay organized by bringing your appointments, meetings and daily tasks to the foreground.

Adding Appointments in Outlook Calendar

Adding appointments or meetings into your calendar is one of the easiest things you can do. Just choose ‘New Appointment’ or ‘New Meeting’ in the New section on the Home tab of your calendar and set it up. The subject line should include exactly what your appointment is for. Is it a meeting, a doctor’s appointment or a different event? Name it properly so it is easier to manage later on then fill in all the necessary information.  Note that once you invite people to the event you are creating, Outlook will no longer see it as an appointment but as a meeting.

The best ways to get used to your Outlook calendar is to try creating a test calendar and just check out all the different views and functions available. Adding appointments, meetings, tasks, and chores into your Outlook calendar will help you stay organized. Getting accustomed to all of its bells and whistles will be one of the best things you could do for your productivity.