In today's fast-paced world, staying organized and prepared for meetings is crucial. Nothing is more stressful than realizing you have an important meeting in five minutes with no time to prepare. Luckily, Google Calendar offers a range of features to help you stay on top of your schedule.
In this guide, we’ll explore expert tips and tricks to ensure you’re always prepared for meetings using Google Calendar.
1. Schedule Dedicated Prep Time Before Meetings
One of the easiest ways to ensure you are fully prepared for meetings is by blocking out prep time before important events.
- As soon as a meeting is booked, schedule a separate event titled “Prep” on your calendar.
- Adjust the event duration according to your needs (e.g., 30 minutes or 1 hour).
- Assign a unique color (e.g., red) to your prep time so it stands out.
This method ensures you have a dedicated window to review the agenda, make last-minute adjustments, and gather essential notes.
2. Adjust Default Meeting Durations with Speedy Meetings
Google Calendar allows you to shorten default meeting times by enabling the “Speedy Meetings” feature.
- Navigate to Settings > Event Settings and check the “Speedy Meetings” box.
- This setting automatically reduces meeting durations:
- 30-minute meetings become 25 minutes
- 1-hour meetings become 50 minutes
By ending meetings a few minutes earlier, you create buffer time for quick preparations or breaks.
3. Customize Notifications and Reminders
Default notifications may not always be effective in reminding you to prepare. Here’s how to set up personalized alerts:
- Click on a meeting in your calendar and navigate to the notification settings.
- Adjust the notification time to send reminders a day before, an hour before, or even multiple times.
- Opt for an email notification instead of a simple pop-up for a more impactful reminder.
- To set default reminders for all events:
- Go to Settings > Your Calendar > Event Notifications.
- Adjust the standard reminder time and add multiple reminders if needed.
This ensures that you are reminded well in advance, giving you ample time to prepare for meetings.
4. Store Meeting Notes & Attachments Inside Google Calendar
Instead of scrambling to find meeting notes, store them inside the event itself.
- Add Notes in the Description: Write down discussion points or attach an agenda directly inside the event.
- Attach Files from Google Drive: Click on the Google Drive icon to upload essential documents related to the meeting.
- Use Google Keep for Quick Notes: Open Google Keep from the side panel and take notes directly linked to the event.
With this approach, all your meeting-related documents remain easily accessible in one place.
5. Use Google Tasks for Action Items and Follow-Ups
Post-meeting action items are often forgotten. Keep track of tasks using Google Tasks within your Calendar:
- Open Google Tasks and create a new task named “Meeting Action Items.”
- Under details, list down assignments, deadlines, and key takeaways.
- Assign a due date, so the task appears in your calendar.
- Enable task visibility by checking the “Tasks” box in the My Calendars section.
This ensures that all meeting outcomes are documented and completed on time.
Final Thoughts
With these Google Calendar hacks, you’ll never feel unprepared for a meeting again. Implementing these small but effective strategies will help you stay organized, reduce stress, and maximize productivity.
