Alright, let me walk you through how I got this ‘depo calendar’ thing going. It wasn’t some grand plan, honestly, just trying to sort myself out.
Finding the Need
Things were getting messy. I had notes everywhere – sticky notes on my monitor, reminders on my phone, scribbles in different notebooks. Stuff was falling through the cracks. I’d remember something important while driving, then forget it by the time I could write it down. It felt like my brain was just overloaded, constantly juggling things. I needed one single place to just dump everything reliably.
Getting the Idea Rolling
I didn’t read about this anywhere, it just sort of happened. I was thinking about how banks have deposits, a safe place to put money. I needed a safe place for tasks and ideas. So, I started thinking of it as a ‘deposit’ system. The ‘calendar’ part came because I wanted to loosely tie these things to time, even if it wasn’t a strict schedule like a meeting planner. Hence, the ‘depo calendar’ name stuck in my head. Just a working title for myself, really.
Setting It Up
I decided to keep it super simple at first. I grabbed a plain, empty notebook – one with decent paper so ink wouldn’t bleed through. Didn’t want anything fancy, just functional. I opened it up to the first blank page. I didn’t draw complex grids or anything. I just mentally divided the page: left side for ‘deposits’ (new tasks, ideas, reminders) and right side for ‘action’ (what I actually planned to do that day or week).
- Grabbed a notebook: Just a standard lined one.
- Designated sections: Mentally, or sometimes I drew a light pencil line down the middle. Left for incoming, right for planned work.
- Got a pen I liked: Small detail, but makes writing stuff down less of a chore.
The Daily Grind with It
So, here’s how I started using it. Every morning, or sometimes the night before, I’d sit down with my notebook.
First, I’d do a ‘brain dump’ onto the left ‘deposit’ side. Everything I could think of that needed doing, remembering, or considering went there. Didn’t matter how small or big. Just get it out of my head and onto the paper.
Then, I’d look at that list. I’d pick out maybe 3-5 things that were the most important or timely for that day (or maybe the week, depending on the task). I wrote those chosen items onto the right ‘action’ side. These were my focus points.
As I worked through the day, I’d put a checkmark next to the completed items on the right side. Sometimes, if something new popped up mid-day, I’d quickly add it to the left ‘deposit’ side to deal with later. The key was capturing it immediately so it didn’t get lost.
At the end of the day or the start of the next, I’d review. Anything not done on the right side got reassessed – does it carry over? Was it actually important? Unfinished ‘deposits’ on the left stayed there until I decided to move them to ‘action’ or consciously decided they weren’t needed anymore and crossed them out.
How It’s Working Out
Honestly, it’s been pretty good. It’s not revolutionary, I know. But the simple act of having one designated place to deposit thoughts and then consciously picking priorities made a huge difference. My head feels clearer. Fewer things get forgotten.
I’ve tweaked it a bit. Sometimes I use a highlighter for urgent stuff on the left side. Sometimes I dedicate a whole page just for deposits if I have a lot on my mind. I also started doing a quick review at the end of the week to see what deposits are lingering and need attention.
It’s basically just a structured brain dump and prioritization method using pen and paper. Calling it a ‘depo calendar’ just makes it sound a bit more official to myself, keeps me using it. It’s simple, it’s cheap, and it actually helps me get things done without feeling overwhelmed. Give it a try if you’re feeling scattered, maybe it’ll work for you too.
