The #1 rule of event planning (and life) should be to get organized! Do this right now, no hesitation. Throw away your wall calendars and all those sticky notes you use to keep track of the many things you need to do. It doesn’t matter if you have Google, Yahoo or Hotmail – they all come with a personal, private calendar that is tied to your email address. Log in and walla! you are instantly on your way to bringing organized chaos to your life.

First, schedule everything! Just like at work, if a task is not scheduled it will not get done! So go ahead… we’ll wait. Schedule add all your events with REMINDERS. Unless you plan to check your calendar every minute this is key! Think of a reminder like an alarm clock:

• Need to check in for your flight 24-hours in advance so you get a good seat? Add it to your calendar with a 1-day reminder.

• Pickup a few groceries after work and you keep thinking of things to add throughout the day? Maintain this “list” right in the appointment that’s already on your calendar.

• Have a bill such as a student loan that will be deducted from your checking account? Schedule a monthly recurring event to alert you 3-days prior so you can transfer funds, if needed.

• See a commercial for a new show you don’t want to miss? Add a weekly recurring appointment with a 5-minute alert (or 30-minutes to set your DVR).

• Special lunch date with a girlfriend to celebrate her birthday? Create an event named “Pickup a gift for lunch with Anna” and add a 1-hour reminder so you leave early!

Finally, be sure to add your calendar to your cell phone! Not only will you be able too SEE your events but the ALERTS will be sent to your phone as well. Everything will stay synced from the desktop to the cell phone, to your iPad mini. If you’re in the middle of something and can’t get to the task right at that moment, reschedule if for later in the afternoon or the next day. A simple Google search like: “Add Google calendar to iPhone of Galaxy S3“ will result in step-by-step guides. Now, if you want to get fancy: Color code your events get your family on board and start sharing calendars!