Are you always late? Use Google Calendar to text reminders

I use Google Calendar with Gmail to organize my life and work. I do not carry a paper calendar and usually just scribble notes (in pencil) on whatever scrap of paper is nearby. I have tried all the Daytimers and Hipster PDAs, but I am just not a paper person.

You might guess that I sometimes have trouble remembering appointments or making timely phone calls. I'm embarrassed by my tardiness and its my reputation (such as it is). I recently made a small change to my Google Calendar which now sends my mobile phone a text message as reminder.

It is easy to set up SMS reminders for Google Calendar.

First, you need to set up  your phone. This can be done through Settings and clicking on the Mobile Setup link. Follow the simple instructions to enable your phone. (Basically, Google sends your phone a text message with a numberical code which you need to re-enter in this setting.) Once you do this correctly, you will see under Mobile Settings that your mobile status is "Phone number successfully validated."

Then you can set your SMS notification preferences for your calendar. To do this, on the right under My Calendars, click on the drop down menu and select notifications. On this screen, you can set your SMS preferences. By default, I have all events send me a text message 10 minutes before its start. You can then change this preference on an event by event basis by editing the "Options" of that specific event.

I have a throw away phone and a pay-as-you-go plan. But even my $19 phone gets the text message and if I view it and click "Options" any phone numbers I list in the event, I am able to call without dialing.

by Tim Bednar, founder of Plaid
Ministry tracking and communication software