Marilyn Bohn | Creative Organizer

I was coming home from a trip and in the airport and I saw someone who has been a friend for over 20 years but I haven’t seen her for about five years. (She got mad at me a few years ago because I decorated her cubicle at work when she turned 40 and she fancied herself as not getting older). So she cooled our friendship.

Anyway, Marilyn and I (yes we have the same first name and only one letter different in our last names) sat down together and had the nicest chat while I waited for my luggage to arrive. We arranged to get together for breakfast with another friend to catch up with each other’s lives.

I was excited about this until my very good friend Edna called and asked if we were still on for Monday, (the day I am meeting with the other Marilyn). I said what? What is this about Monday? Evidently we had arranged to get together for our annual Christmas get together on that day and I hadn’t written it in my day planner.

Have you ever done this? Double booked important things. I don’t do it very often but when I do Oh how I hate it. A few tips on how to avoid this. 1) Use a day planner—which I do, 2) then write every appointment in it—not on a scrap of paper thinking later you will put it in your calendar or planner—which I didn’t this time. 3) Look at your planner/calendar every evening to review the events of the following day. At the very least review the day each morning.

It all turned out just fine. I had brunch with my friend I had originally scheduled with and explained to Marilyn we would need to plan a different day. She was totally fine with this.

Oh, one last thing, if you have double booked don’t lie to the person or people you have to notify that you have double booked and will have to change the appointment you made with them. It usually comes back to bite you.