Microsoft Outlook "Today" button

Many times throughout my day I am looking ahead at my calendar, shifting, adding, deleting, and scheduling appointments. In fact, besides my email, my calendar is the second most used tool on my computer.

But with all that activity going on, the moment my phone rings I need to "re-group" and get back to "Today". Instead of trying to scramble and hurriedly get my screen back to the current date and time, there is an amazing button on the Outlook toolbar. It is located on the top toolbar menu and it's called "TODAY".

Go ahead and click it. In fact, daydream about your next vacation and scroll to that date on your calendar. Then click the "Today" button, and SHAZAM!, you are back to reality. (Sorry about that... if you'd like to dream about your vacation again, go ahead.)

Happy Clicking!

Change Calendar Time/Hour Increments

Depending on your profession your schedule may need multiple appointment slots per hour, rather than just 1 per hour. For instance a dentist may need 15 minute increments, but a psychiatrist may need 1 hour increments.

Here's how to adjust the time slots on the Outlook calendar.

1) Open the Microsoft Outlook Calendar screen
2) On the ribbon above the calendar, click the "Week" or "Work Week" button

3) On the left side of the calendar, float your mouse over the time increments
4) Right click and choose a different time increment

You will see a list open up with increments of 60, 30, 15, 10, 6, and 5 minutes. Choose one and watch your screen layout change accordingly.

That's it! Now schedule til your heart's content!

Color Code Appointments

Have you ever used color-coded file folders in your office? Of course! The red ones mean "this", the yellow ones mean "that", etc. They help you prioritize and organize because of the color. Outlook offers the same prioritizing in the calendar. Here's how to use it: (This is Outlook 2013, with only slight changes from previous versions.)

You can color appointments individually, or have the computer "Automatically" color code appointments as you enter them:

Outlook 2013 version - Manually Color Code Appts:
     1. In Calendar, right-click an appointment or meeting, point to Categorize on the shortcut menu, and then click a color in the list.
     2. To remove a color from the appointment or meeting, in the Categorize list, click Clear All Categories.

Outlook 2013 version - Automatically Color Code Appts:
     1.  Right-click an empty calendar time slot
     2.  Click View Settings, then Conditional Formatting 

     3.  Click Add, type a Name for the new "rule", choose a color and click "Condition."
     4.  Type the Condition to be met, i.e.the words that will engage the color rule: i.e. Client, Meeting, School 
     5.  Click OK when finished and Test it.
Note:  If you manually assign a color to an item, automatic coloring will not be applied to that item.

As you type a new appointment with one of the "trigger words" it should automatically apply the new color. And yes... you are setting up your own "secret code" system.

If you repeat this procedure for other types of appointments, you can build different categories within your Outlook calendar for easy recognition. Ex: weekly office meetings turn BLUE, customer visits turn RED, and personal appointments turn GREEN.

Happy Clicking!

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