Your Calendar Is a Preparedness Tool
January is a popular time for long-term planning. The year stretches out before us clean and ready for all the greatness we can stuff into it. However, every resolution-maker knows that soon the hustle and bustle of daily life crowds out our good intentions and big plans. As you make plans for your organization, family and personal goals, set some time aside to build preparedness into your calendar.
Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Contacts: Don’t wait until it is time to send out holiday cards to update contact information! Select a date with less pressure to reach out to your network and get updated phone numbers, emails, physical addresses and social media connections. Not only will you be better prepared come card-sending season, you’ll have a robust network to rely on and communicate with in an emergency.
- Anniversaries: Are there important dates for your city, family or organization? The anniversary of the Loma Prieta earthquake can be a great time to update your earthquake supplies. An annual conference can be the perfect time to update employee emergency contact information. A wedding anniversary can be a trigger to update the family Go-Kit. Set a reminder at the appropriate date prior to the anniversary to make sure that everything is in place and you’re not caught off guard.
- Piggyback Big Movements: There are a number of public campaigns to help people connect important dates with key safety measures. A good example is Daylight Savings Time being the time to switch out batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. In California, The Great Shakeout is a statewide effort to help people practice for an earthquake. Mark these items in your calendar now and add your own “to-do” items to these popular events.
- Annual Renewals: Make a note of when your important certifications need to be renewed. First Aid and CPR are common ones, along with other classes that might be required for your work or community positions. Put a reminder in with plenty of time to book your next class or test, or even recruit others to join you for the classes.
Of course you are not restricted to putting these important reminders on your calendar in January! Keep using your calendar to plan ahead and prepare throughout the year. And you can use this as a brainstorming session with family or co-workers to include as much fast and easy preparedness as you can.
We would love to hear how YOU are using your calendar to be prepared! Please feel free to share your strategies in our comments.
Check out these Stat Messages for more details on using your calendar to prepare:
