Time is a precious commodity. These days there never seems to be enough of it, either. I can remember as a child watching cartoons that depicted high ranking businessmen as surrounded by a desk full of ringing phones. They would be muttering "Time is money" while answering a whirlwind of calls.

Later on, though, I learned that the saying "Time is money" really harks back to the days when people had to gather every fragment of time in meaningful work in order to just keep things going. For instance, a mother couldn't let thirty minutes fall to the ground without "improving" on it, as they used to say. She would be mending the youngster's britches or stemming grapes for making jelly, or something useful. Her productive activities would ultimately save the family money by making future purchases unnecessary.

These days, we can buy umpteen pairs of britches at a yard sale for almost nothing, and jelly may or may not be worth the time it takes. However, time and how we use it still equates with money in many ways. Harnessing and managing time is a valuable skill. The best time management tool I have found is a good, big calendar. Whether you're managing a business, working from home, or trying to keep a family organized, a well-designed calendar can make a big difference.

Look for a calendar that features large squares for each day of the week. One of the best I've found is the calendar available from the online efficiency expert known as the Flylady. A desk pad type of calendar works well, too. Hang the calendar in a central location where everyone involved can refer to it often. It's great if this spot is near the phone.

One of the nice things about the Flylady calendar is that it doesn't have those little half-day squares at the end of a month like so many of the free calendars have. It doesn't have pictures, either, but we're talking about time management here. Who needs a pretty picture? Anyway, even a desk pad can be hung on the wall, although changing months might be less convenient than with a spiral bound calendar.

To use the calendar, you must do two things. First, you must record all appointments as soon as you know about them. Second, you must look at the calendar frequently. Checking your calendar should be one of the first things you do when you get up (or get to the office) and it should be the last thing you do before you go to bed (or go home.) If you're quite forgetful, you may need to check it throughout the day several times, too.

The calendar won't work as a time management tool if you don't follow these two rules. When you have a new doctor's appointment, party, funeral, or whatever that you intend to go to, write it down as soon as possible on the calendar. Write neatly if you can, but don't beat yourself up for being sloppy. A pencil is great because you can erase any mishaps. The Flylady calendar has a sleeve on the back that is a great place to store a pencil. You can hang one on a string if that works better for you.

Of course, the calendar won't manage your entire day if you work in a busy office. It will need to be paired with a daily "to do" list and/or a daily planner for keeping track of your office appointments. Still, I think you will find it to be a wonderful addition to your arsenal of time management helps.