On calendars ruling our lives

Do we run our calendars, or do calendars run us?  Do we run to do lists, or do to do lists run us?

This thought was not something I concerned myself with until a scheduling train wreck this week, that made me miss a bucket-list level event (especially for a banker).

A couple of months ago, I received an invitation to be a guest at a speech by new US Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen at the Economic Club of NY.  The speech was this week.  As always, after getting it cleared, and accepting the invite, I (thought) I put it on my calendar, pushed it off to my assistant,  and various other parties who would remind me of the occasion in time.

Well, I received a note at end of the day on Tuesday this week by my host that they were sorry that they missed me at the event.  My only thought to myself at that time was, 'it was not on my calendar!'  Nor was it on the calendar of the person who was supposed to remind me.

After a little bit of reflection I said to myself, that can't be what I say!  Here is probably the most important person to listen to in my profession, and what was or not on my calendar could not be more important.  Not that we could not have access to her remarks that were made available immediately, just missing the occasion to be there live causes one to go 'ugh, aaargh, oof...!'

Perhaps a periodic 'spring cleaning' of to do lists, calendars and paying attention to our instinctive sense of priorities is a valuable exercise.