Managing a large project, or scheduling multiple projects, can be more challenging than it needs to be with a traditional calendar. When you are in a meeting, being able to quickly map out a time frame within which a project needs to be completed, and perhaps delegate who will tackle it, can really move things forward.

Although not a substitute for your regular calendar system, Compact Calendar provides you with a spreadsheet that can easily be printed out and used as a global overview. Time is shown in ‘blocks’. You can easily block off a period for a particular project, and add notes in the side-lines.

The major advantage of Compact Cal is that time is shown horizontally, and ‘distance’ on the calendar equals time directly. Traditional calendars show time divided into months, or weeks, which makes it more difficult to have a clear overview of time on a continuous basis. When dealing with projects that span multiple months, this can be a great tool to doodle out progress and time lines.

You can download a Canadian version of CompactCal, or the US version directly. For other international versions, see the official Compact Cal website.