Last year at this time, I created a free calendar and gave it away here on The Wisdom Journal. After receiving several requests, I created one for 2012 and it’s now available!

So, it’s time to get your new calendar set up. If you use a day planner, here is a 8.5×11 inch model that costs you nothing but some paper, printer ink ^[2], and a three ring binder. And it’s pretty functional too with a heavy emphasis on goal setting and achievement!

The calendar is in pdf format. I use FoxIt as my pdf reader. You can download it here ^[3] or just stick with the old standby – Adobe ^[4].

Free 2012 Calendar and Day Planner Download ^[5] (pdf)

If you have trouble with the download, send me a message by my contact form ^[6] and I’ll email one to you directly. Alternately, try using Firefox, Safari, or Chrome (I use Safari and Chrome). Those three seem to handle the download just fine, but IE always seems to have its nighty in a knot.

What you will get in your free download

There are 5 types of pages in this calendar:

1. A Monthly Page with your mission statement, your 3 to 5 year plan, a six month plan, a plan for the current month, and a monthly calendar. (this picture is last year’s model but you’ll get the new one)

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2. The first page of your Weekly/Daily Plan begins with an outline of your weekly plan and “Square 2” activities that are Important but not Urgent. Notice that the first column has Daily Disciplines for the week. Always check your Daily Disciplines before you fill up the rest of your day with other “stuff.” What are those Daily Disciplines? They could range from meditation, to exercise, to reading your devotional. You decide!

3. Fill the second page of your Weekly/Daily Plan with the remaining days of the week, urgent things to take care of, and money activities.

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4. A Most Important Tasks page. This page is designed to help you identify what really is important, why, your next steps, what you’ll need to accomplish them, and who’s help you’ll need along the way.

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5. And finally, a Quarterly Accountability Page. The page helps keep you on track and helps you see the big picture.

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How to assemble your calendar

Of course you’re free to assemble it any way you wish, but I put mine together like this:

1. Opening page is the December Monthly Page.
2. On the back of that page is page one of my Weekly/Daily Plan.
3. The facing page is the second page of the Weekly/Daily Plan and on the back  is page one (again) of the Weekly/Daily Plan. These pages continue like this for the course of a month. The last week of the month has page two of the Weekly/Daily Plan on one side and the Most Important Tasks (page 4) on the back.  It faces the next month’s Monthly Page and it starts over again.
4. Every three months, instead of the Most Important Tasks page, I have the Quarterly Accountability page and it then faces the Monthly Page for the next month.

It will make sense once you start putting it together, but if you have any questions, just ask me via my contact page ^[6]. I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

I’ve added some reminders along the way:

• Set up your online bank account ^[11] (consider a rewards account like PerkStreet ^[12]).
• Update or create your will ^[13].
• Review your car insurance ^[14] needs.
• Buy your tax preparation software ^[15].
• Get your first, second, and third credit reports from www.annualcreditreport.com ^[16].
• Deadlines for establishing a Simple IRA for the self-employed ^[17].
• Reminders to read great articles from The Wisdom Journal ^[18] archives.
• And many more.

I hope you enjoy using this frugal alternative to an expensive day planner! Let me know how it works for you.

About the author

Ron has written 1080 articles on The Wisdom Journal.

The founder and editor of The Wisdom Journal ^[18] in 2007, Ron has worked in banking, distribution, retail, and upper management for companies ranging in size from small startups to multi-billion dollar corporations. He graduated Suma Cum Laude from a top MBA program and currently is a partner in a national building materials company.

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