Weekly Calendar Template 2017 from blank monthly calendar template 2016 , image source: cyberuse.com
Every week brings task lists, emails, documents, and new jobs. Just how much of this is different from the work you have done before? Odds are, not much. Many of our tasks are variations on something we have done countless times before.
Don’t reinvent the wheel every time you start something new. Instead, use templates–as starting point for work that is , standardized documents with formatting and text. As soon as you save a separate version of the template add, eliminate, or change any info for that document that is unique, and you’ll have the new work.
Templates work anywhere: in word processors, spreadsheets, project management programs, survey programs, and email. Here’s the way to use templates and how to automatically generate documents from a template–so you can get your common tasks quicker.
Templates take the time to construct, and it’s easy to wonder if they are worth the investment. The answer: absolutely. Editing a template takes much less time than formatting something. It is the difference between retyping it, or copying and pasting some text.
That’s not the only benefit: Using a template means you are not as likely to leave out key information, too. For example, if you need to send freelance authors a contributor agreement, changing a standard contract template (instead of composing a new contract each time) guarantees you won’t leave out that crucial clause regarding owning the content as soon as you’ve paid for it.
Templates also guarantee consistency. Perhaps you send regular job updates to investors or customers. Using a template, you know the upgrade will always have the same formatting, layout, and structure.
How to Create Great Templates
Not all templates are created equal–and a few things don’t need a template. Listed below are a few guidelines to follow.
First, templates must be comprehensive. It’s more easy to delete info than add it , so err on the side of including instead of too little.
Imagine you’re developing a template of your resume. You would want to record facts about your responsibilities and accomplishments, and that means you are going to have all the info you want to submit an application for almost any job.
You can always delete notes that are less-important on, but you might forget it at the final 25, when it is not in the template.
Some tools will automatically fill in all these variables for you (more on this in a little ). But should you need to fill in the data by yourself, add some text that’s easy and obvious to look for so it is possible to find.