The other day I discovered Jesse Phillip’s calendar project on Kickstarter.
I liked the idea. Quite a bit, actually.
And I immediately thought this was something that many TMN readers would like to see.
See, Jesse has a big idea and it involves a big calendar.
It is his 2012 “Seize the Year!” calendar. It lets you plan your long-term goals and see the entire year at a glance.
Plans for 2012 have already started to take shape, so I can’t wait to get my hands on one of Jesse’s calendars.
I plan on using this calendar as my 10,000 foot view of the year.
Kickstart Your Dream
In case you are not familiar with Kickstarter.com. It is a place where people can post their project, dream, or idea. Readers (like yourself) then pledge support for the projects to help them get off the ground.
It is a great public think tank and open vetting system.
Great ideas that may never have happened due to lack of initial funding, get the capital they need to become reality. Ideas that maybe weren’t so great, might not reach their funding goal. It is kind of natural selection and a public vetting system.
I like Kickstarter because it lets people start. It represents action.
It is a place where you can see people making their goals and dreams happen.
Back to Jesse’s project… there are a couple of reasons that I wanted to feature it here:
1 – It Is a Great Tool – Jesse’s calendar is a perfect for planning out your long-range goals and dreams. Day to day events are captured in our smartphones and dayplanners. However, big dreams need bigger space to be planned and visualized in. This calendar gives you the long-term view at a glance.
2 – Love the Calendar – I love his calendar format and design. More details below, but he has some great concepts that make his calendar even more productive than your standard wall calendar.
3 – He’s Taking Action – How many people have had a great idea and then let it set? Jesse has taken action on his idea and is trying to make it happen.
Love it!
Big Idea, Big Calendar
Jesse got started making calendars for himself at work. He was trying to increase his own productivity and started making large-scale planning calendars. (One of his early versions was seven feet wide!)
When people saw his calendars, word started to spread. His co-workers began asking if they could get one themselves. Before long, even his bosses were using his large calendars to do long-term project planning.
Jesse has made many iterations on his design, layout, and materials. Now, for his first publicly available version he’s partnered with James Martin, of IAMJAMESMARTIN Design studio, to produce a full color, double-sided, right-sized edition.
Jesse’s “Seize the Year” project is a large (27×39) wall calendar.
Here are just a few of the things that Jesse has incorporated into his calendar:
- No Gaps Between Months – Ever been trying to map out an event that crosses months? It gets messy and it is sometimes hard to see the month-to-month flow. This calendar provides a constant flow of all the weeks of the year. This not only makes it easier for planning, but increases writing space.
- Non-Laminated – Many year calendars are laminated and hard to write on. Ever try to write in a single day event with a dry erase marker? You get like one word in the box. This calendar is meant to be written on! Use your favorite pen to write in as much detail as you want.
- Two Orientations – This calendar has two layouts. It is printed both horizontally and vertically (front and back) so that you can put it over your desk or on the back of a door. (Perfect for students!)
- Simplicity in Design – I am a big fan of simple design and Jesse’s calendar brings an elegant and easy to use format to the traditional year calendar.
For even more detail, head over to the Seize the Year Kickstarter page.
Seize Your Year!
So today, I want you to take action.
You can pledge as little as $5 to make this project happen. For as little as $20, you can get one of his 2012 calendars when they are printed. Or purchase several for your team or company!
I have pledged $100 towards Jesse’s Kickstarter campaign. I will be keeping one of the calendars myself and giving the other two to lucky TMN readers at an event later this year.
Let’s help make this project happen.
Head over to Jesse’s Kickstarter project here and take a step to get your 2012 on track!
What have you started lately? Help Jesse start his goal!
Disclaimer: I have no financial interest in Jesse’s Kickstarter project. In fact, Jesse and I have not even met face-to-face. (Yet!) I think he has a great idea and want to support his endeavors. I hope you will, too.