Use colors as a way to categorize things.

We can use Colors in our Productivity System to help us quickly identify things. I find it especially useful to identify each area of my life with a specific color.

Here are some of the colors I use to identify areas of my life.

  • Purple = Family
  • Red = Health
  • Brown = Home
  • Orange = Creative work
  • Green = Client work
  • Blue = Personal
  • Use colors in a variety of tools.
  • If you are an analog type, you can use different colored pens and highlighters.

Many digital applications allow the use of colors in some form.

  • Calendar applications allow you to set the default color of each calendar. You can even change the color of specific events on your calendar. It is helpful to quickly scan your calendar to see if a client meeting is coming up versus a personal appointment.
  • Create colored labels in your email application.
  • Create colored labels in your task application.
  • Use colors to differentiate different types of notes.
  • Use different colored themes in each of your browser profiles.
    Be Consistent

Try to be consistent with the colors you use everywhere. Once a color has a specific meaning to you, it makes sense to apply that meaning across your entire system.