I'm Addicted to Color Coding (And You Should Be Too)

I like to stay organized.

Some days, it feels like I spend more time "staying organized" than I do actually doing the things I'm organizing. I often refer to my organization process as "front-loading": it's a LOT of work up front, but once I have a system in place, it will save me so much time down the line.

This holds true in pretty much every aspect of my organization. I'm a compulsive bullet journaler, an addict to calendars. I have a different Sharpie for every color of the rainbow, and then a few more in between (not to mention my prized shiny metallic markers). My wall calendar is a rainbow of organized chaos, deadlines, invoice reminders, and concerts outlined in bright blue clouds.

Color-coding keeps me sane.

Contrary to popular belief, my color-coding system started by accident. I used felt-tip pens to organize my BuJo calendar spreads, and suddenly found myself matching the colors in Sharpie on my wall calendar. After two years of aggressive calendar-keeping, I've discovered the following key squashes down the crazy instinct to freak out when life gets too busy. Maybe it will do the same for you!

RED - Bills. Angry, angry bills. If I have to spend money on it, it's red.

ORANGE - Life due dates. Things like vet appointments for my dog, medication reminders for my dog, sittings and boardings for my dog. Maybe orange is just for my dog.

YELLOW - Yellow doesn't show up well on white backgrounds. I tend not to use it except for ~tasteful doodles~.

GREEN - Monay monay monay! If I'm EARNING money, it's usually green. Paydays, invoice due dates, Wag tips, you name it.

BLUE - I have two blues (da ba dee da ba die). The dark blue is for work stuff. The light blue is for fun stuff. I didn't do that on purpose, but I like the dichotomy now. Dark blue is for deadlines, work events, important client calls, and the like. I outline these entries in squares or solid circles, or draw a bunch of ridiculous arrows if they're particularly important. Light blue is for fun stuff, like concerts, live music appearances, and music festivals. (I like music.) Big events are outlined in fluffy clouds, to remind me that life is fleeting and I should enjoy the moment.

INDIGO - I don't have indigo. I have purple and pink. Do those count?

VIOLET (Purple) - Violet is typically for special occasions, like birthdays and anniversaries. Sometimes I use it to write peppy reminders to myself.

PINK - Pink is like yellow. It doesn't like white. (God, look at that Creative Writing degree hard at work.)

OTHER - My special metallic Sharpies are for special, SPECIAL occasions, like big vacations, huge milestones, and weird holidays I think are funny. Sometimes I get weird new colors, like electro-pop pink, blue, and orange, but those I typically reserve for drawin' on people. (Yes, it's a real hobby, and yes, I will probably post pictures of it at some point.)

Whatever your color palette, consider color-coding your life. Surviving the 21st century as a jaded Millennial is difficult enough, so you might as well lay out your week in different shades and pretend you've got your sh*t together.