Whenever I open my calendar in front of someone, be it on my phone or my computer, people usually say one of two things:
- “Ah! I could never live like that!”, or
- “I’m glad I’m not the only one! I love colour blocking!”
Colours
They have this reaction because
- I love to track EVERYTHING in my calendar, and
- I use all 12 colours available on Google Calendar so my calendar is an eruption of colour they often aren’t expecting.
Colour blocking allows you to glance at your calendar and quickly analyse where in your life needs some attention. It helps you to understand where your scheduling doesn’t match up with your priorities.
Visual Info
For me, I see at a glance if I need more client work because there isn’t enough orange.
Not enough light purple? I need to book some social time in with friends! Or sometimes a week is too heavy in light purple and I know I need to adjust and get some me time in there (dark purple).
It’s then a chance to check in and ask is this how I want my week/month to be? Am I going to feel accomplished, satisfied and nourished by the end of the week/month?
Get into it!
Your actionable tips if you’re new to colour blocking:
Start Simple: Begin by choosing 3-5 key categories that are important in your life (e.g., work, social, self-care, exercise, family). Assign a distinct colour to each category and make note on a Post-it Note that you can keep nearby til it sinks in.
Be Consistent: Use the same colour for the same category every time you schedule something. This consistency will make it easier to recognise patterns and imbalances.
Review Regularly: At the end of each week, take a few minutes to review your color-blocked calendar. Are you spending enough time in each category? Do adjustments need to be made for the upcoming week?
Reflect and Adjust: Ask yourself, “Is this how I want my week to look?” Make necessary changes to ensure your schedule reflects your priorities and allows you to feel balanced and fulfilled.
Expand Gradually: Once you’re comfortable with a few categories, you can start adding more colours and categories to fine-tune your scheduling. Such as diving work into your distinct activities (mine are thinking time, clients, marketing, admin, meetings online, meetings offline that need commute time).
Focus
Starting with these steps will help you get the most out of colour blocking, allowing you to better manage your time and ensure you’re focusing on what matters most.
Let me know how you go!
