Have you ever felt unorganized at work? According to the National Association of Professional Organizers, 27 percent of people said they don't feel organized at work. You have a busy schedule, so it’s inevitable that your work space can get disorganized sometimes. There are many ways you can improve this. Here's an easy way to start prioritizing your work flow using colors.
Because our eyes attract to color, we recognize it faster than text. Labeling with colors can help projects or assignments stand out. Assigning a color makes it easy to organize what you need to do. First, pick a few colors and give them meaning. Not sure which colors to use? Here are three you can start with:
1) Red: Stop and stay alert
- Call-To-Action: Assign this color to projects you need to complete.
- Urgent: Use red to label tasks that need to be done as soon as possible. It can mean its important or a priority.
You can use a red Post-it Note or Flag to draw your attention to where it needs to be. Or stick a colored Post-it Note with reminders about a project or task. Place a Post-it Flag on a specific page of a report to signify its importance or use it as a bookmark to save a place you want to access fast.
According to a survey, 84 percent of office workers feel they are more likely to remember a task if it's written on a Post-it Note. You can also use them to map out timelines or deadlines in your planning process. This helps productivity because creating a workflow can help keep you on track to completing projects. By using red in this manner, you can make a project stand out over others.
2) Yellow: Approach with caution
Like red, the color yellow is loud and can be used effectively as a warning label. It stands out because it's bright and can be used as a caution label. Some ways you can use it:
- Project Pending: Use yellow to show that you're currently working on or in process of finishing a task.
- Issues to Fix: Do you have questions on a project or need to fix any mistakes? Yellow can indicate to double check it.
Create a filing system that uses color-coded files or hanging folders to organize your assignments. Place your assignments that are in progress in a yellow file folder so it can be easier to find. Almost 29 percent of office workers find a disorganized office distracting. A cluttered desk can lead to a cluttered mind.
If you have several assignments, your desk can become disorganized and you can lose valuable time looking for something. Having a color-coded filing system can save time and reduce stress. You'll also lower the chances of losing or forgetting to finish a task. Labeling something a bright color can help you identiy the project needs to be improved. Yellow can signifiy to slow down and review your lastest assignment.
3) Green: Good to go
Research shows that people find looking at shades of green to be relaxing. This can cause a calming effect on your eyes when you see this color. Associating tasks with green can give you a sense of ease during your work day. Green labels can show finished work and represent your task is complete. Here's a way you can use green: - Ready-To-Go: This can represent you're ready to turn it in or send it out. Whether it's a finished task or a project that has been approved, green can show that it's done.
Consider separating paperwork by placing ready-to-go tasks in a binder. Using a green binder to organize assignments or projects by the date you completed them. For any reason, if you need to refer to them, you know where they are. Disorganization is not only distracting, but it can also decrease morale. By using colored binders, you can organize your ready-to-go tasks from the rest of your work.
You want your system and the colors you choose to work as a tool that enhances efficiency and productivity. If you already have an organized system, consider adding some color to it.
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Do you use a similar system in your office? Please share some of the ways you use colors to organize in the comments below.
