How to Colour Code your Bullet Journal
Colour coding is one of the best ways to further organise your bullet journal and have a clear view of the different categories/topics you create in it. It was one of the first things I incorporated in my planner and it has made a huge difference in my planning and my productivity!
Today I'll share with you how and where to use your colour coding system in your bullet journal.
Create your own Colour Coding System:
Decide which categories you'd like to colour code in your planner. To make things easy, take a look back at your previous to do lists, and then you'll notice that some of the categories keep on coming up again and again. So, these are the ones that you need to include in your colour coding system. Try to make them as general as possible, so that you can keep things simple. I'd say that 6-7 categories are more than enough. Any more could make things a bit complicated and confusing at times, and we don't want that!
Once you've chosen your categories, then you can allocate a colour to each one. Choose colours that are not too bold, but that they are still quite bright to stand out from your notes. Also choose colours that are a bit different from each other. For example, we don't want to have two different shades of pink that can get mixed up.
Add your colour coding system in one of the first pages in your planner, so that you can refer to it any time you want to use it. I like to add mine in the first page, under my key.
You can also create a flip out guide that can help you remember what colour is allocated to what category, without having to go back and forth the pages each time you need it.
Where and how to use your Colour Coding system in your planner:
There are lots of places where you can use your colour coding system in your planner. You don't have to use it in all of them. Try things out and decide which ones work for you.
1. Index
You can use your markers or highlighters to mark specific entries and spreads according to your colour coding system. This makes it easier to find things.
2. Year at a Glance Spread / Future Planning Spread
There is a printable version of this Year at a glance spread in my Etsy store.
Colour coding can be very helpful, especially when you do your future planning. Whether you use the Calendex or any other of the 6 different types of future planning in your bullet journal, you can still use your colour coding system with them. This way you can see straight away what you have to do and organise your days accordingly.
3. Monthly Spread
You can mark the days in your monthly log according to what's going on on each day. Alternatively, you can mark the entries you add on each day and colour them accordingly.
4. Weekly Spread
When you add all the things you need to do in your weekly spread you can use different coloured pens to write each task, according to your system, instead of using highlighters.
You can also block sections in your weekly planner to indicate different appointments, events or tasks. This works really well if you are a student and you want to mark your schedule for each subject.
5. Daily Spread
Use colour to categorise the different tasks you have during the day. That way you'll have an idea of what's in store for the day ahead. You can also work in batches, where you set a time frame to finish the tasks in one category at a time. This is actually a very productive way of getting things done!
6. Planning Routine
Plan your ideal day and use your colour coding system to highlight it accordingly. This is very helpful when you want to do some block scheduling or batching.
7. Time Tracker
Tracking the way you plan to spend your time during the day can be very helpful to see how much time you are allocating for each task. It helps you to have a very clear view of the day ahead and the tasks at hand.
8. Habit Tracker
You can even use your colour coding system in your habit tracker and see exactly how many times you're doing something or how may hours you spend on a specific task.
Colour Coding Trips & Tricks:
- Use your markers or coloured stickers to mark part of your pages according to the category that they belong. This creates a very easy flip through guide.
- You can also use washi tape instead of highlighters to mark the pages. You can do part of the page (like the example above), or you can add the washi tape all along the edge of your pages (see below).
Colour Coding Tools:
Markers:
By far, my most used markers for colour coding and for categorising my tasks are my pastel Tombow Dual Brush Markers. I use them every day and I love that they add the right amount of colour without bleed through.
Highlighters:
I love using the Pilot Frixion highlighters, because they are not too vibrant and they are erasable too. I have already placed an order for the Zebra Mildliners that I've seen lots of people using in their planners.
Pens:
You already know that the Staedtler Triplus Fineliners are my favourite pens to use in my planner and in my habit and time tracker. They add vibrant colour with no bleed through and I like the way they write as well.
Lately, I've been hearing a lot about the Paper Mate Ink Joy Gel pens as well, and I'd love to try them out.
Washi Tape:
You can find washi tape in all the colours, sizes and with any design you can think of. Personally, I find that the washi tape is the easiest and cutest way to colour code your planner, while at the same time you personalise it and you add some decoration in it.
Stickers:
Various coloured stickers in all shapes and sizes can help you in your planner. I personally like these pastel round ones for the flip through guide I mentioned above.
So, there you have it. Everything you need to know about how to colour code your bullet journal. Do you use a colour coding system for your planner?
