5
Rant: My friend's advice to color code everything backfired hard
My buddy Jake told me I had to color code every single entry in my bullet journal for it to work right. I spent 3 hours setting up 8 different highlighter pens for tasks, events, notes, and moods last Sunday. By Wednesday I was so sick of switching pens every 5 seconds that I just stopped writing anything at all. Now I have a half empty week and a bunch of dried out markers I barely used. I think he meant well but his system was way too complicated for how my brain works. Has anyone else tried a super detailed color system and just crashed and burned after a few days?
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
grantw3214d ago
Hang on, I gotta disagree with you here. I don't think color coding is the problem, I think you went way overboard with 8 different markers. That sounds like a nightmare for anyone. I keep it simple - one pen for tasks, one for events, that's it. Maybe a third for notes if I'm feeling fancy. If you try to track your mood in 3 different shades of blue you're just asking to quit. The real trick is picking 2 or 3 colors max and sticking with them for a month before adding anything new. Your buddy's advice wasn't wrong, it was just too much too fast.
10
lunaf6714d ago
Right, exactly. If you try to do too much at once you just burn out before you even form the habit.
3
alexk6014d ago
Grantw32 hit the nail on the head. Cutting down to 2 or 3 colors is the sweet spot for most people, myself included. I tried a 7 color system once and lasted maybe two days before my page looked like a rainbow threw up on it and I gave up completely. The thing is, your brain has to learn the system first before it can use it automatically. Starting with just tasks and events, maybe a third color for anything urgent, lets you build that muscle memory without getting annoyed. After a couple months you can add another color if you really feel like you need it, but most of us don't. Your buddy meant well but he was selling you the advanced course when you needed the beginner class.
3