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Do you want to know the best way to tackle priorities?
Color-code your calendar.
Here’s exactly how and why I do it
Color-code your calendar.
Here’s exactly how and why I do it
Why color-code?
- Your most valuable resource is time, so you must spend it purposefully
- Color-coding allows you to measure & analyze your time spent in each area of the business & make conscious decisions about how you spend time
- I use Google calendar to design my schedule
- Your most valuable resource is time, so you must spend it purposefully
- Color-coding allows you to measure & analyze your time spent in each area of the business & make conscious decisions about how you spend time
- I use Google calendar to design my schedule
When I started practicing this:
- I started color coding my calendar back in 2017 when I read about @rabois’s advice for calendar color-coding and calendar audits
- Right away, I noticed how my priorities became more clearly reflected in my calendar
- I started color coding my calendar back in 2017 when I read about @rabois’s advice for calendar color-coding and calendar audits
- Right away, I noticed how my priorities became more clearly reflected in my calendar
How I color-code:
- I color code every type of meeting I have. Blue = Operations, grey = Growth, green = Product, yellow = Investors, light red = PR/Podcasts, Red = external contacts, Orange = internal contacts, Purple = thinking time
- I color code every type of meeting I have. Blue = Operations, grey = Growth, green = Product, yellow = Investors, light red = PR/Podcasts, Red = external contacts, Orange = internal contacts, Purple = thinking time
Managing time proactively:
- On Sundays, I make a report that shows how much time I spent in each area to see if my time allocation matches my priorities
- I define my top priorities for the upcoming week & ensure my calendar matches
- The Sunday report is made manually in excel
- On Sundays, I make a report that shows how much time I spent in each area to see if my time allocation matches my priorities
- I define my top priorities for the upcoming week & ensure my calendar matches
- The Sunday report is made manually in excel
Example of my calendar reflecting priorities:
- Back in September 2019, my main priority was fundraising and I flew from NYC to SF for 3 weeks
- As you can see my calendar was mainly colored in yellow (for investor meetings)
- Back in September 2019, my main priority was fundraising and I flew from NYC to SF for 3 weeks
- As you can see my calendar was mainly colored in yellow (for investor meetings)
But usually I’m spread across multiple meetings covering product, growth, people and ops meetings
Who I recommend this practice for:
- Color coding your calendar is beneficial for anyone who has a busy schedule filled with many projects at the same time
- Your calendar is something that you can manage proactively to help you achieve your goals and maximize your effectiveness
- Color coding your calendar is beneficial for anyone who has a busy schedule filled with many projects at the same time
- Your calendar is something that you can manage proactively to help you achieve your goals and maximize your effectiveness
Calendar audits are made easier by visually illustrating your time spent toward your different priorities.
These two articles I recommend for anyone getting started with color-coding and calendar audits:
1. https://themanagershandbook.com/managing-yourself/time-and-calendar
2. https://delian.io/lessons-3
These two articles I recommend for anyone getting started with color-coding and calendar audits:
1. https://themanagershandbook.com/managing-yourself/time-and-calendar
2. https://delian.io/lessons-3
