Color Me Organized
Looking to get it all together? Use color coding to organize just about any area of your home or office. Read on to harness the rainbow for a more organized and efficient life.
Flashy filing: Assign color labels to file names or categories with a multicolored system. Or use vibrant filing products (like Pendaflex® Glow Twisted file folders or these fun Pendaflex® Snap envelopes) to instantly spot misfiled items and organize documents at a glance. Experts agree that this highly visual technique offers fast, easy access to files, fewer misplaced folders and decreased filing frustration.
Chromatic closet: Want an answer to the daily "what to wear" dilemma? Stuck in an outfit rut? Group your clothing by color for a simple decision-making process. Not only is it easier to find your favorite green shirt, you might just get some much-needed inspiration to shake up your wardrobe. Who knew pairing olive and orange was such a winning combination?
Shelf-expression: While alphabetizing works well at the library, you have more freedom at home. Consider expressing your inner artist by color blocking your bookshelves. Visual thinkers may find that this technique helps locate books more effectively, but everyone will agree that it’s a fun alternative to organizing by height. Try a rainbow effect, or break up tones on separate shelves.
Hue for you: Consider assigning a color to each of your family members. For example, if you use only red hangers for your oldest child’s clothing, also store her hair products, toothbrush and comb in a red bin in the bathroom. This prevents closet mix-ups and fights over “stolen” items and is a clear indicator of who isn’t cleaning up after themselves. Keep important records like birth certificates and medical information in color-specific folders (try Oxford® Divide-It-Up® 4-pocket folders) to find documents quickly for each family member — parents and pets included.
Color-code email: Optimize your email productivity with color. Did you know that Gmail, Outlook and Lotus Notes let you apply filters to specific emails? You can assign a shade to a specific sender or topic, to see at a glance what type of emails need your attention. Gmail will also allow you to apply colorful symbols to flag emails by category as you see fit.
Implement one of these changes today for a brighter way to sort things out, or try all four and color yourself organized.