Why You Should Try Coloring the Clock

The thing is, everyone has different needs. You could work better by splitting or doing multiple tasks at once , or by finding small ways to reward yourself . However, for people who are better at operating with visual cues, these methods are not always effective. Sure, you can write down your daily tasks in a planner, but when it’s out of sight, it’s mind-boggling, and a written schedule does little to keep you from tasking. So try coloring the clock instead.

How and why to paint the clock

First, you will need a watch. Imagine a large black and white picture that hung on the wall of your classroom in elementary school. Here’s one for $16 that’s perfect for your needs: the numbers are big, the checkmarks between them are visible, and everything else is perfectly simple.

Next, you’ll need a set of dry erase markers. ( Here’s 12 for about $12 .) Finally, you need a dry-erase board that’s large enough to be visible from anywhere and you can also see the clock clearly. ( Here’s one currently $20 that has a built-in easel, magnets, and 10 dry-erase markers .)

Start by assigning each marker color to a corresponding task on your to-do list. If you need to be productive during your work day, maybe blue is for meetings, green is for answering emails, and red is for your lunch break. If you are a student, each color may be for a specific class. If you just want to be more productive all day long, one color can be for cleaning, another for cooking, and a third for commuting or personal tasks. Anything you struggle to find enough time for – and complete within that time you have so you can move on to something else – needs color.

Using a color that suits the specific task, draw a slice shape right on your watch with a triangle point in the center where the hands meet. Expand it to cover the time frame needed to complete the task. So, if you need to study biology and you want to dedicate an hour to it at 5:00 pm, take the color you use for this class and color it in a circle between 5:00 pm and 6:00 pm.

On the dry erase board, use the same color to write some notes about the current task. If blue is for biology, write BIOLOGY and a few items you want to focus on, and so on.

Why this strategy works

This method is effective because it gives a tangible visual reminder of what you should do and how long you should do it. When the hour hand is in a section that is colored, you will know that it is time to work on something, and that you must finish it before the clock hands leave this colored wedge (at which point you will be behind schedule). ). You can’t argue with that; you can see it clearly there on the wall.

Erase the previous day’s colors in the morning and spend two minutes applying highlighter for the day ahead to help you stay focused and productive after the jump. (Just remember to choose a color to represent your well-deserved breaks .)