Choosing a color helps save time? Really?

Read time is less than two minutes.
Although, this tip may require a few new purchases, the purchases can be as simple or elaborate as you choose.

Purchase office or school supplies (folders, markers, highlighters, post-it notes, and flags or labels) in as many different colors as there are members in your household.

Have each member choose a color—it could be the same color as the washcloth s/he chose in the suggestion in my last post.

You can see where today’s blog post is headed:

• Put all papers of each household member into her/his folder. Papers that need to be signed and returned, assignments to turn in, RSVP’s, and anything else that needs action.
• Use a flag or a label of each person’s chosen color to mark appointments, games, and practices on the calendar. In a glance, each household member can see if s/he has anything coming up.
• Use corresponding colored post-it notes to post messages on the refrigerator or other central location for each household member. The messages may include to-do items, lists of chores, reminders, and “attaboy” notes. “Attaboy” notes are crucial to encouraging household members to read the messages.

If your school supply budget has already been spent, use supplies that you already have.

• Instead of using a colored folder, simply color the tab on a manila folder with a different colored marker for each person. Each person still has her/his own folder. 
• Instead of putting labels on the calendar, write the appointment with the colored marker for each person or write with pen and highlight the reminders with different colors. 
• Instead of writing the messages on post-it notes to personalize the list, write the messages on one piece of white paper in the central location, using different colors for each member or highlighting the messages for each person.

A tip to save time AND money—my kind of tip.  Next time tune in for study strategies to help during this the-newness-of-school-has-worn-off time.