Estimated Reading Time: 3min🌈 Color = Function
Color | Meaning |
🔴 Red | Urgent Tasks |
🟠 Orange | Systems & Habits (SOPs) |
🟡 Yellow | Ideas, Notes, Reflections |
🟢 Green | Active Projects & Areas |
🔵 Blue | Communications & Meetings |
🟣 Purple | Archives, Final Reference |
⚪️ White | Logs, Schedules, Planning |
🔁 SignalFlow States
Type | Use for |
Task | Immediate actions to complete |
Project | Multi-step goals or deliverables |
SOP (System) | Repeatable processes, workflows |
Note | Thoughts, insights, learning |
Communication | Emails, calls, meetings, outreach |
Archive | Final storage, reference documents |
🛠 Universal Properties (Tag Every Item)
@Status(Not Started, In Progress, Done, Waiting)
@Signal Flow State(Task, Note, SOP, etc.)
@Project (Relation)or@Area (Relation)
@Tags(optional for context: Energy, Priority, Topic)
@Due Date/@Do Date
@Created Time/@Last Edited Time
⚡ Core Workflow
Capture ➔ Classify ➔ Clarify ➔ Connect ➔ Complete ➔ Archive
- Capture everything without editing.
- Apply Color by Function, not Topic.
- Assign Signal Flow State.
- Tag to related Projects/Areas.
- Review weekly: What's urgent? What's next? What's ready to archive?
📌 Example in 5 Seconds:
- A new idea for a product?
→ 🟡 Yellow (Idea) → Note → Link to Project
- An urgent tax form to file?
→ 🔴 Red (Urgent Task) → Task → Due Date
- An SOP for client onboarding?
→ 🟠 Orange (System) → SOP → Link to Business Ops Area
- A completed tax return?
→ 🟣 Purple (Archive) → Archive → Year-tagged folder
Flow Examples
A visual overview of how tasks, ideas, and information move through the 7-color system
1. Student Workflow
Title: Flow Example: Student Workflow
- 🟡 ➜ 🟢 ➜ 🔴 ➜ 🟣
Idea ➜ Research project ➜ Assignment due ➜ Archived with notes
Color shows progression: Spark → Project → Deadline → Reference
2. Product Manager
Title: Flow Example: Product Manager
- 🟣 ➜ 🟡 ➜ 🟢 ➜ 🔵 ➜ 🔴
Customer feedback ➜ Insight ➜ Feature in dev ➜ Sprint sync ➜ Release task
Use color to navigate stakeholder input, dev cycles, and communication flow
3. Creative Individual
Title: Flow Example: Creative Individual
- 🟣 ➜ 🟡 ➜ 🟢 ➜ ⚪️ ➜ 🟠
Podcast ➜ Idea ➜ Article draft ➜ Time log ➜ Added to content system
Connect inspiration to creation and systematize your output
4. Team Communication
Title: Flow Example: Team Communication
- 🟢 ➜ 🔵 ➜ 🔴 ➜ 🟣
Milestone ➜ Client call ➜ Bug fix ➜ Filed
Teams can use color as a universal language for action, follow-up, and finalization
Consistency Across Platforms
Title: Consistency Across Platforms
Use the same color-function mapping in:
- Index cards & physical folders
- Notion / Obsidian databases
- Google Drive / Finder / DEVONthink
- Calendar events
- Email labels / tags
- Weekly reviews, daily planning, voice memos
The color stays the same. The tool doesn’t matter.
Start Simple, Expand Naturally
Title: Start Simple, Expand Naturally
- Pick one color to start
- Apply it to one tool (cards, calendar, or files)
- Use the same meaning across all platforms
- Let consistency build momentum
- Over time, the color logic will do the heavy lifting
Color = mental shortcuts. Function becomes intuitive.
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