Let’s Get Organized! 

Oh, how we love our Yellows! The enthusiasm and energy these fun-loving creatures bring into our lives make the world that much more of an enjoyable place to be. With the world being such a fun-filled adventure, Yellows need the freedom to experience creativity in a work environment that maximizes their opportunities.    

Yellows are unique individuals and need to be organized in their own way. Even if you don’t understand their rhyme or reason, Yellows must have a degree of autonomy to build out their tasks for the day. I do recommend that when giving Yellows this freedom, refrain from barking at them to complete a task. Do not bark! The moment you bark, the moment they balk… or worse, bail.    

 So, how do we help a Yellow in the organizational aspects of their lives?  First, understand that Yellows can become overwhelmed with tons of tasks if not prioritized and approached tactfully. Tactful being the key word here. The last thing you want to do is be critical or push a Yellow too intensely, as these are very positive and fun-loving individuals. After reflecting on my own experiences as well as conversations with Yellows within my inner circle, I’ve come to my own understanding of how Yellows can remain organized without feeling overwhelmed.   

Here are 5 tips for Yellows to become more organized without feeling too overwhelmed:  

CHECKLISTS: To a Yellow, to-do lists with 847 items on them can be as terrifying as a toddler running around with a pair of scissors! So, how can we make this fun? We all know that Yellows experience fun through their own lens, and their checklists can be just the same. Even though checklists can seem micromanaging and overwhelming, they can also be made fun. Be creative with the platform or fashion you use to capture your lists of things needing accomplished so they do not get lost in the shuffle. Colorful paper, highlighters, an attractive app on your phone, a notebook with energizing quotes, a large dry erase board, or a scrap book can make staying organized less overwhelming. As tasks are completed, cross them off the list knowing that you have fulfilled the mission and are ready to move on to the next adventure on the list.  

NOW, LET’S PRIORITIZE:  For a Yellow, unlike other colors, not everything is an immediate priority. So how do we help a Yellow find a sense of urgency? In my research, I discovered that if you complete the challenging tasks at the beginning of the day, it will provide a sense of accomplishment, and you will know that the end of the day will not be as daunting. It was also shared with me that a comfortable, yet challenging, number of high level tasks for each day is right at 3. This may not seem like a very challenging feat for some other colors. But if we look at this in the big picture, that is 1,095 things accomplished every year! I would say that is a fantastic accomplishment for anyone!  

THE SUPER CHALLENGE: Some tasks do not seem like tasks at all. They sometimes feel like they are a full blown-out political campaign, stretching on for years and years. To overcome this, it is important to break these bigger projects down into smaller chunks. It is much more fun to see multiple things being checked off your to-do list daily as opposed to waiting a long period of time to see one thing accomplished. James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, shares that quitting while you’re ahead will allow you to avoid burnout on a project. Give yourself an allotted time frame to complete a chunk of a big project and then simply stop! This will allow you to feel accomplished on the project and excited to experience that sense of euphoria when it is time to go back at it next time it is scheduled.  

BALANCING FOCUSED PRODUCTIVITY WITH FLEXIBLE CREATIVITY: Too much organization can kill a Yellow’s creativity and make them feel like their freedom is being stripped away. However, Yellows can all agree that being organized is an evil necessity. But too much of anything isn’t healthy. Allow yourself to find the balance of being organized the first half of your day and then be intentional about rewarding yourself the second half of the day with flexible time to be creative. This flexible time can be used to work on smaller tasks that are viewed as more fun, time to work on things that are in your strengths, creatively thinking about bigger picture items, or the freedom to work on spontaneous freelance tasks that aren’t necessarily on any to-do list, but are important for the bigger picture in a work setting or your personal life. This reward of working in a more free headspace is only granted once you have remained focused on that first half of the day when you were committed to staying organized.  

PERSONALIZED REWARD SYSTEM: One of our favorite things about Yellows is the fun any enjoyment they bring into the lives of those around them. From my personal experiences over the years, I am extremely grateful for the jokes I get during the day, the unexpected humor, or a simple smile brought into the room by a Yellow to lighten up my day. So, what does this have anything to do with being organized and not being overwhelmed? If Yellows can be given the flexibility to create their own environment, but committed to being productive and organized, this will allow them to look forward to being organized. Because they are being rewarded for doing so. Once a task is completed, Yellows can reward themselves by taking a lap around the office and making someone smile, taking a short break with their favorite co-worker, making a phone call to a loved one to say hello, shooting off a text message to a group of friends to get a good laugh, or anything that loosens up the monotony of the day. Once this reward has been delivered, they can jump back into being organized feeling refreshed.   

Simply put, Yellows, embrace who you are and how you are wired. Realize you do not have to wait to be off the clock before you can start having fun. Find a way to have fun and knock out the tough stuff early, reward yourself frequently, and be transparent with those you work with by letting them know how they can support your newly discovered way to be uber organized without being overwhelmed! 

____________________________________________

Timothy Nigh is a Certified Color Code Trainer, Certified John Maxwell Coach-Speaker-Trainer, U.S. Army Veteran, and business owner and Chief Operating Officer for Griffin Brothers Companies. He remains active in his community by helping multiple Veteran support groups achieve greatness and impact the lives of local families. He spends any extra time professionally growing his coaching business, facilitating personal/professional development workshops, and inspiring others to live a life of intentionality.