After pens, highlighters are my favorite tool for color coding my planner! There are a couple of ways I use highlighters to efficiently plan my week:

How to use highlighters for planning

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1. Highlighting titles

Highlighting titles makes them stand out more. I especially love highlighting titles for list making, particularly if I have a collection of lists on the same page.

It’s also a good idea if you’re making multiple lists in the notes sidebar of your planner.

2. Dividing the page

Highlighters are a quick and easy way to split a page into multiple sections for list making, or to split up the page if you’re creating your own planner spread.

For variety, instead of using a solid line try these:

Diagonal lines across the width of the page
Dashed line
2 lines – 1 thin and 1 fat
Using multiple colors to create a rainbow line
Use the thin tip to draw scallops or loops / swirls
Wavy lines

3. Due dates

Drawing a box around things that are important helps distinguish them from the rest of your plans.

Examples:

Due dates (such as bills)
School assignments and exams
Birthdays
Events
Your children’s milestones
One off tasks (such as seasonal tasks you’re likely to forget about)
Urgent tasks / reminders

Because due dates can change, I recommend using erasable highlighters.

4. Color coding by time

I prefer to use highlighters if color coding by time as I can do a massive brain dump then color code the tasks. I tend to stick to:

15 minutes
30 minutes
1hr +

If a task is going to take longer than 1 hour I split it into 2 smaller tasks.

Highlighters are better than pens for color coding using this method, as you don’t need to worry about switching between pens – it’s much more efficient to get everything down on the page then color code them according to estimated time. It’s quicker to color code using a highlighter than colored pen.

Highlighters are also a good method for highlighting tasks by priority

5. Color coding your grocery list

I’ve made printable grocery lists in the past with the categories pre-printed but it didn’t work for me – some weeks I’d need more space for one category but less of another.

So instead I just write 1 list and highlight to color code by store section – much easier and quicker!

6. Color coded bill paying

If you like to color code using pens, highlighting bills when they’re due will help them stand out more.

It’s also a good idea to use highlighter if you use a monthly calendar to keep track of bills, and use the same calendar for birthdays, events etc. as the calendar can get a bit crowded with too much text.

7. Highlighting tasks when completed

If you’re not keen on checklists or you’re short on space in your planner (which is usually the case for vertical style planners), then highlighting the task is an ideal way to signify that you’ve completed the task.

A single line through the task with the thinner tip of a highlighter is a good way to distinguish when you’ve started a task / it’s in progress, and then use the fat chisel tip to highlight the task once completed.

If you don’t have colored pens with you, using a small highlighter swatch instead of drawing a checkbox in a different color is another option for color coding (that’s also quick!)

Another way I like to use them if with a routine / habits tracker.

For week 1 of the 52 planners in 52 weeks challenge I used only a habit tracker for weekly planning. I drew a border around the box of the day I planned to do the task. This method is ideal for those once a week tasks or those that only need to be done every few days rather than every single day of the week.

Once the task was completed, I shaded in the box. It made it very easy to see which tasks had been completed and which tasks still needed to be done.