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Greetings from upstate NY! I’ve been visiting my family and, as I do at the end of most years, reflecting on what’s working for me and what isn’t. About a year ago, during one of those reflections, I audited my calendar and created a simple hack that’s changed how I work. I call it: Brown Meetings.

I’m a mom of two boys (10 and 5) and, until recently, I was in a full-time corporate role; now I’m part-time, but the meeting load is still intense. Back when my youngest was in daycare and constantly sick, I needed a way to instantly see which meetings I absolutely had to protect, and which could move, be skipped, or caught later on a recording.

That’s when I started color-coding my calendar. Here’s my system:

* Gray = default, probably negotiable.

* Purple = high-impact, non-negotiable (I’m presenting, key decisions, needs prep).

* Green = my “highlight” of the day (focus time, creative work, or something joyful). I learned this from “Make Time” by Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky.

* Brown = I’m not driving, my participation is light, I can be off camera, and I can mostly just listen.

Brown Meetings are the ones where sitting, on-camera, at my desk is overkill. Instead, I:

* Go for a walk.

* Drive to a coffee shop to set up a later focus block.

* Do simple, hands-on tasks (like wrapping gifts or folding laundry).

Because I’m an auditory learner, pairing these meetings with light physical activity actually makes me a better listener. The rule: whatever I’m doing cannot compete with my mental bandwidth—no writing strategy docs while I’m “listening.”

Brown Meetings are also how I practice being more strategic with my time. If I’m saying yes to a Brown Meeting, I ask: what am I also saying yes to that supports my health, energy, or focus? Color-coding helps me protect what truly matters (purple and green), loosen the rules on how I show up (brown), and feel less guilty about skipping the rest (gray) when life happens.

If this resonates, try this:

* Pick your colors for default, critical, highlight, and Brown Meetings.

* Recolor next week’s calendar.

* For each Brown Meeting, decide: walk, drive, simple task, or skip and catch the recording.

Your meetings don’t have to run your life. A few intentional colors can help you reclaim your time, energy, and sanity—without quitting your job or becoming a different person overnight.

FREE MINI MEETING MASTERCLASS!

If you are interested in how to make the most of your meetings, check out my Free Mini Meeting Masterclass. This includes a step by step guide and mini-course for creating a kick-ass agenda for engagement and better outcomes!

More Ways to Connect with Me

If you want to go deeper into facilitation, product communities, or just geek out about better meetings and better calendars, here are a few places I’ll be showing up:

* I’ll be in Austin, Texas, co-facilitating a Facilitation Fundamentals training with Mimi Garcia on December 3–4.

* There’s a Facilitation Lab Grand Rapids meetup on December 5 at Squibb Coffee on Wealthy Street, sponsored by Voltage Control.

* I facilitate the West Michigan Product Community, and our next meetup is on Wednesday, December 10 from 5:00 –6:30 p.m. at Atomic Object in Grand Rapids. Here’s the sign up page!

If you’re curious about Brown Meetings or want to share how you adapt this idea, I’d love to hear from you. And wherever this finds you, I hope you feel inspired to color-code your calendar in a way that supports not just your productivity, but your whole life.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit facilitationartist.substack.com