Sep 11, 2008
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Stop Wasting Your Time - Track It Instead!
Have you ever wondered where your time goes each day? Why is it that you never seem to have enough time to do the things you want to do? Where is your time going? Are you wasting it or using it wisely?
These are questions that you should ask yourself if you want to manage your time more effectively. We have all said to ourselves “if I just had another hour, I could get so much accomplished”. The fact is, there are 24 hours in a day. How you use them is up to you.
Activity logs are an effective tool for time management and can help you make the most of each day. An activity log is place where you record what you did during the day, when you did it and for how long. Activity logs can take on numerous forms: paper notebooks, electronic organizers, software on your computer, the internet or on your phone. No matter which tool you choose, the idea is to track every event so you can see the larger picture of where your time is going.
Time management is not just something that is to be used while you’re at work. You can use time management in all aspects of your day, to help your life run more smoothly –and to have time to do the things you want to do. Make sure to allocate time to eat, sleep, be with your family or be alone –as well as work.
Activity logs will help you track everything that you do on a daily basis. How much time do you spend eating? How much time do you spend on emails? How much time do you spend returning phone calls? You will also be able to see patterns in your work. For example, are you a more productive worker in the morning versus the afternoon? Many people say they slow down in the afternoons. They attribute this to the sense of tiredness they get after eating a large lunch. On the other hand some people are just not morning people and tend to perform better in the afternoon when they are more alert. The activity log will help you see where you are wasting time and where your time is being spent effectively. Don’t be surprised if you see that you are wasting large amounts of time each day. The key is to use the activity log to see where you can make small changes that will make a big difference in the way you are managing your time.
Don’t just keep a log for a day. Track your time over a week or even two weeks. This will give you a bigger picture of where your time is spent. Remember to keep track of even small things. If you make a pot of coffee, track it. If you run to make copies, track it. Track everything! After a week or two sit down and review your activity logs. Do you see spots where your time could have been better utilized? Do you possibly see tasks that could have been combined to save time? Do you see tasks that are better allocated to other people? This is where you will see exactly how effective activity logs can be.
Sure, it can be a pain to track every little thing you do. However, if you truly want to be a more productive person both career wise and socially, then you need to determine where your time is spent and how you can use your time more effectively. An activity log will help get you there.
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