I have been tracking my time continuously since April of 2015. It has been enlightening, to say the least. I don’t expect anyone else to embark on a project like that. But if you would like a good excuse to try tracking a little bit of time, please join me next week, September 12-18, for my next 168 Hours Time Tracking Challenge.
You can sign up to get a log (a PDF 15 minute version and here is a link to an Excel and PDF 30 minute version — that is the one I use), a guide, and daily email reminders here. I will be blogging here daily about my schedule and any lessons learned. I know it will be a full week, but it should be a good one too. I look forward to seeing where the time really goes.
If you want to use your time better, the first step is figuring out where it is going now. September brings many schedule changes, but it can also show, when life is busy, what is important and what is not. So please play along. Please consider asking spouses, friends, or colleagues to play along too (you can use any of the social media buttons below to share this post). I promise it will be fun!
I know several readers are also tracking their time as part of the reader time makeovers I am doing. Please know that I am making my way through the completed logs and if you have not already heard from me, you will soon. I will be running the first of the reader time makeovers later this week. Thank you!
I quite literally JUST pressed publish on a post about how I need to streamline my week so that I’m using my time better, lest my new schedule at work get the better of me. I’ll definitely be signing up.
@Noemi- woo hoo! Glad you’ll be joining me!
I’ve tried twice and failed miserably, but I’m gonna try again. I’m a mom of 2 special needs kids and I’ve been fighting fibromyalgia/chronic fatigue for decades. I work from home as an engineer and an intercessor, but I’m also I’m starting a book on IEP’s. Fibro has taught me to be much less time stingy–if I rest I don’t hurt. If I freak out and want to get a bunch done (letting my natural type A tendencies loose) the pain gets pretty bad. I need to find out if I can be a good steward of my time without making it a god. My experience tells me that a balanced life is a dynamic thing, not a set plan, but I’ll admit I am a bit more than scared. I’ve downloaded/made several spreadsheets so far, so I’ll be off and running this morning.
@Patricia- I hope you’ll try it this time! It might help to let go of the idea of needing to record *everything* – just putting down a general sense of where the time went, checking in every 6-8 hours, is fine. You can see a lot from broad outlines, not just small brush strokes.
Wow Patricia, as my 2 cents I want you to remember that you are already a rock star doing all you do. There’s so many out there that don’t have your challenges too lazy to do as much as you do. Please schedule in some pats on the back for yourself.
This is so timely (no pun intended)! I just started teaching a class for entrepreneurs last night on Covey’s 7 Habits and tomorrow night we will cover time management. I am going to share your time log challenge with my students. Thank you for your great work!
Would you mind sharing the 30-minute version? When I click on the link, it takes me only to the 15-minute one. My husband and I run 2 businesses and have 3 children (ages 11, 8 & 5), so I’d love to see a clearer picture of where I spend my time & how I’d like to change that.
@Brooke – I will email it to you. You’re right – both links seem to be the 15 minute version now. I’m not sure what happened – I thought i still had the 30 minute one up!
Signed up! Can’t wait for this 😀
Do you track as you go along or at the end of the day?
@Varsha – generally every few hours I remember and record what I’ve done since the last time I wrote it down. But I’ve gone a day or two just making rough notes on a piece of paper, and then filling it in later.
Would you mind emailing me the 30-minute version, as well? Thanks, Julia.
@Julia- done, and anyone else who wants one, feel free to email me at lvanderkam at yahoo dot com. Thanks!
Lately I’ve been struggling to get everything done, so I hope this gets me on track.