Tracking Your Time for Better Balance

How often do you run around all day, busier than you’ve ever been, without a moment’s rest only to look back in the evening and think, “what did I actually get done today?”. Surprisingly, this is incredibly common. Because women in general are apt to multitasking and mixing all the aspects of our lives into one task list, we feel as if we’re constantly busy but can’t quite quantify that work we do.

One of the best ways to stay on track and feel accomplished is to keep record of what we do during the day. It’s satisfying to see what we’ve accomplished or spent time on but it’s invaluable to be able to target where we’re wasting time.

There are several smartphone apps created specifically for tracking, down to the second, the activities which we perform through out the day. One of the best for iPhones is called aTimeLogger (or Awesome Time Logger). You can also search “time tracking” or “activity logger” to find what works for you. Many of these apps are meant for self employed professionals who need to keep track of billing hours but there are several (like aTimeLogger) which are designed to input and personalize our own activities. All you have to do is press the start button and you’re off. At the end of the week, the app generates a graph to visualize exactly where you’re spending your time.

No smartphone? No problem! Good ol’ fashioned paper and pen works just as well.

You’ll be surprised to see which activities creep in and gobble up the time you think you’re spending on important tasks. You will also be surprised to see how much time you’re spending on tasks you think are important but actually, in no way, contribute your goals. In fact, most of the things we do during the day can qualify as “busy work”. Think about delegating those tasks or streamlining them so that you can spend your time focusing on what moves you forward. Those who speak on success and high achievement agree that time is valuable and delegating tasks such as laundry, cleaning or simple paperwork will pay dividends in the future. For the most part, the amount that one would pay to have these services outsourced will come back tenfold in the amount of revenue producing work which can be accomplished in the free time.

So where are you really spending your time? Perhaps keeping track and getting a visual of your daily routine with prompt some change and make it easier to feel accomplished at the end of the day.