by Dee Jones
Time logs are a great productivity tool. They can help you keep track of time, make you better at estimating how long tasks will take, and even help you see that you actually get more done most days than you might think.
And what's really great about time logs is how easy they are to start and keep.
1. Choose Your Time Log. You can keep your time log in a computer file, in an app on your cell phone, or in a notebook. (I like using steno pads for time logging.)
2. Log Your Times. And I mean log everything. When you start working on projects or tasks. When you start cooking a meal, or playing computer solitaire. When you take a shower, or watch a movie on TV.
3. Evaluate Your Time Log. Looking at your time log, you can see how much time you spend actually doing things you consider productive, like working on work or personal projects. You can also see how much time you spend "goofing off," doing things with little value. You might even see that you spend too much time busy, and need to relax more.
Most suggest you keep a time log for at least a week, to really see how you use your time. But even keeping a time log for just a day can give you valuable information that you can use to give your productivity a boost. In fact, keeping a time log can, itself, make you more productive. After all, no one wants to admit that they spent an hour watching YouTube videos, even if they are only admitting it to a piece of paper that only they will ever see.
If you want to see where your days go, and what you can do to increase your productivity, try keeping a time log. Just grab a sheet of paper, or open a new text file on your computer, and you're ready to go.
Have you ever kept a time log? And, if so, do you think it made you more productive?
