I lead a workshop centered around the significance of tracking our daily activities at the University of Guelph and the participants desires mirror what I hear every week – everyone wants more time!

Rest assured, the most effective method to unearth more time is by meticulously tracking your activities. While I understand that ‘time tracking’ might seem cumbersome at first, the insights gained from understanding how you truly utilize your time can be incredibly empowering, making it difficult to ignore its benefits!

Allow me to share the math of 15 minutes and a few other insights about time: 

  • Estimating task durations is crucial, particularly for activities for which you cannot bill time
    • Spending 15 minutes four times a day, six days a week, on tasks like social media with no specific goal, could potentially equate to a loss of $15,000 per year if your hourly time valuation stands at $50.

Time tracking is indispensable, especially if you perpetually feel time-starved and continuously convincing yourself that time is scarce can subconsciously reinforce this belief. 

  • Email management shouldn’t monopolize half of your workday; it should serve as a tool to prioritize tasks and schedule them on your calendar
    • The temptation to respond to emails promptly, even amid other demanding tasks, often stems from a misguided sense of efficiency. In reality, it disrupts focus and productivity.

You possess the agency to dictate how you allocate your time.

  • Adapting new time management habits can pose challenges, but it’s feasible with persistence
  • Setting clear start and end times for tasks is essential to prevent them from lingering indefinitely
  • Implementing structured processes not only streamlines your workflow but also saves time in the long run

Click here to take the first step towards greater productivity, reduced stress, and increased happiness.