A Time Log Can Help

by Elizabeth Verwey

The most practical way to find out what we do with our time now is to keep a time log. It can be a very useful exercise to identify your own "time leaks". It's a great starting point - to improve our time management. Try to keep one for three days. This must be a private exercise. Don't "shout and wave it about", or it's tempting to modify it. We want to get a true picture of what we're doing with the hours in our week now. It can also be helpful to keep completed time logs in a file for future reference.

An effective time log will record what we do in chunks of time that lets us see when we changed activities. Be sure to record how many of one thing (ie. # Phone calls, # reports) that we were able to do in that one block of time. Try to make note of any interruptions, as this will be useful information.

We all have our favorite time eaters - mine is the phone. It's a good idea to identify our own stumbling blocks. It makes it easier to recognize them when they begin to take over our day. Did you know that time studies show that the tone of our day is set in the first hour? Yet, we can turn any day around once we recognize what is happening to eat up our time. We can take appropriate action when we recognize what we're doing - to alter our own patterns.

Our work can become more efficient when we group tasks together. So, when we head out the door to the bank, get our copies done and drop off the dry cleaning too. When we're about to make some calls, stay on task until the target number of phone calls are completed. Then, add one more for good luck! We're in the groove anyway, and bound to close a deal.

Time studies show that we lose a few minutes each time we move back and forth to various jobs. But, we can clearly see that when we keep our own time log. There are many things that we can learn from this exercise:

• Identify our own peak performance times (to maximize them)
• Understand our own working style (ie. focused or fractured)
• Spot our own "time leaks" (to recognize them)
• See how much we actually do accomplish in each day!

Once we analyze our own time logs, we can choose to accept the way we're working or develop a plan to alter our own patterns. Everything seems a little clearer in black and white. It's easier to spot where we can dovetail, delete or delegate jobs.

My hope is to work more effectively, to make time to play, and to balance these two activities. If I waste time during the day, my workday will encroach on my evening plans. And, that is not acceptable to me. Once you try the time log exercise, you too will have a choice. Good luck!

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