Time. The one thing we can’t get more of, but desperately want more of.
We are all confined to the same 24 hours in a day.
Needless to say most people are looking to make better use of their time.
Everyone is looking to fit more stuff into the same number of hours in a day. The struggle is real.
Similar to how you can’t know whether you are spending your money properly unless you track it, you also can’t know whether you are using your time efficiently unless you track it.
Going through the exercise of tracking your time – even if only for a week or a month – can provide helpful insights.
I was listening to a podcast recently where a career coach had people track their time for four weeks. At the end of the four weeks they reviewed how much time they spent on various things such as work, commuting, and entertainment. Most of the participants were surprised at how few hours they worked and how much time was spent on things that weren’t meaningful to them, like television or commuting.
I’ve taken a look at some of the time-tracking spreadsheets on the internet and I was underwhelmed, so I decided to create my own time tracking spreadsheet.
Let’s go over some of the features and at the end of the post you’ll have an opportunity to download a copy for your own use.
Time Tracking Spreadsheet
The time tracking spreadsheet is made of 30-minute increments. For each 30-minute time slot you should assign what you did with the time, or simply put “other” in the box.
The spreadsheet accommodates up to 10 weeks of time-tracking, and creates summaries that show total hours per week, average hours per day, and % of week, by category.
When you download the spreadsheet you will notice that week 1 is pre-populated. This is simply to show what a populated week looks like and how it flows through the spreadsheet formulas on the summary tabs.
Below is an example of a populated week (you can see the full week in the download file):
The data on each weekly tab flows to each of the three summary tabs. Below is the “average hours per day” summary tab:
Here’s another summary tab, the % time per week. This is useful to see exactly how much of your time each week goes towards certain activities.
If you need to add a new category to the summary tab, simply add it to the list, highlight the formulas to the right, and copy/paste next to the new category. They will then pull in any time spent on that category. Simple as that!
What Can Be Gained from Tracking Your Time?
Similar to tracking our money, there are many insights that can be gained from tracking our time. For example, perhaps you struggle to find time to work out but you spend 20 hours a week watching TV. That may be an extreme example, but seeing the data forces you to reconcile with reality.
Tracking your time can help you find opportunities for adjusting your schedule so that you spend more time on the things you care about. This is a common problem for people who side hustle, as they
In my book Hustle Away Debt I talk extensively about the need to schedule your time and use it efficiently when you side hustle. The reality is that there is a limited amount of time to side hustle, so if you aren’t scheduling it into your calendar and actually prioritizing the work, it’s unlikely that your side hustle will yield the results that you are looking for.
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Have you ever used a time tracking spreadsheet? What do you do to make sure you are using your time effectively?
really interesting, thanks for sahring it!
No problem! I hope you find the spreadsheet useful!
I’m in. This is something I’ve considered doing for a while. I think I’ve probably put it off because I know I waste time, but it’s time to face the music. I have to wonder if my behavior will change slightly since I know I have to be accountable. But, I don’t think that’s a bad thing! Thanks for the spreadsheet!
No problem! I hope the spreadsheet works well for you!
Tracking your spending or your calories is so common today, but no one ever talks about tracking your time. I am all for tracking everything I do in life and being over-the-top organized so this spreadsheet is right up my alley! I am very curious to see the outcome and I will definitely try out this spreadsheet!
Wishing you a happy and successful 2017 from the Centsai team!
Agreed! Tracking health-related things are all the rage these days but I think tracking things like your time or money would benefit a lot more people.
And thanks, wishing you guys the best in 2017 as well!
I love the idea! I’m generally pretty good about staying on track with my time though it’s incredibly easy to allow distractions to throw you off track – especially when working from home. The other issue I think we can allow to lose time is when we let the “urgent” to crowd out the important/things that will drive us closer to our goals. I like to break up my days in chunks and focus on specific things during those times as I’ve found that to help me be more efficient – but I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see that I could improve with my time management.
Oh yes I definitely am all about the phrase “don’t let the urgent get in the way of the important.” Easier said than done, though.
This is a great idea for those that struggle with being “busy” and not having enough time. I think I need to start tracking my time, just to see where it goes! Thanks for the spreadsheet!
Yes you really don’t know where your time is going until you start tracking it! Even if you have a general idea, sometimes getting specific can help make those small tweaks to your schedule that result in a big impact on your output and, ideally, your happiness.
I like the idea of a time tracking worksheet! I used something similar in college when I was super involved. It really helped me manage my time.
Lately, I have been keeping my television off until I finish a specified amount of work. It is a way to “reward” myself.
So true about the 9-5. It’s so constraining and has nothing to do with how productive I am at work. In any case, with work, the long commute (including drop off/pick up of the baby), cooking, etc…I always feel like there is not enough time in the day. I’m sure a lot of my time is wasted though and I need to be more productive. If I track my time I probably can see where a lot of it is wasted.
Great point Andrew. It can be tough with a 9-5, because it doesn’t really matter if you are more productive at work, at least when we are talking about side hustles and your free time.