By: Dr. Sanjay Kumar Agarwal, Sr. Associate Editor-ICN Group
Where does the time go – Time Log
KOLKATA: You must be wondering that where your time keeps on flying as you always look busy and not getting the time for some important activities. As we all are different and we utilise our time in different manners, first you have to observe your own time utilisation patterns over a period of at least one week. This time log will show you, how much time you spent on productive activities and how much time you wasted in unproductive activities.
This time analysis is for you. There cannot be a general formula. This is the process where your participation is a must. The target is to find out a time utilisation pattern, which works for you. So please don’t manipulate. Just record each and every activity honestly. After all, you are not going to show it to anybody else. It is your own analysis in your eyes.
While making entries in the time log, keep record of all the activities, preferably after each period of 30 minutes, so that you can record the activities with minute details, tracking small interruptions also. Be specific in your recordings. If a visitor arrives at 1030 and leaves at 1048, record it in your time log.
Record the emotional and efficiency part also
I would suggest that while you write your time log, if possible, also write down the feeling, like whether you felt refreshed, tired or bored etc. This will show you, which activities give you pleasure and which activities are real drain on your time and energy both.
Also write down your experience about your ‘power hours’ i.e. when your energy level was at its peak; and when you were low on energy. Also write down whether you repent spending that particular slot of time in that particular manner. This emotional part will help you a lot, which you will understand later.
For most of you, it will be shocking to see your time log after a week; as till date, you have never confronted with your own time utilisation patterns in the form of ‘time log’. You will come to know, how much time you spend in trivial things. This will also show you, which periods of time during the day are your most productive time periods. Don’t panic, if you find some common time wasters in your time log. Everybody has his own. At home and at workplace, some common time wasters are unexpected walk-in visitors, unwanted phone calls, unproductive emails, colleagues seeking your help, etc. If you maintain the time log for at least 7 days, it will help you to understand, how you spend your time and when you are at your peak performance level.
Use this sample worksheet for summarising your time log for one week:-
| Activity | Total time during the week | Whether this activity is taking me closer to my goals | Whether this activity was otherwise necessary or important | Whether this activity was useless | Whether the same could have been delegated | At what time, I performed this activity | What was my energy level that time | R E M A R K S |
Analyse your time log
Now analyse your time log to identify:
-Three most time-consuming activities in your personal life, either at home or outside.
-Three most time-consuming activities in your office/ business life.
-Three most time-consuming activities, which are not taking you to your goals. These may include watching excessive television, excessive gossiping with friends either physically or on mobile, surfing internet, excessive use of social media like Whatsapp/ Facebook, etc.
Your best productive hours i.e. when your body and mind are normally most vibrant and energetic. Was there any time slot when you were able to work for long period of time without any interruption? If yes, at what time and what was the energy level for completion of important tasks? Normally, which periods of the day are most productive and which periods are least productive; whatever may be the reasons. Can you do something to make other periods of the day more productive than before, with lesser interruptions than before?
What was your dinner time? What was the quality of sleep, if the difference between dinner and sleeping time was less than 2 hours or even 1 hour? Observe, whether there was any difference in the quality of sleep, when there was difference of more than 2 hours between dinner and sleeping time.
What were the most common type and frequent interruptions or disturbing factors, like frequently ringing mobile phone; social media messages; unscheduled visitors; unplanned meetings; excessive emails; internal urge to play video games on computer or mobile; etc. Were these avoidable with use of self-discipline? What can be done to minimise that type of distraction?
Are there any types of activities which can be delegated to somebody else?
Once you start to analyse your time log, which I believe must be an eye opener in itself without any further explanation, you can start managing your time-utilisation patterns in a better manner. By analysing your time log, you will be able to eliminate less productive works from your regular routine. You will be able to identify, which are the areas consuming your time in excess of what is actually required; and which are the areas demanding more attention and devotion of more time, as these are important for you to achieve your goals.
While evaluating the results, ask the question, whether the time is utilised in the manner, it should have been. Also analyse the areas, where your maximum time is devoted – is it career, family or personal enjoyment or viewing TV, playing games on computer or mobiles, watching films or visiting friends for socialising etc.
I can bet that when you will see your time log after a week, the first thought coming to your mind will be that past week was actually an unusual week and this does not represent your true picture of your time utilisation patterns. Believe me that you are not alone to think so. When such truth is revealed for the first time before any person, his first response is only this. And if you don’t believe me, maintain time log for another week. Simple.
(You can’t manage your time utilisation patterns, if you do not have a concrete plan for your future life. Therefore, we will have some deep inroads into the importance of goals setting in my upcoming articles and after those articles, I will take you to the journey of my creation – concept of G.O.P.T.A.© and how you can utilise GOPTA in each walk of your life to add 3 productive hours a day. So, stay tuned every Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday & Saturday).
Dr. Sanjay Kumar Agarwal, Creator & copyright holder of the concept G.O.P.T.A.© is an Author, Certified NLP Lifestyle Practitioner, Corporate Trainer & Motivational Speaker and recipient of Honorary Doctorate of Excellence (Management) by prestigious Young Scientist University, California, USA
My book ‘How to Add 50000 Productive Hours to Your Life’ is available at Amazon & Flipkart in English at http://bit.ly/HowToAdd50000ProductiveHoursToYourLife
