With the new year almost upon us, it’s a good time to do a simple exercise: audit where you spend your time. Now, it doesn’t have to be fancy — a simple pen and paper will do. Take two or three days during the week and just write down what you’re doing and the time spent on it throughout the entire day (not just 9-5). (Note: for an app that constantly does this, check out RescueTime). Once this exercise is done, compare where you spend your time against your short-term and long-term goals. How does where you spend your time stack up with your goals and aspirations?
Here are a few thoughts on auditing time spent:
- Most people don’t regularly calibrate what they’re currently doing with what they want to be doing
- Goals are often neglected for little things that constantly eat up time (like surfing the internet)
- When reviewing time spent, ask yourself what time of day you have the most energy and focus, and prioritize the most critical and creative tasks then
- Write out an ideal daily schedule and see if you can stick to it for a week
Entrepreneurs would do well to regularly audit where they spend their time and constantly calibrate it with their goals. Most people waste a significant amount of time that could be used for more important work.
What else? What are some more thoughts on auditing where time is spent?
David Cummings on Startups 