First of all, what is a time audit anyway?
So happy you asked, a time audit is when you prioritize your time so you can be as productive as possible. You’ll always perform a time audit periodically to ensure that you are using your time wisely.
In other words, a time audit involves recording and analyzing how you spend your hours throughout the day.
Tracking your time over the course of a few days to a week or so will help give you an idea as to what you are spending your time on.
You can use this information to compare how you’re spending your time verses how you planned to spend your time.
After you have made your comparisons, you can then structure your days according to the data you collected. You can eliminate what is deemed as timewasters to create more space for more important tasks.
So how can we do this efficiently?
Step 1: Create Categories
this can be from “checking emails” to “meetings” etc.
Step 2: Define your Intentions
Keeping a record of what you want to achieve and then comparing it with the audit results will give you a measure of how productive you are.
Step 3: Track your Day to Day Activities
there are three ways to do this:
- Create logs in a digital note
- Write it all down using a pen and paper
- Use a time tracking tool
Step 4: Set a reminder to remember to track every task
Use your phone or use an online alarm tool that alerts you with a sound or sends a visual alert so that you don’t forget to record all activity from the day.
Step 5: Compare the data you have collected
Ask yourself…
What took up most of my time and why?
Did I spend enough time on this task?
How long did it take me to complete certain tasks?
Am I slacking during certain times of the day?
Once you have finished your audit, create a plan.
- Plan out your day with only the priorities that will make an impact
- Consolidate tasks if you can
- Delegate where applicable
- Make changes to your schedule if needed
- If there is a very large task, break it down to manageable smaller tasks
- Track progress and strive to stay consistent
Do not overwhelm yourself by trying to make all these changes at once. Start with one and slowly build when you feel ready.
To a successful audit,
Tysheena