22: How To Get The MOST Out Of Your Time Tracking

Oct 16, 2019

Now that we’ve tracked our time (get started here if you haven’t yet), it’s time to actually dig into this data. It’s not useful to just track it without taking the next step to analyze it and then take some appropriate actions. 

 

We’ve developed a super simple step-by-step debrief for you to work through + review after you’ve tracked your time so that you can actually USE that data to improve the future + how you’re using your time. 

 

Remember, this is DATA -- so we’ve got to actually look at it closely and make different decisions on how we spend this time in the future if we want our day to day to look any differently. Collecting data isn’t useful on it’s own...we have to DO something with it! 

 

Here’s how we debrief: 

1. Trash
2. Trim 
3. Treasure
   1. What types of tasks?
   2. How many hours?
   3. Do we currently have someone or is this a gap? 
4. Transfer
5. If you have someone on the team you can transfer to, follow our delegation principles -- listen to this episode!
6. If there’s a gap -- use it to create a job description
7. Calculate -- how much time did I get back? AND -- what am I going to do with that time?
8. Get out a post-it and write “is this something I need to be doing?” and stick it to your computer...this isn’t a one and done activity, we want to train your brain to start looking for things you can trash, trim, + transfer all the time -- but in order for that to happen, we have to keep it top of mind! Hence, the post-it. 
9. I’d love to hear your biggest time tracking takeaway -- share with us on IG @rlclockwork! 

 

Here’s what some of our clients’ biggest takeaways were this week...

 

OMG it's literally insane. I probably only tracked 75% of my context switches and it's already nuts back and forth.

 

My time tracking is crazy. I could fill pages and pages. So many distractions and interruptions even if i say do not disturb.

 

 it may never be the right time to capture a "typical" week. But as imperfect as it was, my time tracking has already given me LOTS of valuable insight about how I personally can be much more efficient with my time.

 

Takeaway: how much stuff I do that someone else should be doing.

 

Takeaway - We will never stop improving and I need to capture more systems to effectively transfer tasks!

 

My biggest takeaway? For the first time since we started the company and have been consistently time tracking for a year -- I feel like I’m not DOING that much. WOOHOO! And I share this because -- it takes time! But it’s totally possible with the right intention + action. 

 

Time to go debrief your data! 

 

Grab your time tracking sheet here. 

Listen to the time tracking episode here. 

Listen to the clockwork delegation episode here.