1 00:00:09,560 --> 00:00:09,720 Speaker 1: Hi. 2 00:00:09,960 --> 00:00:13,840 Speaker 2: I'm Laura Vanderkamp. I'm a mother of five, an author, journalist, 3 00:00:13,880 --> 00:00:14,440 Speaker 2: and speaker. 4 00:00:15,320 --> 00:00:19,120 Speaker 3: And I'm Sarah Hart Hunger, a mother of three, practicing physician, writer, 5 00:00:19,440 --> 00:00:22,280 Speaker 3: and courtse creator. We are two working parents who love 6 00:00:22,320 --> 00:00:24,040 Speaker 3: our careers and our families. 7 00:00:24,720 --> 00:00:27,360 Speaker 2: Welcome to best of both worlds. Here we talk about 8 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:30,360 Speaker 2: how real women manage work, family, and time for fun. 9 00:00:30,880 --> 00:00:33,360 Speaker 2: From figuring out childcare to mapping out long. 10 00:00:33,280 --> 00:00:34,200 Speaker 1: Term career goals. 11 00:00:34,440 --> 00:00:40,680 Speaker 2: We want you to get the most out of life. 12 00:00:41,360 --> 00:00:44,000 Speaker 1: Welcome to best of both worlds. This is Laura. 13 00:00:44,120 --> 00:00:47,720 Speaker 2: This episode is airing in late September of twenty twenty five. 14 00:00:48,240 --> 00:00:53,280 Speaker 2: We're calling this the Time Tracking Manifesto, an episode devoted 15 00:00:53,320 --> 00:00:56,160 Speaker 2: to the subject of time tracking and why you might 16 00:00:56,240 --> 00:00:59,440 Speaker 2: want to give it a whirl. I have been tracking 17 00:00:59,480 --> 00:01:02,480 Speaker 2: my time for ten and a half years now. Nobody 18 00:01:02,480 --> 00:01:05,360 Speaker 2: else needs to do that, but I've found it useful 19 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:08,160 Speaker 2: for me at least. However, you don't need to just 20 00:01:08,240 --> 00:01:12,240 Speaker 2: hear about me doing this, because Sarah also recently decided 21 00:01:12,240 --> 00:01:14,759 Speaker 2: to start tracking her time, at least for a while. 22 00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:18,800 Speaker 2: I know you've not necessarily done this much in the past. 23 00:01:18,800 --> 00:01:20,959 Speaker 2: There maybe you could talk about why not and what 24 00:01:21,120 --> 00:01:21,919 Speaker 2: changed this time. 25 00:01:22,160 --> 00:01:23,880 Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean I have done it off and on 26 00:01:24,120 --> 00:01:28,760 Speaker 3: in the past, with various levels of success. Sometimes I 27 00:01:28,959 --> 00:01:31,319 Speaker 3: find myself going strong for a few days and then 28 00:01:31,360 --> 00:01:33,720 Speaker 3: give up, and other times I find myself doing really 29 00:01:33,720 --> 00:01:35,520 Speaker 3: well on the morning and then just kind of losing 30 00:01:35,520 --> 00:01:38,040 Speaker 3: steam toward the end of the day and find that 31 00:01:38,120 --> 00:01:41,200 Speaker 3: post work time frame, those golden hours turn into this 32 00:01:41,800 --> 00:01:46,680 Speaker 3: like milledge of nothingness. I usually use paper, so I 33 00:01:46,720 --> 00:01:48,400 Speaker 3: would just do it right in my planner, or i'd 34 00:01:48,480 --> 00:01:51,440 Speaker 3: use a separate notebook. I definitely did get a boost 35 00:01:51,440 --> 00:01:55,160 Speaker 3: in accountability and consistency when I forced myself to blog 36 00:01:55,400 --> 00:01:57,840 Speaker 3: how I spent the time, So I have been successful 37 00:01:58,000 --> 00:01:59,680 Speaker 3: on those occasions where I'm like, you know what, I'm 38 00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:02,120 Speaker 3: just gonna this is my content for the week. But 39 00:02:03,440 --> 00:02:07,400 Speaker 3: I had not tried an electronic tool until I finally decided, 40 00:02:07,440 --> 00:02:10,280 Speaker 3: you know what, they exist. My phone is with me 41 00:02:10,320 --> 00:02:13,280 Speaker 3: a lot of the time. Let me see if these 42 00:02:13,320 --> 00:02:16,840 Speaker 3: things work. And I downloaded toggle, which is free, just 43 00:02:16,840 --> 00:02:20,079 Speaker 3: because it had by far the highest number of reviews, 44 00:02:20,560 --> 00:02:23,120 Speaker 3: and I actually found it to be quite user friendly 45 00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:27,760 Speaker 3: and easy, and you can even see the time allotment 46 00:02:27,800 --> 00:02:29,720 Speaker 3: on your Apple Watch, which I now have, and I 47 00:02:29,720 --> 00:02:32,359 Speaker 3: don't think I had in past times when I tried 48 00:02:32,360 --> 00:02:35,840 Speaker 3: to use electronic methods, so it actually turned out to 49 00:02:35,880 --> 00:02:38,760 Speaker 3: be a better method for me, and I was able 50 00:02:38,760 --> 00:02:40,600 Speaker 3: to be more consistent, and I'm actually still kind of 51 00:02:40,639 --> 00:02:42,760 Speaker 3: doing it. I'm not sure when my end date is. 52 00:02:42,800 --> 00:02:45,280 Speaker 3: I am not going for ten years, but I'm finding 53 00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:46,120 Speaker 3: it kind of interesting. 54 00:02:46,200 --> 00:02:50,800 Speaker 2: So yeah, I often recommend people try Toggle if they're like, well, 55 00:02:50,840 --> 00:02:52,800 Speaker 2: I want to use an app because I use spreadsheets, 56 00:02:53,360 --> 00:02:56,160 Speaker 2: which is a perfectly fine way to do it as well. 57 00:02:56,200 --> 00:02:59,239 Speaker 2: But if people want a time tracking app, Toggle does 58 00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:02,639 Speaker 2: have the upside being free, at least for the basic version, 59 00:03:03,720 --> 00:03:06,359 Speaker 2: so you know, you can download it and try it, 60 00:03:06,960 --> 00:03:10,079 Speaker 2: and if you decide that, hey, I'm really into this 61 00:03:10,160 --> 00:03:12,799 Speaker 2: electronic time tracking, but there are a few other features 62 00:03:12,840 --> 00:03:14,840 Speaker 2: I'd like to see, Well, then you could go into 63 00:03:15,400 --> 00:03:19,360 Speaker 2: the whole app market for time trackers that might be paid. 64 00:03:19,400 --> 00:03:21,200 Speaker 2: But you know what you were looking for, right, so 65 00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:25,079 Speaker 2: it wouldn't be quite as just guessing as you might 66 00:03:25,760 --> 00:03:27,600 Speaker 2: if you hadn't tried it out. So yeah, I often 67 00:03:27,639 --> 00:03:30,200 Speaker 2: tell people to start with Toggle, So how does it 68 00:03:30,240 --> 00:03:32,320 Speaker 2: actually work? Like, maybe you can tell people how you 69 00:03:32,800 --> 00:03:34,600 Speaker 2: use Toggle to actually track your time. 70 00:03:34,720 --> 00:03:36,680 Speaker 3: Yeah, So too bad. We don't have visual aids. I 71 00:03:36,680 --> 00:03:39,040 Speaker 3: could pull up my phone right now it probably says 72 00:03:39,080 --> 00:03:43,280 Speaker 3: podcast recording, But basically it has a running timer and 73 00:03:43,360 --> 00:03:45,720 Speaker 3: you type in what it says what are you doing now? 74 00:03:45,760 --> 00:03:47,800 Speaker 3: And you type in what you're doing now, and then 75 00:03:47,920 --> 00:03:50,280 Speaker 3: when they were going to switch activities, you press stop 76 00:03:50,320 --> 00:03:52,000 Speaker 3: and then you type in what you're doing now, so 77 00:03:52,040 --> 00:03:53,960 Speaker 3: you type in the new thing, And there is definitely 78 00:03:53,960 --> 00:03:55,760 Speaker 3: a learning curve. Like when I started, I was like, oh, 79 00:03:55,880 --> 00:03:58,480 Speaker 3: let me be really granular and like now I'm taking 80 00:03:58,480 --> 00:04:01,200 Speaker 3: a shower, and now I'm doing that instead. I've definitely 81 00:04:01,200 --> 00:04:04,240 Speaker 3: found that it's easier to lump categories together. I've also 82 00:04:04,320 --> 00:04:06,920 Speaker 3: found that I like to make my category names really 83 00:04:06,960 --> 00:04:09,680 Speaker 3: short and use emojis. Just makes it more satisfying and 84 00:04:09,840 --> 00:04:12,400 Speaker 3: like quicker, and it is easy to go back and 85 00:04:12,440 --> 00:04:14,480 Speaker 3: fix it, so it's not like if I forgot to 86 00:04:14,560 --> 00:04:18,039 Speaker 3: hit press podcast recording that I couldn't go back in 87 00:04:18,080 --> 00:04:20,839 Speaker 3: time and like it. Maybe it thinks I'm showering for 88 00:04:20,839 --> 00:04:23,239 Speaker 3: three hours, but I could pay you're still in the shower, 89 00:04:24,560 --> 00:04:26,680 Speaker 3: So I do like that. It's kind of like you 90 00:04:26,720 --> 00:04:28,599 Speaker 3: can edit it without it looking like a mess, so 91 00:04:28,640 --> 00:04:29,320 Speaker 3: that's nice. 92 00:04:29,560 --> 00:04:32,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, which is not the case necessarily with paper 93 00:04:32,640 --> 00:04:34,840 Speaker 2: if you are crossing things out left and right, or 94 00:04:34,839 --> 00:04:36,400 Speaker 2: though you might not have even put it down in 95 00:04:36,400 --> 00:04:39,760 Speaker 2: the first place. But yeah, I mean, and so it 96 00:04:39,800 --> 00:04:41,880 Speaker 2: sounds like it's pretty easy then, right, Like it's not 97 00:04:42,440 --> 00:04:44,600 Speaker 2: taking a whole lot of time to track your time. 98 00:04:44,680 --> 00:04:46,320 Speaker 3: No, it takes like a second. You just have to 99 00:04:46,360 --> 00:04:49,120 Speaker 3: remember when you're switching activities, which just takes a little 100 00:04:49,120 --> 00:04:50,719 Speaker 3: bit of a learning curve. But I feel like after 101 00:04:50,720 --> 00:04:53,120 Speaker 3: the first few days, when you're annoying yourself by having 102 00:04:53,120 --> 00:04:55,480 Speaker 3: to go back and fix things, you get better at 103 00:04:55,480 --> 00:04:57,520 Speaker 3: it now. One thing I haven't done with it that 104 00:04:57,520 --> 00:04:58,840 Speaker 3: I think I could do a lot more with is 105 00:04:58,880 --> 00:05:01,360 Speaker 3: like the analysis piece. I've looked at what the day 106 00:05:01,360 --> 00:05:03,200 Speaker 3: looks like, just like scrolling through. You can get it 107 00:05:03,200 --> 00:05:05,280 Speaker 3: in like schedule view and you can basically like see 108 00:05:05,400 --> 00:05:07,279 Speaker 3: how many hours were spent doing each thing, which is 109 00:05:07,279 --> 00:05:09,640 Speaker 3: how I was able to quantify various things. But I 110 00:05:09,640 --> 00:05:11,919 Speaker 3: haven't done any kind of like higher level analysis. I 111 00:05:11,960 --> 00:05:14,040 Speaker 3: have a feeling I am not using this app to 112 00:05:14,080 --> 00:05:18,280 Speaker 3: its full extent, and I also have the free versions. 113 00:05:18,320 --> 00:05:20,840 Speaker 3: So yeah, I'm sure there's a lot more you can 114 00:05:20,880 --> 00:05:21,159 Speaker 3: do with it. 115 00:05:21,839 --> 00:05:24,760 Speaker 2: But it actually is, Especially something like that, it might 116 00:05:24,800 --> 00:05:28,880 Speaker 2: be easier to add things up than it would be if. Now, 117 00:05:28,960 --> 00:05:31,840 Speaker 2: theoretically the upside of a spreadsheet is it could calculate too, 118 00:05:31,960 --> 00:05:34,719 Speaker 2: like how many entries said sleep. But if you ever 119 00:05:35,480 --> 00:05:38,960 Speaker 2: describe things slightly differently that are the same thing in 120 00:05:39,000 --> 00:05:41,960 Speaker 2: a spreadsheet, then obviously you quickly lose that functionality. 121 00:05:42,080 --> 00:05:44,360 Speaker 1: And I sometimes have that. 122 00:05:44,320 --> 00:05:46,760 Speaker 2: Like if I have a bathroom trip in the middle 123 00:05:46,800 --> 00:05:48,640 Speaker 2: of the night, I might put that in or and 124 00:05:48,680 --> 00:05:50,680 Speaker 2: so then it would have sleep and something else in 125 00:05:50,720 --> 00:05:54,200 Speaker 2: the cell instead of just sleep. But I'm not really 126 00:05:54,600 --> 00:05:57,200 Speaker 2: awake for that whole thirty minute block, so I lost 127 00:05:57,200 --> 00:06:01,400 Speaker 2: that functionality quite quickly, so I'm often adding things up manually. 128 00:06:01,720 --> 00:06:02,920 Speaker 1: And the upside of something. 129 00:06:02,720 --> 00:06:05,200 Speaker 2: Like toggle is that could just do it for you, right, 130 00:06:05,279 --> 00:06:07,839 Speaker 2: like everything that said work could say work. 131 00:06:07,920 --> 00:06:09,840 Speaker 3: Yes, although you have the same risk like if you 132 00:06:09,960 --> 00:06:12,240 Speaker 3: enter it differently, it doesn't know if you However, when 133 00:06:12,279 --> 00:06:14,560 Speaker 3: you start typing, it gives you suggestions based on what 134 00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:17,279 Speaker 3: you have before. So maybe that would lower the chances 135 00:06:17,320 --> 00:06:20,360 Speaker 3: that you would put some novel description for something because. 136 00:06:20,120 --> 00:06:25,120 Speaker 2: On a freelance version of your work in there. Yeah, well, 137 00:06:25,720 --> 00:06:27,920 Speaker 2: I'm curious, you said you haven't really done a whole 138 00:06:27,960 --> 00:06:30,000 Speaker 2: lot of high level analysis of it. Do you see 139 00:06:30,040 --> 00:06:32,160 Speaker 2: any thing as you're looking at it? 140 00:06:32,240 --> 00:06:34,960 Speaker 3: I've done low level analysis, and I had a couple 141 00:06:35,000 --> 00:06:38,160 Speaker 3: of takeaways. One is that I spend a lot of 142 00:06:38,279 --> 00:06:41,200 Speaker 3: time in the car. I mean I knew that, but 143 00:06:41,320 --> 00:06:44,239 Speaker 3: like when you actually do the drive leaving your house, 144 00:06:44,320 --> 00:06:46,400 Speaker 3: press start, and then like finally arrive at the office 145 00:06:46,440 --> 00:06:48,400 Speaker 3: and go, oh my god, that was eighty five minutes, 146 00:06:48,800 --> 00:06:52,080 Speaker 3: Like really, you can't tell yourself stories that it doesn't 147 00:06:52,080 --> 00:06:53,919 Speaker 3: take that long to drop off both of your kids 148 00:06:54,080 --> 00:06:56,320 Speaker 3: get to work, and that's okay. I'm not saying that's 149 00:06:56,360 --> 00:06:58,760 Speaker 3: like a terrible thing, but it's like, oh, well, let 150 00:06:58,800 --> 00:07:01,760 Speaker 3: me make sure that, like I, I'm attentively doing things 151 00:07:01,760 --> 00:07:04,760 Speaker 3: that I want to be doing within the limitations of 152 00:07:04,760 --> 00:07:06,920 Speaker 3: what you can do behind the wheel, But like chatting 153 00:07:06,960 --> 00:07:09,760 Speaker 3: with my kids, picking music that they like, listening to it, 154 00:07:09,960 --> 00:07:12,800 Speaker 3: listening to my own music, listening to podcasts, et cetera, 155 00:07:12,880 --> 00:07:14,640 Speaker 3: and not seeing that as like, oh, this is just 156 00:07:14,720 --> 00:07:17,240 Speaker 3: quick and transitional, because eighty five minutes is not. 157 00:07:18,160 --> 00:07:20,880 Speaker 2: Eighty five minutes is a lot of time. I mean 158 00:07:20,920 --> 00:07:25,200 Speaker 2: that's leaving at seven thirty five to be at your 159 00:07:25,280 --> 00:07:27,520 Speaker 2: office at nine right, correct. 160 00:07:27,400 --> 00:07:29,680 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, that's exactly it. That's eighty five minutes. It's 161 00:07:29,720 --> 00:07:31,880 Speaker 3: usually skewed slightly earlier than that, so it's like leaving 162 00:07:31,920 --> 00:07:36,040 Speaker 3: at seven twenty to get there at whatever, five. 163 00:07:35,840 --> 00:07:41,760 Speaker 1: Minutes, eight forty five exactly. It's not really I don't know. 164 00:07:42,320 --> 00:07:45,040 Speaker 2: Suddenly the math is beyond me at this moment, but 165 00:07:45,200 --> 00:07:47,400 Speaker 2: we're recording. But yeah, yeah, no, I think a lot 166 00:07:47,440 --> 00:07:50,640 Speaker 2: of people sort of have discoveries like that. 167 00:07:50,920 --> 00:07:53,560 Speaker 1: I was thinking about that today, of. 168 00:07:53,480 --> 00:07:55,000 Speaker 2: How much time I am going to spend in the 169 00:07:55,000 --> 00:07:59,520 Speaker 2: car today because my Beethoven listening project for today assigned 170 00:07:59,560 --> 00:08:04,840 Speaker 2: me Fidaleo, which is a whole opera. So the question 171 00:08:05,000 --> 00:08:08,520 Speaker 2: is am I in the car for a whole opera today? 172 00:08:09,040 --> 00:08:12,920 Speaker 2: And it's not going to be that far off, right, 173 00:08:13,000 --> 00:08:16,280 Speaker 2: Like I took Sam to school this morning and drove home. 174 00:08:16,720 --> 00:08:18,920 Speaker 2: I will pick him up from cross Country and drive home. 175 00:08:18,960 --> 00:08:20,720 Speaker 2: He's just going to have to listen to Fidelio because 176 00:08:20,720 --> 00:08:23,680 Speaker 2: he's in the car with me. I will drive to 177 00:08:24,080 --> 00:08:29,520 Speaker 2: rehearsal tonight and back home, and I don't think that's 178 00:08:30,000 --> 00:08:32,400 Speaker 2: total two hours for all of it, but it's not 179 00:08:32,559 --> 00:08:35,400 Speaker 2: that far off of it. So in theory, I could 180 00:08:35,400 --> 00:08:39,400 Speaker 2: in fact listen to the whole of Fidaleo in the car, 181 00:08:39,440 --> 00:08:41,680 Speaker 2: which is like, oh my goodness, that is a lot. 182 00:08:41,600 --> 00:08:43,240 Speaker 1: Of time in the car. Like would you think, like, oh, 183 00:08:43,280 --> 00:08:46,160 Speaker 1: on a Monday, I could see a whole opera. 184 00:08:46,360 --> 00:08:50,240 Speaker 2: I mean no, But in fact, all this time does 185 00:08:50,280 --> 00:08:52,760 Speaker 2: add up, and if you're you're listening to it, So yeah, 186 00:08:53,440 --> 00:08:56,880 Speaker 2: I think it's worth trying, right, I mean, Sarah, you 187 00:08:56,880 --> 00:08:57,920 Speaker 2: would agree with us. 188 00:08:57,880 --> 00:09:00,400 Speaker 3: Oh, one hundred percent. I think. Well, let me share 189 00:09:00,440 --> 00:09:03,320 Speaker 3: my other takeaway, which is that classic Laura van OrCam 190 00:09:03,520 --> 00:09:06,360 Speaker 3: you have more time than you think. I always feel like, 191 00:09:06,640 --> 00:09:08,800 Speaker 3: oh my gosh, my evenings are so rushed, like there's 192 00:09:08,840 --> 00:09:10,920 Speaker 3: nothing of quality I can put in here. But when 193 00:09:10,960 --> 00:09:13,920 Speaker 3: I actually acknowledge the sheer minutes between, like when I 194 00:09:13,920 --> 00:09:15,839 Speaker 3: get home from work on a clinical day or when 195 00:09:15,840 --> 00:09:18,320 Speaker 3: I finish work on a regular day, a non clinical day, 196 00:09:18,360 --> 00:09:19,800 Speaker 3: and then like when the kids go to bed, like 197 00:09:19,840 --> 00:09:22,079 Speaker 3: there are a lot of minutes and I'm not doing 198 00:09:22,120 --> 00:09:24,199 Speaker 3: the kind of hands on parenting that I used to 199 00:09:24,240 --> 00:09:26,800 Speaker 3: do when they were little. There is homework help, there 200 00:09:26,840 --> 00:09:30,679 Speaker 3: are emotional supports, there are drives sometimes to pick someone up. 201 00:09:30,720 --> 00:09:33,080 Speaker 3: So it's not like I'm doing nothing, but like, there's 202 00:09:33,200 --> 00:09:35,160 Speaker 3: just more time there than I think, and I wouldn't 203 00:09:35,200 --> 00:09:38,600 Speaker 3: have without quantifying it. I really do think we can 204 00:09:38,679 --> 00:09:40,840 Speaker 3: just kind of tell ourselves stories. 205 00:09:41,400 --> 00:09:42,000 Speaker 1: Yeah. 206 00:09:42,120 --> 00:09:43,800 Speaker 2: No, it is easy to say like, oh, well, we 207 00:09:43,840 --> 00:09:46,880 Speaker 2: have so much stuff this evening, there is no time whatsoever. 208 00:09:47,880 --> 00:09:50,000 Speaker 2: But certainly, as I have been coming out of that 209 00:09:50,800 --> 00:09:55,280 Speaker 2: intense handholding parenting stage as well, I'm starting to see, yeah, 210 00:09:55,360 --> 00:09:57,800 Speaker 2: like the evenings have a lot of time. 211 00:09:57,880 --> 00:10:01,040 Speaker 1: Like the other day, I got Henry to bed. 212 00:10:01,040 --> 00:10:02,760 Speaker 2: It was about eight forty five, and I'm like, well, 213 00:10:02,800 --> 00:10:05,960 Speaker 2: I'm not planning on going to sleep until like ten 214 00:10:06,080 --> 00:10:11,080 Speaker 2: forty five. There's two hours here. I don't necessarily have 215 00:10:11,160 --> 00:10:13,640 Speaker 2: something I was planning on doing. I hadn't really thought 216 00:10:13,679 --> 00:10:14,960 Speaker 2: it through, but I like two hours. 217 00:10:15,000 --> 00:10:17,600 Speaker 1: There's a lot of time. Like I have two mostly 218 00:10:17,679 --> 00:10:18,480 Speaker 1: kid free hours here. 219 00:10:18,480 --> 00:10:20,200 Speaker 2: I'll make sure the other kids have turned their lights 220 00:10:20,200 --> 00:10:23,160 Speaker 2: off at some point, but they're supposed to be doing 221 00:10:23,200 --> 00:10:26,079 Speaker 2: their own thing, and I have time, and yeah, I 222 00:10:26,480 --> 00:10:30,160 Speaker 2: have to sort it out, like this is leisure time. 223 00:10:30,840 --> 00:10:34,600 Speaker 1: It is a lot of leisure time, and yet if. 224 00:10:34,440 --> 00:10:36,560 Speaker 2: You don't think about it, it's easy to lose it 225 00:10:36,600 --> 00:10:37,920 Speaker 2: to random things. 226 00:10:38,000 --> 00:10:41,040 Speaker 1: And so yeah, we're just throwing. 227 00:10:40,840 --> 00:10:43,440 Speaker 2: Out of here in our time tracking manifesto that you 228 00:10:43,559 --> 00:10:46,640 Speaker 2: might want to consider if to track time, because if 229 00:10:46,679 --> 00:10:48,959 Speaker 2: you want to spend your time better, it really helps 230 00:10:49,000 --> 00:10:51,720 Speaker 2: to know where it is going now, because otherwise, like 231 00:10:52,200 --> 00:10:53,679 Speaker 2: how do you know if you're changing the right thing. 232 00:10:53,720 --> 00:10:56,079 Speaker 2: You may be telling yourself a story that I have 233 00:10:56,120 --> 00:10:59,400 Speaker 2: no time because I'm always cleaning my house, and then 234 00:10:59,440 --> 00:11:01,280 Speaker 2: you track your time and you see that you're spending 235 00:11:01,280 --> 00:11:03,280 Speaker 2: more time in the car than you are cleaning your house. 236 00:11:03,320 --> 00:11:06,000 Speaker 2: It's like, okay, well maybe both could go down, But 237 00:11:06,400 --> 00:11:09,000 Speaker 2: let's look at the thing that's occupying the biggest chunk 238 00:11:09,040 --> 00:11:12,880 Speaker 2: of time to see if there's some opportunities there or 239 00:11:12,920 --> 00:11:14,840 Speaker 2: maybe something you haven't thought. It's taking a lot more 240 00:11:14,880 --> 00:11:17,520 Speaker 2: time than you imagine. You just want to be working 241 00:11:17,600 --> 00:11:20,040 Speaker 2: from good data, and really the only way to get 242 00:11:20,080 --> 00:11:23,280 Speaker 2: that data is to actually keep track of your time, because, 243 00:11:23,280 --> 00:11:26,080 Speaker 2: as Sarah said, we tell ourselves a ton of stories, 244 00:11:26,559 --> 00:11:29,600 Speaker 2: and the stories may not be one hundred percent true. 245 00:11:29,760 --> 00:11:31,200 Speaker 2: So we're going to take a quick ad break and 246 00:11:31,200 --> 00:11:43,680 Speaker 2: then we'll be back with more about time tracking. 247 00:11:46,480 --> 00:11:48,640 Speaker 3: All right, we are back, and I'm going to ask 248 00:11:48,640 --> 00:11:52,120 Speaker 3: you a few questions about time tracking. Particularly what do 249 00:11:52,200 --> 00:11:55,240 Speaker 3: people discover? And I will just start with a tiny 250 00:11:55,240 --> 00:11:57,600 Speaker 3: thing for myself, which is that I mentioned discovering I 251 00:11:57,640 --> 00:12:00,760 Speaker 3: had more time in the evenings and yeah, yet I 252 00:12:00,920 --> 00:12:04,400 Speaker 3: discovered that my limiting factor was not time but energy. 253 00:12:04,480 --> 00:12:05,360 Speaker 1: So that was like an. 254 00:12:05,240 --> 00:12:08,160 Speaker 3: Interesting thing that I came up with. But I am interested. 255 00:12:08,520 --> 00:12:10,960 Speaker 3: You have looked at like nine million time logs. Well 256 00:12:11,000 --> 00:12:12,840 Speaker 3: maybe that's a hyperbole, but you've looked at a lot 257 00:12:12,840 --> 00:12:13,960 Speaker 3: of time logs. 258 00:12:14,040 --> 00:12:17,080 Speaker 2: And we're into the four figures for sure, in terms 259 00:12:17,120 --> 00:12:17,600 Speaker 2: of numbers. 260 00:12:17,800 --> 00:12:20,240 Speaker 3: Yeah, that's amazing, and I can imagine there are some 261 00:12:20,679 --> 00:12:23,920 Speaker 3: common themes, So tell us, like what are the undercover 262 00:12:24,360 --> 00:12:26,760 Speaker 3: discoveries that people have when they finally shine light on 263 00:12:26,800 --> 00:12:29,720 Speaker 3: how they're using their one hundred and sixty eight hours. 264 00:12:30,080 --> 00:12:32,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, well, the first thing people discover is that there 265 00:12:32,120 --> 00:12:33,920 Speaker 2: aree hundred and sixty eight hours in a week. I mean, 266 00:12:33,960 --> 00:12:37,320 Speaker 2: that is something that I will tell you most people 267 00:12:37,360 --> 00:12:40,199 Speaker 2: don't know, and that was great for me for search 268 00:12:40,200 --> 00:12:42,320 Speaker 2: engine purposes. I don't know if it's still the case, 269 00:12:42,360 --> 00:12:43,800 Speaker 2: but for a while, if you typed one hundred and 270 00:12:43,800 --> 00:12:46,360 Speaker 2: sixty eight hours into Google, you would get me, which 271 00:12:46,400 --> 00:12:49,280 Speaker 2: is kind of crazy because that's like typing twenty four 272 00:12:49,280 --> 00:12:51,400 Speaker 2: hours in a day and getting Laura Vanderkam like, you 273 00:12:51,400 --> 00:12:53,440 Speaker 2: wouldn't do that, But one hundred and sixty eight is 274 00:12:53,440 --> 00:12:56,160 Speaker 2: so not known. People say twenty four to seven, and 275 00:12:56,240 --> 00:13:00,560 Speaker 2: yet they never multiply it through. The first thing people 276 00:13:00,600 --> 00:13:03,320 Speaker 2: discover is like, oh, yeah, that's what a week looks like. 277 00:13:03,320 --> 00:13:05,120 Speaker 2: That's how many hours are in a week, which is 278 00:13:05,240 --> 00:13:07,160 Speaker 2: helpful in and of itself. I mean, if you've been 279 00:13:07,480 --> 00:13:09,679 Speaker 2: telling yourself, I have no time for anything because I 280 00:13:09,720 --> 00:13:11,760 Speaker 2: have a full time job, and then you realize, okay, 281 00:13:11,800 --> 00:13:14,360 Speaker 2: well I work forty five hours of one hundred and 282 00:13:14,400 --> 00:13:17,679 Speaker 2: sixty eight. There are a few hours left over when 283 00:13:17,679 --> 00:13:20,360 Speaker 2: you subtract, so maybe it's possible to do some other things. 284 00:13:20,400 --> 00:13:25,400 Speaker 1: So that's kind of exciting to discover, but those are 285 00:13:25,400 --> 00:13:27,240 Speaker 1: so what you mentioned. Energy. 286 00:13:27,360 --> 00:13:29,480 Speaker 2: People might see that the limiting factor is not that 287 00:13:29,559 --> 00:13:32,400 Speaker 2: I have zero time. It is that the time I 288 00:13:32,480 --> 00:13:35,720 Speaker 2: do have tends to come when I have very limited energy. 289 00:13:36,120 --> 00:13:38,160 Speaker 2: But then you can decide, well, are there things I 290 00:13:38,160 --> 00:13:41,080 Speaker 2: can do about that? And there might be one is 291 00:13:41,080 --> 00:13:43,559 Speaker 2: you can choose low energy activities. 292 00:13:43,679 --> 00:13:44,760 Speaker 1: Right, maybe there are. 293 00:13:44,720 --> 00:13:47,000 Speaker 2: Things that you can do that don't require a lot 294 00:13:47,000 --> 00:13:49,080 Speaker 2: of energy, but that you still enjoy, but you know, 295 00:13:49,080 --> 00:13:51,160 Speaker 2: if you set an intention, then you are able to 296 00:13:51,559 --> 00:13:55,160 Speaker 2: seize that time. In some cases, if it's lower energy 297 00:13:55,200 --> 00:13:57,960 Speaker 2: and it's not like late at night, if it's for 298 00:13:58,000 --> 00:14:00,120 Speaker 2: whatever reason, you have low energy in the afternoons and 299 00:14:00,160 --> 00:14:03,360 Speaker 2: that's when you have free time for some reason, maybe 300 00:14:03,400 --> 00:14:05,320 Speaker 2: there are things you can do to boost your energy. 301 00:14:05,920 --> 00:14:08,480 Speaker 2: There are certain activities people do, I mean, like getting 302 00:14:08,520 --> 00:14:11,920 Speaker 2: fresh air or exercise that sometimes make people feel like 303 00:14:11,960 --> 00:14:15,320 Speaker 2: they can do more things than if they didn't. Sometimes 304 00:14:15,320 --> 00:14:17,920 Speaker 2: people decide, not in your case, Sarah, but other people 305 00:14:18,360 --> 00:14:22,720 Speaker 2: decide to move where that free time happens. So if 306 00:14:22,760 --> 00:14:26,120 Speaker 2: you've been staying up late and you have little energy 307 00:14:26,320 --> 00:14:28,920 Speaker 2: at night, maybe you could decide to go to bed earlier, 308 00:14:29,320 --> 00:14:31,840 Speaker 2: wake up a little bit earlier, and have some of 309 00:14:31,840 --> 00:14:34,520 Speaker 2: that free time in the morning when you might have 310 00:14:34,560 --> 00:14:37,320 Speaker 2: more energy for other things. So that's something that maybe 311 00:14:37,480 --> 00:14:40,520 Speaker 2: a time log could show. But yeah, in general, not 312 00:14:40,680 --> 00:14:43,600 Speaker 2: having a sense of how much time there is or 313 00:14:43,640 --> 00:14:45,600 Speaker 2: like where the space is, a lot of time is 314 00:14:45,640 --> 00:14:49,520 Speaker 2: just spent unintentionally, we overestimate things we don't want to do. 315 00:14:50,400 --> 00:14:53,760 Speaker 2: So in many cases, people overestimate how many hours they 316 00:14:53,800 --> 00:14:58,880 Speaker 2: are working because let's say maybe some of us love 317 00:14:58,880 --> 00:15:01,160 Speaker 2: our jobs, but not everybody and not every minute, so 318 00:15:01,200 --> 00:15:03,920 Speaker 2: it's easy to overestimate how many hours we are working. 319 00:15:05,000 --> 00:15:09,240 Speaker 2: We overestimate housework often by somewhat ridiculous factors, but that's 320 00:15:09,240 --> 00:15:11,640 Speaker 2: because we don't want to do it, and so we 321 00:15:11,760 --> 00:15:14,120 Speaker 2: decide that emptying the dishwasher takes thirty minutes. 322 00:15:14,160 --> 00:15:17,400 Speaker 1: It does not. So if that's what's in your brain, 323 00:15:18,240 --> 00:15:18,920 Speaker 1: you might want to. 324 00:15:19,400 --> 00:15:21,880 Speaker 3: Time in you know what, So folding laundry takes forever, 325 00:15:22,480 --> 00:15:24,480 Speaker 3: that's been I take to state that like unloading the 326 00:15:24,480 --> 00:15:27,040 Speaker 3: dishwasher is a very brief task, it's like eight minutes 327 00:15:27,040 --> 00:15:29,960 Speaker 3: a lot of times, and folding the laundry takes like 328 00:15:30,200 --> 00:15:32,520 Speaker 3: I can spend thirty minutes folding a giant I mean, 329 00:15:32,600 --> 00:15:35,600 Speaker 3: we do giant loads of laundry. But that's a reason 330 00:15:35,640 --> 00:15:37,520 Speaker 3: to do that while you're listening to a great. 331 00:15:37,360 --> 00:15:40,120 Speaker 2: Podcast or watching that fund If Rgilio is the case 332 00:15:40,200 --> 00:15:45,040 Speaker 2: making an opera, yes, definitely, yes an opera. So if 333 00:15:45,080 --> 00:15:48,080 Speaker 2: you are telling yourself that you are spending a ridiculous 334 00:15:48,080 --> 00:15:50,360 Speaker 2: amount of time on housework, it might be worth timing 335 00:15:50,400 --> 00:15:51,200 Speaker 2: it just to see. 336 00:15:51,280 --> 00:15:52,600 Speaker 1: I'm not saying you like it. 337 00:15:52,720 --> 00:15:56,160 Speaker 2: Like I could totally buy that we dislike every minute 338 00:15:56,160 --> 00:15:59,200 Speaker 2: of it, but it may not be as many minutes 339 00:15:59,440 --> 00:16:02,920 Speaker 2: as we think. People tend to underestimate things they do 340 00:16:02,960 --> 00:16:06,480 Speaker 2: want to do, So people underestimate leisure time, and they 341 00:16:06,560 --> 00:16:12,840 Speaker 2: underestimate sleep. We tend to view our shortest night as typical. 342 00:16:12,840 --> 00:16:15,120 Speaker 2: If you ask someone to describe a typical night for you, 343 00:16:15,160 --> 00:16:19,880 Speaker 2: they will never describe a Friday or Saturday night, or 344 00:16:19,880 --> 00:16:22,720 Speaker 2: a holiday night. It'll always be like a Tuesday night, 345 00:16:23,320 --> 00:16:24,920 Speaker 2: and that it tends to be like the Tuesday that 346 00:16:24,960 --> 00:16:27,800 Speaker 2: they actually got up at the time they intended to. 347 00:16:27,920 --> 00:16:30,840 Speaker 2: There was no snoozing, there was no sleeping through alarm, 348 00:16:31,000 --> 00:16:32,600 Speaker 2: and it was when they were doing stuff in the evening. 349 00:16:32,640 --> 00:16:34,560 Speaker 2: They didn't crash on the couch or anything like that. 350 00:16:34,640 --> 00:16:38,240 Speaker 2: So those things do add up over the course of 351 00:16:38,280 --> 00:16:39,320 Speaker 2: one hundred and sixty eight hours. 352 00:16:39,320 --> 00:16:40,160 Speaker 1: I but here's some good news. 353 00:16:40,240 --> 00:16:42,240 Speaker 3: I've greatly enjoyed tracking my sleep, by the way, which 354 00:16:42,280 --> 00:16:44,440 Speaker 3: is not like I'm not a sleep tracker person. I 355 00:16:44,440 --> 00:16:46,880 Speaker 3: don't wear like my watch, debat or anything like that, 356 00:16:47,240 --> 00:16:48,920 Speaker 3: but something about like when I if I wake up 357 00:16:48,920 --> 00:16:50,280 Speaker 3: on my own and then I look at it and 358 00:16:50,280 --> 00:16:52,080 Speaker 3: I'm like, oh, seven and a half hours or like 359 00:16:52,120 --> 00:16:53,560 Speaker 3: on the weekend. I got one night where I got 360 00:16:53,600 --> 00:16:55,600 Speaker 3: eight and a half, and I'm like, wow, I don't know, 361 00:16:55,640 --> 00:16:59,080 Speaker 3: it's just been interesting because not something that I really 362 00:16:59,120 --> 00:17:01,520 Speaker 3: quantified before. But I am in that camp of like 363 00:17:02,280 --> 00:17:04,760 Speaker 3: seven seeming like my normal. But really I make up for. 364 00:17:05,480 --> 00:17:07,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, which is fine. 365 00:17:07,840 --> 00:17:09,280 Speaker 2: I mean, as long as we're not like doing like 366 00:17:09,359 --> 00:17:11,560 Speaker 2: four hours and then twelve hours to come out to 367 00:17:11,600 --> 00:17:12,360 Speaker 2: an average of eight. 368 00:17:12,520 --> 00:17:15,000 Speaker 1: I mean probably between seven and nine. 369 00:17:15,040 --> 00:17:17,080 Speaker 2: Coming out to an average of eight is a little 370 00:17:17,119 --> 00:17:22,680 Speaker 2: bit more reasonable. But yeah, you're definitely not the only 371 00:17:22,680 --> 00:17:23,840 Speaker 2: one to have that experience. 372 00:17:24,160 --> 00:17:24,800 Speaker 1: I was gonna say. 373 00:17:24,840 --> 00:17:28,879 Speaker 2: One positive thing is a lot of working parents, perhaps 374 00:17:28,920 --> 00:17:31,320 Speaker 2: mothers in particular, have been telling themselves a story that 375 00:17:31,400 --> 00:17:33,560 Speaker 2: like I never see my kids, or I don't spend 376 00:17:33,640 --> 00:17:36,880 Speaker 2: nearly enough time with my kids, or some version thereof. 377 00:17:37,119 --> 00:17:39,560 Speaker 2: They track their time for one hundred and sixty eight hours, 378 00:17:39,840 --> 00:17:44,000 Speaker 2: discover again that they're working forty hours, sleeping seven to 379 00:17:44,040 --> 00:17:47,040 Speaker 2: eight hours a night. We've got somewhere like seventy hours 380 00:17:47,080 --> 00:17:49,800 Speaker 2: in here that is not working and is not sleeping, 381 00:17:50,000 --> 00:17:52,399 Speaker 2: and in many cases quite a bit of that time 382 00:17:52,560 --> 00:17:55,520 Speaker 2: is spent with children, especially if they are very young 383 00:17:55,600 --> 00:17:57,359 Speaker 2: and require constant supervision. 384 00:17:57,400 --> 00:17:58,240 Speaker 1: That's starts to. 385 00:17:58,240 --> 00:18:02,160 Speaker 2: Change as kids get a little bit older. But certainly 386 00:18:02,320 --> 00:18:04,520 Speaker 2: when people are saying these sort of things about guilt, 387 00:18:04,520 --> 00:18:08,080 Speaker 2: it's often that they have younger children, and so people 388 00:18:08,080 --> 00:18:11,880 Speaker 2: are often very pleasantly surprised at how much family time 389 00:18:11,960 --> 00:18:13,440 Speaker 2: winds up happening in the course of the week. 390 00:18:13,760 --> 00:18:17,879 Speaker 3: No, that's awesome. Well why have you ended up tracking 391 00:18:17,920 --> 00:18:21,000 Speaker 3: your time for is it ten years now? Eleven? I 392 00:18:21,040 --> 00:18:22,400 Speaker 3: don't even remind me of where we are. 393 00:18:23,119 --> 00:18:23,959 Speaker 1: Yeah. 394 00:18:24,200 --> 00:18:28,720 Speaker 2: I started in April of twenty fifteen doing it continuously, 395 00:18:28,800 --> 00:18:30,679 Speaker 2: so I guess this is airing At the end of September, 396 00:18:30,720 --> 00:18:34,639 Speaker 2: we were almost ten and a half years. And I 397 00:18:34,760 --> 00:18:38,119 Speaker 2: don't like celebrate my anniversary every year, like woo, you know, 398 00:18:38,160 --> 00:18:40,480 Speaker 2: I made it because it's not hard. It's like saying, 399 00:18:40,480 --> 00:18:44,200 Speaker 2: I'm celebrating my anniversary of brushing my teeth for whatever. 400 00:18:44,400 --> 00:18:47,119 Speaker 2: I've been doing it independently now for probably. 401 00:18:47,960 --> 00:18:49,359 Speaker 1: Three forty two years. 402 00:18:49,760 --> 00:18:53,240 Speaker 2: No, it does because it isn't hard, right, It is 403 00:18:53,480 --> 00:18:59,959 Speaker 2: very easy, and it's somewhat takes the function of journal 404 00:19:00,800 --> 00:19:05,720 Speaker 2: for me, Like I feel that I'm recording my life 405 00:19:05,800 --> 00:19:09,120 Speaker 2: and so I have the memories and not just when 406 00:19:09,160 --> 00:19:11,479 Speaker 2: you keep a journal sometimes it's the memories of what 407 00:19:11,520 --> 00:19:15,200 Speaker 2: you were like angsty about at the time, or only 408 00:19:15,280 --> 00:19:19,320 Speaker 2: the real highlights of something, whereas a time log gets everything. 409 00:19:19,840 --> 00:19:21,080 Speaker 1: And so when I pull. 410 00:19:20,960 --> 00:19:25,480 Speaker 2: Up past logs, I can see what I was doing, 411 00:19:25,520 --> 00:19:28,959 Speaker 2: and I could reconstruct everything in memory, particularly if there 412 00:19:29,000 --> 00:19:31,480 Speaker 2: was anything out of the ordinary on a day, because 413 00:19:31,480 --> 00:19:33,679 Speaker 2: then it's like, oh, yeah, that, and then I remember 414 00:19:33,680 --> 00:19:35,639 Speaker 2: what I was doing before because it's right there on 415 00:19:35,680 --> 00:19:39,200 Speaker 2: the log, And so you just have access to memories 416 00:19:39,840 --> 00:19:42,800 Speaker 2: in a much more convenient way. 417 00:19:43,200 --> 00:19:43,720 Speaker 1: I would say. 418 00:19:43,720 --> 00:19:46,960 Speaker 2: It's also a little bit of accountability for me, and 419 00:19:47,920 --> 00:19:52,040 Speaker 2: not really so much like, oh, I'm not. 420 00:19:51,960 --> 00:19:53,640 Speaker 1: Going to scroll because I'm keeping it on my luck. 421 00:19:54,000 --> 00:19:57,560 Speaker 2: I scroll a lot way more than I probably should. 422 00:19:58,119 --> 00:20:01,639 Speaker 2: But especially if I do share these logs on occasion, 423 00:20:01,760 --> 00:20:04,720 Speaker 2: or even just do my own check in on Monday morning, 424 00:20:04,760 --> 00:20:07,760 Speaker 2: I'm like, was the week interesting? Like did I do 425 00:20:07,840 --> 00:20:10,520 Speaker 2: something that I will remember in the future, Like is 426 00:20:10,560 --> 00:20:14,200 Speaker 2: there anything on this log that makes this week feel cool? 427 00:20:14,200 --> 00:20:16,160 Speaker 1: And often I look back over I'm like, oh, yeah, I. 428 00:20:16,119 --> 00:20:18,679 Speaker 2: Did this, and I did this, and wow I fit 429 00:20:18,760 --> 00:20:20,960 Speaker 2: a lot in and it just feels really cool. 430 00:20:21,400 --> 00:20:26,199 Speaker 3: I totally can see that I actually this reminds me 431 00:20:26,240 --> 00:20:27,879 Speaker 3: of the fact I'm reading Die with Zero right now, 432 00:20:27,880 --> 00:20:30,600 Speaker 3: which is a very interesting and possibly polarizing book by 433 00:20:30,600 --> 00:20:33,040 Speaker 3: Bill Perkins. But he actually talks about something about like 434 00:20:33,160 --> 00:20:36,560 Speaker 3: memories being like paying back dividends in life, and how 435 00:20:36,640 --> 00:20:39,320 Speaker 3: like you can have all these experiences and then looking 436 00:20:39,359 --> 00:20:42,400 Speaker 3: back on them almost like compounds the experiences that you've had. 437 00:20:42,720 --> 00:20:45,000 Speaker 3: So timelog is a really interesting way to do that, 438 00:20:45,280 --> 00:20:48,280 Speaker 3: and so I tend to do that through I think 439 00:20:48,320 --> 00:20:50,440 Speaker 3: my blogging. But then also I do have a five 440 00:20:50,520 --> 00:20:52,840 Speaker 3: year journal that I write in. I've well, I've done 441 00:20:52,840 --> 00:20:54,159 Speaker 3: it for five years. I wish I've done it for 442 00:20:54,160 --> 00:20:56,560 Speaker 3: forty five years. But every single day I'm in my 443 00:20:56,600 --> 00:20:58,920 Speaker 3: fifth year and I basically put like a highlight. It's 444 00:20:58,920 --> 00:21:02,280 Speaker 3: a highlight reel, right, but it has some angs in it, 445 00:21:03,080 --> 00:21:05,080 Speaker 3: a low light reel, like what was big in my 446 00:21:05,160 --> 00:21:07,800 Speaker 3: life yesterday? Like that's what I asked myself. I'd usually 447 00:21:07,800 --> 00:21:10,879 Speaker 3: fill it out in the morning, and I love it. 448 00:21:10,920 --> 00:21:12,640 Speaker 3: I love looking through it. It's like the memory dividends, 449 00:21:12,640 --> 00:21:15,399 Speaker 3: but yours is different because it's more objective. It's not 450 00:21:15,440 --> 00:21:17,920 Speaker 3: like what did I feel was important looking back a day, 451 00:21:18,000 --> 00:21:21,080 Speaker 3: It's like, here's everything, and maybe I'll actually find out 452 00:21:21,080 --> 00:21:23,320 Speaker 3: that what I thought was important, this other thing was important. 453 00:21:23,320 --> 00:21:25,439 Speaker 3: So I guess it's really neat that you have like 454 00:21:25,640 --> 00:21:26,879 Speaker 3: all of that data cold together. 455 00:21:27,680 --> 00:21:27,920 Speaker 1: Yeah. 456 00:21:27,960 --> 00:21:29,680 Speaker 2: I mean one of the most fun weeks to look 457 00:21:29,720 --> 00:21:32,159 Speaker 2: back on was this one. I think it's actually the 458 00:21:32,160 --> 00:21:34,840 Speaker 2: one I wound up using in the paperback version of 459 00:21:34,920 --> 00:21:36,960 Speaker 2: I Know How She does it, because it's like, there's 460 00:21:37,000 --> 00:21:40,879 Speaker 2: these easter eggs from this week that. I mean, it 461 00:21:40,920 --> 00:21:44,320 Speaker 2: happened to be the It was like the first week 462 00:21:44,359 --> 00:21:47,720 Speaker 2: of November and I started working on this Nato Riimo 463 00:21:47,840 --> 00:21:51,080 Speaker 2: novel that eventually turned it into Juliete School of Possibilities. 464 00:21:51,400 --> 00:21:54,600 Speaker 2: I also put a post on Fast Company, which I 465 00:21:54,640 --> 00:21:57,240 Speaker 2: was writing for at that time, that was the Norwegian 466 00:21:57,320 --> 00:21:59,320 Speaker 2: secret to enjoying a long winter. I just put the 467 00:21:59,440 --> 00:22:01,280 Speaker 2: that I was right it like in the gym or 468 00:22:01,320 --> 00:22:04,040 Speaker 2: something while waiting for my kids, and then I wound 469 00:22:04,119 --> 00:22:06,719 Speaker 2: up being this ridiculously viral post. It's like there's all 470 00:22:06,720 --> 00:22:09,760 Speaker 2: these things I see in there, which is kind of fun. 471 00:22:09,880 --> 00:22:12,240 Speaker 2: I was like, oh, yeah, that week, who knew. Well, 472 00:22:12,240 --> 00:22:13,960 Speaker 2: We're going to take one more quick ad break and 473 00:22:14,000 --> 00:22:16,440 Speaker 2: then we'll be back with more about time tracking. 474 00:22:28,960 --> 00:22:30,879 Speaker 3: All right, we are back and we are going to 475 00:22:30,920 --> 00:22:34,480 Speaker 3: go through a few FAQs that people tend to ask 476 00:22:34,520 --> 00:22:37,240 Speaker 3: when it comes to time tracking, maybe a little bit 477 00:22:37,280 --> 00:22:40,520 Speaker 3: of a rapid fire section. So Number one, do I 478 00:22:40,640 --> 00:22:42,560 Speaker 3: need to track weekends? 479 00:22:43,040 --> 00:22:45,639 Speaker 1: Yes, Sarah, you should track your weekends. 480 00:22:46,680 --> 00:22:48,800 Speaker 2: And I'm not saying that you need to be writing 481 00:22:48,800 --> 00:22:50,720 Speaker 2: down every fifteen minutes what you're doing. So if you 482 00:22:50,840 --> 00:22:52,719 Speaker 2: use my spreadsheets, which you can go to my website 483 00:22:52,760 --> 00:22:57,040 Speaker 2: Laura vandercam dot com and get a copy, they come 484 00:22:57,040 --> 00:23:00,000 Speaker 2: in thirty minute versions fifteen minute versions. 485 00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:00,680 Speaker 1: I'm not saying like. 486 00:23:00,680 --> 00:23:02,879 Speaker 2: Every fifteen minutes on the weekend, check in with what 487 00:23:02,920 --> 00:23:06,879 Speaker 2: you are doing. If you are doing interesting things on 488 00:23:06,920 --> 00:23:08,520 Speaker 2: the weekend, some of this will already be planned in 489 00:23:08,520 --> 00:23:10,040 Speaker 2: ahead of time, Like if you know you're going on 490 00:23:10,080 --> 00:23:12,080 Speaker 2: a hot air balloon ride at four pm, like, well, 491 00:23:12,119 --> 00:23:14,439 Speaker 2: you can reconstruct that after the fact and probably like 492 00:23:14,480 --> 00:23:16,600 Speaker 2: your drive too there and all that, you'll be able 493 00:23:16,640 --> 00:23:20,800 Speaker 2: to do that for like seven or eight hours and 494 00:23:20,840 --> 00:23:22,639 Speaker 2: not have to check in every fifteen minutes. 495 00:23:22,720 --> 00:23:24,640 Speaker 1: Right, the memory is there. 496 00:23:24,840 --> 00:23:26,919 Speaker 2: It gets a little bit more complicated if people aren't 497 00:23:27,000 --> 00:23:31,040 Speaker 2: doing anything right, if they're just sort of this mash 498 00:23:31,080 --> 00:23:34,960 Speaker 2: of weird puttering around, half dealing with the kids not 499 00:23:36,240 --> 00:23:38,720 Speaker 2: which is one reason to try to do cool things 500 00:23:38,800 --> 00:23:41,840 Speaker 2: on the weekend, but it is also you can just 501 00:23:42,040 --> 00:23:46,359 Speaker 2: put kids et cetera. Or you can just guess like 502 00:23:46,440 --> 00:23:48,920 Speaker 2: it doesn't have to be perfect. You can even leave 503 00:23:49,760 --> 00:23:52,879 Speaker 2: many hours blank and just put in what you remember it. 504 00:23:53,400 --> 00:23:55,280 Speaker 2: I think it's better to try to get through a 505 00:23:55,320 --> 00:23:59,000 Speaker 2: whole week then to stop on. 506 00:23:58,920 --> 00:24:00,480 Speaker 1: The weekends and not even try. 507 00:24:01,480 --> 00:24:03,840 Speaker 2: And I don't think that it really like some people 508 00:24:03,840 --> 00:24:05,560 Speaker 2: are like, oh, it'll be for this weird time pressure. 509 00:24:05,560 --> 00:24:07,080 Speaker 1: It doesn't have to be. This is not about playing 510 00:24:07,119 --> 00:24:10,280 Speaker 1: gotcha at all. It's just to show yourself, like where 511 00:24:10,359 --> 00:24:13,280 Speaker 1: the time is, what are you doing if there is 512 00:24:13,440 --> 00:24:15,760 Speaker 1: available time that you might like to repurpose? 513 00:24:15,840 --> 00:24:19,679 Speaker 2: That is good to know. So weekends are real days. 514 00:24:20,160 --> 00:24:22,760 Speaker 2: They are just as real as Monday through Friday. I 515 00:24:22,840 --> 00:24:26,359 Speaker 2: highly encourage people, if you are time tracking, to try 516 00:24:26,400 --> 00:24:28,760 Speaker 2: to get through the weekend. Maybe it doesn't work the 517 00:24:28,800 --> 00:24:32,000 Speaker 2: first time, Maybe you lose track the first time, reconstruct 518 00:24:32,000 --> 00:24:34,320 Speaker 2: what you can when you remember, and then maybe try 519 00:24:34,359 --> 00:24:37,280 Speaker 2: it again, try it another weekend and see what you get. 520 00:24:37,320 --> 00:24:39,440 Speaker 1: And I think it will get easier with time. 521 00:24:39,680 --> 00:24:42,040 Speaker 3: The benefit of using an electronic tool, and I'm going 522 00:24:42,080 --> 00:24:43,639 Speaker 3: to go back to toggle one more time. Is like, 523 00:24:43,960 --> 00:24:45,919 Speaker 3: let's say it's Sunday and you have forgotten and you 524 00:24:45,920 --> 00:24:47,680 Speaker 3: know you were puttering and you like left it on 525 00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:51,080 Speaker 3: folding laundry, but you forgot, and it's two hours later 526 00:24:51,160 --> 00:24:53,520 Speaker 3: at least when you notice that, because it does show 527 00:24:53,600 --> 00:24:55,080 Speaker 3: up on the front of your phone. At some point, 528 00:24:55,119 --> 00:24:56,280 Speaker 3: you're going to pick up your phone and you're going 529 00:24:56,320 --> 00:24:58,760 Speaker 3: to see that. You can go, oh, and you don't 530 00:24:58,760 --> 00:25:01,359 Speaker 3: have to like put in five different things, but you 531 00:25:01,359 --> 00:25:03,200 Speaker 3: can just jot like folding laundry, and then you could 532 00:25:03,200 --> 00:25:05,400 Speaker 3: just be like and random pottering and then you move 533 00:25:05,440 --> 00:25:08,639 Speaker 3: on to your next thing. Like it's a nice way 534 00:25:08,720 --> 00:25:12,399 Speaker 3: to avoid letting perfection. Have you throw this out the window? 535 00:25:13,119 --> 00:25:15,360 Speaker 1: Yeah? Absolutely agree with that. 536 00:25:15,920 --> 00:25:17,840 Speaker 3: All right, So question number two, I think we get 537 00:25:17,840 --> 00:25:20,399 Speaker 3: this from the lawyers. What if I already track my 538 00:25:20,440 --> 00:25:22,440 Speaker 3: time for work and I just don't feel like doing 539 00:25:22,520 --> 00:25:23,280 Speaker 3: it anywhere else. 540 00:25:25,640 --> 00:25:27,919 Speaker 2: Yeah, I get this sometimes every time I talk to 541 00:25:28,040 --> 00:25:30,720 Speaker 2: groups of lawyers, and I've been hired by a number 542 00:25:30,720 --> 00:25:32,760 Speaker 2: of wonderful law firms over the years to come speak 543 00:25:32,800 --> 00:25:34,159 Speaker 2: to their lawyers, and I'm like, I don't have to 544 00:25:34,160 --> 00:25:37,400 Speaker 2: explain the concept of what time tracking is because they 545 00:25:37,440 --> 00:25:40,760 Speaker 2: have been logging their time in six minute increments for years, 546 00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:42,560 Speaker 2: and many people are like, oh no, I do this 547 00:25:42,600 --> 00:25:44,080 Speaker 2: for my work. I can't stand to do this to 548 00:25:44,119 --> 00:25:47,080 Speaker 2: the rest of my life. Okay, I get it, but 549 00:25:47,960 --> 00:25:50,160 Speaker 2: you don't have to do it in six increments. Right. 550 00:25:50,200 --> 00:25:52,879 Speaker 2: You could do thirty minute blocks and only check in 551 00:25:52,960 --> 00:25:53,959 Speaker 2: every couple of hours. 552 00:25:54,040 --> 00:25:54,200 Speaker 3: Right. 553 00:25:54,640 --> 00:25:56,959 Speaker 2: That would be irresponsible during your work day, but it 554 00:25:57,000 --> 00:25:59,360 Speaker 2: is not in the rest of your life. But it's 555 00:25:59,400 --> 00:26:02,679 Speaker 2: also about treating the rest of your life with the 556 00:26:02,840 --> 00:26:08,080 Speaker 2: same respect and intentionality that you give to your clients 557 00:26:08,480 --> 00:26:12,320 Speaker 2: and to your firm with your legal work. Right, because 558 00:26:13,000 --> 00:26:15,680 Speaker 2: you are saying, I want to see where this other 559 00:26:15,720 --> 00:26:16,440 Speaker 2: time is going. 560 00:26:16,520 --> 00:26:19,080 Speaker 1: I mean, because there is other time like you. 561 00:26:19,000 --> 00:26:22,280 Speaker 2: Treat the Let's say you're billing forty hours a week 562 00:26:22,320 --> 00:26:26,520 Speaker 2: and working fifty in your legal work like, there are 563 00:26:26,640 --> 00:26:30,640 Speaker 2: still sixty other hours in the week, and they don't 564 00:26:30,640 --> 00:26:33,800 Speaker 2: feel as big to you because you're not logging them. Right, 565 00:26:33,840 --> 00:26:38,680 Speaker 2: they don't feel as full and intentional and knowing what's 566 00:26:38,720 --> 00:26:43,480 Speaker 2: going on as you're very intricately calculated legal work does 567 00:26:43,880 --> 00:26:45,680 Speaker 2: because you don't know where the time is going. But 568 00:26:45,720 --> 00:26:47,679 Speaker 2: when you do, then you can start to see that 569 00:26:47,720 --> 00:26:52,320 Speaker 2: there is this time outside of work and maybe you 570 00:26:52,359 --> 00:26:55,280 Speaker 2: can do cool and exciting things with it, even if 571 00:26:55,320 --> 00:26:58,280 Speaker 2: you are billing a significant number of hours. 572 00:26:58,480 --> 00:27:01,359 Speaker 1: So I would suggest trying again. You don't have to 573 00:27:01,400 --> 00:27:02,359 Speaker 1: do it for ten years. 574 00:27:02,560 --> 00:27:05,320 Speaker 2: You have probably been billing your legal work for ten years, 575 00:27:05,480 --> 00:27:07,160 Speaker 2: but you don't have to do that for the rest 576 00:27:07,160 --> 00:27:09,480 Speaker 2: of your time. Just try the time outside of work 577 00:27:09,800 --> 00:27:12,920 Speaker 2: for a week, maybe every couple of months or so. 578 00:27:13,359 --> 00:27:15,280 Speaker 2: Just try it once, see how it goes. But I 579 00:27:15,280 --> 00:27:18,560 Speaker 2: think you will be pleasantly surprised. I've had enough lawyers 580 00:27:18,600 --> 00:27:21,399 Speaker 2: and accountants and other such people do this now and 581 00:27:21,480 --> 00:27:25,280 Speaker 2: have been intrigued or pleasantly surprised at what they see. 582 00:27:25,640 --> 00:27:28,720 Speaker 1: That you've got nothing to lose by just giving it 583 00:27:28,760 --> 00:27:29,160 Speaker 1: a word. 584 00:27:29,240 --> 00:27:31,160 Speaker 3: I like the empowering angle, which is like you're doing 585 00:27:31,160 --> 00:27:32,959 Speaker 3: it for them during work, but do it for you 586 00:27:33,080 --> 00:27:35,000 Speaker 3: the rest of your time. Make sure you're giving your 587 00:27:35,040 --> 00:27:38,440 Speaker 3: own time the same careful attention that you are giving 588 00:27:38,480 --> 00:27:41,280 Speaker 3: your work time. So that's a great spin. So you 589 00:27:41,400 --> 00:27:43,720 Speaker 3: kind of answer this, but is a suggestion to go 590 00:27:43,760 --> 00:27:46,040 Speaker 3: ahead and do it for ten years everyone or forever. 591 00:27:46,240 --> 00:27:48,840 Speaker 2: Just start now, No, don't just one week, Like if 592 00:27:48,880 --> 00:27:51,240 Speaker 2: you're hearing this, why don't you start? You could start 593 00:27:51,280 --> 00:27:54,399 Speaker 2: today my timelog start on Monday morning, but there's no 594 00:27:54,440 --> 00:27:56,360 Speaker 2: requirement that you do that. Or you could start next 595 00:27:56,400 --> 00:27:57,960 Speaker 2: Monday morning if you do want to start on a 596 00:27:57,960 --> 00:28:00,600 Speaker 2: Monday morning, but just give it to try for a 597 00:28:00,640 --> 00:28:02,960 Speaker 2: week if you have never done it. If you think 598 00:28:03,000 --> 00:28:05,440 Speaker 2: it's going to be an atypical week, well welcome to life. 599 00:28:05,440 --> 00:28:08,320 Speaker 2: Every week is atypical in some way or another. I 600 00:28:08,320 --> 00:28:11,680 Speaker 2: think you will still learn a lot even by tracking 601 00:28:11,720 --> 00:28:14,120 Speaker 2: weeks that have things that are out of the ordinary 602 00:28:14,359 --> 00:28:17,560 Speaker 2: in them. However, you don't have to do it for 603 00:28:17,600 --> 00:28:19,520 Speaker 2: ten years. I would say try it once, see how 604 00:28:19,520 --> 00:28:22,080 Speaker 2: it goes. If you find it interesting and think, well 605 00:28:22,080 --> 00:28:24,880 Speaker 2: maybe I would like to see something else, then try 606 00:28:24,880 --> 00:28:28,160 Speaker 2: it again in a couple months. I think every season 607 00:28:28,560 --> 00:28:30,679 Speaker 2: is helpful for people. Or if there is a big 608 00:28:31,400 --> 00:28:33,520 Speaker 2: switch and how you are spending your time, So if 609 00:28:33,520 --> 00:28:36,480 Speaker 2: you move, if you switch jobs, if your kids start 610 00:28:36,520 --> 00:28:39,000 Speaker 2: a different school that starts at an entirely different time, 611 00:28:39,160 --> 00:28:42,280 Speaker 2: or they were doing travel soccer and now or not 612 00:28:42,320 --> 00:28:45,280 Speaker 2: doing travel soccer. There's all sorts of reasons that life 613 00:28:45,280 --> 00:28:48,080 Speaker 2: shifts enough that you might decide it's worth it to 614 00:28:48,120 --> 00:28:50,440 Speaker 2: get a new baseline of how you are spending your time. 615 00:28:50,560 --> 00:28:52,560 Speaker 3: Yeah, I like every season. I think that's a great, 616 00:28:53,400 --> 00:28:55,760 Speaker 3: great guideline. You can kind of improvise from there. 617 00:28:56,480 --> 00:28:58,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, but and shure, I just think this. 618 00:28:58,360 --> 00:29:00,160 Speaker 2: If you want to spend your time better, this is 619 00:29:00,200 --> 00:29:03,800 Speaker 2: the first step. So give it a try. Let us 620 00:29:03,800 --> 00:29:05,880 Speaker 2: know how it goes. If you have tracked your time, 621 00:29:05,920 --> 00:29:07,960 Speaker 2: I would love to see your log. You can always 622 00:29:07,960 --> 00:29:10,600 Speaker 2: email it to me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. 623 00:29:10,600 --> 00:29:12,680 Speaker 2: We'll get ourselves maybe up to the five figures of 624 00:29:12,680 --> 00:29:17,160 Speaker 2: logs eventually. But yeah, I love seeing where people's time goes, 625 00:29:17,200 --> 00:29:21,320 Speaker 2: their schedules and analyzing my own. I don't see any 626 00:29:21,320 --> 00:29:23,360 Speaker 2: reason I would stop this anytime soon. Sarah, You're not 627 00:29:23,360 --> 00:29:25,000 Speaker 2: gonna do this forever, but for now. 628 00:29:24,840 --> 00:29:25,760 Speaker 3: I'm not doing it forever. 629 00:29:25,880 --> 00:29:26,720 Speaker 1: But it's fun. 630 00:29:27,080 --> 00:29:30,080 Speaker 3: It's fun, all right, all right? We have our Q 631 00:29:30,240 --> 00:29:32,880 Speaker 3: and A. This comes from a listener who says, I 632 00:29:32,960 --> 00:29:35,840 Speaker 3: work flexibly, but after studying my timelog, I honestly think 633 00:29:35,880 --> 00:29:38,480 Speaker 3: I need more time to work. What can I do? 634 00:29:39,480 --> 00:29:43,200 Speaker 2: Yeah, this is a surprising discovery some people have. 635 00:29:43,280 --> 00:29:43,440 Speaker 1: Now. 636 00:29:43,480 --> 00:29:45,400 Speaker 2: If you have to go to an office and you 637 00:29:45,440 --> 00:29:47,920 Speaker 2: are expected to be there at a certain time. For instance, 638 00:29:48,000 --> 00:29:50,480 Speaker 2: let's say your first patient is roomed at eight thirty. 639 00:29:50,840 --> 00:29:54,280 Speaker 2: You are not looking to spend more time at work, 640 00:29:54,320 --> 00:29:56,480 Speaker 2: like you have to be there at certain hours. 641 00:29:56,480 --> 00:29:56,960 Speaker 1: That is fine. 642 00:29:57,040 --> 00:30:00,400 Speaker 2: People who work flexibly, though, have a different thing going on. 643 00:30:00,800 --> 00:30:03,200 Speaker 2: And many people who can work from home a lot 644 00:30:03,280 --> 00:30:06,480 Speaker 2: of the times and set their own hours discover that 645 00:30:06,560 --> 00:30:09,480 Speaker 2: they may not be working forty. 646 00:30:09,200 --> 00:30:10,160 Speaker 1: Hours a week. 647 00:30:10,440 --> 00:30:14,280 Speaker 2: Now that may not be a huge problem, Like if 648 00:30:14,320 --> 00:30:17,600 Speaker 2: your manager is happy, then you don't have to rock 649 00:30:17,680 --> 00:30:19,560 Speaker 2: the boat if you decide if you look at your 650 00:30:19,560 --> 00:30:22,320 Speaker 2: log and find that most weeks you're working thirty to 651 00:30:22,360 --> 00:30:24,560 Speaker 2: thirty two hours, like, if everyone's happy. 652 00:30:24,400 --> 00:30:25,520 Speaker 1: It's okay, right. 653 00:30:26,040 --> 00:30:29,560 Speaker 2: However, if you are feeling like you're a little more 654 00:30:29,640 --> 00:30:33,880 Speaker 2: frazzled during your work hours than is necessary because you 655 00:30:33,920 --> 00:30:37,320 Speaker 2: are trying to get everything done by I don't know, 656 00:30:37,560 --> 00:30:39,640 Speaker 2: three fifteen, so you can go be in the line 657 00:30:39,720 --> 00:30:43,800 Speaker 2: for pickup at school and then you're running people around 658 00:30:43,840 --> 00:30:46,480 Speaker 2: to sports afterwards, and you're like answering emails at the 659 00:30:46,520 --> 00:30:50,959 Speaker 2: same time, Like you might decide that you want to 660 00:30:51,080 --> 00:30:55,600 Speaker 2: rework your schedule to have a little bit more longer 661 00:30:55,600 --> 00:30:59,680 Speaker 2: stretches to work, or at least to have more hours 662 00:30:59,720 --> 00:31:04,200 Speaker 2: of available for concentrated work if that's something you desire. 663 00:31:04,080 --> 00:31:05,920 Speaker 1: So just a couple of things to think first. Just 664 00:31:05,960 --> 00:31:07,440 Speaker 1: because you can doesn't mean you should. 665 00:31:07,720 --> 00:31:10,160 Speaker 2: You could pick up your kids from school three days 666 00:31:10,200 --> 00:31:12,840 Speaker 2: a week and send them to an aftercare program two 667 00:31:12,920 --> 00:31:15,440 Speaker 2: days a week and pick them up at like five 668 00:31:15,440 --> 00:31:18,240 Speaker 2: point fifteen on those days and buy yourself some longer 669 00:31:18,360 --> 00:31:22,760 Speaker 2: days of focused work on those. Somebody else might be 670 00:31:22,800 --> 00:31:26,560 Speaker 2: able to drive kids. So maybe, again, it's not either 671 00:31:26,680 --> 00:31:28,480 Speaker 2: or maybe you do it three days a week and 672 00:31:28,520 --> 00:31:31,960 Speaker 2: two days a week your spouse takes it, or your 673 00:31:32,400 --> 00:31:35,600 Speaker 2: neighbor who also has kids and that could do it. 674 00:31:35,600 --> 00:31:39,360 Speaker 2: You could carpool, or you hire a sitter to do 675 00:31:39,560 --> 00:31:42,520 Speaker 2: the evening runs of activities two days a week and 676 00:31:42,560 --> 00:31:46,600 Speaker 2: see if you can get some extra time with that. Sarah, 677 00:31:46,640 --> 00:31:49,360 Speaker 2: you've had some success with each of you taking a 678 00:31:49,400 --> 00:31:50,160 Speaker 2: morning right. 679 00:31:50,240 --> 00:31:52,560 Speaker 3: Yes, and actually like that. I'm it's exactly and I'm 680 00:31:52,600 --> 00:31:55,840 Speaker 3: using it to work because on Mondays I absolutely could 681 00:31:55,960 --> 00:31:57,760 Speaker 3: drive the kids to school, It's not a problem. But 682 00:31:57,800 --> 00:31:59,400 Speaker 3: then I'm not going to get home and be able 683 00:31:59,480 --> 00:32:01,360 Speaker 3: to start my own work until like eight forty five, 684 00:32:01,880 --> 00:32:04,440 Speaker 3: and I am struggling to give enough time for my 685 00:32:04,480 --> 00:32:06,800 Speaker 3: creative work at as it is, so it's wonderful when 686 00:32:07,040 --> 00:32:08,720 Speaker 3: he's kind of taking over. I can go to a 687 00:32:08,800 --> 00:32:10,760 Speaker 3: pilates in the morning and then they're out of the 688 00:32:10,800 --> 00:32:12,360 Speaker 3: hoss by seven thirty and I can really get a 689 00:32:12,480 --> 00:32:14,880 Speaker 3: nice long morning in. I got a lot done this morning. 690 00:32:14,880 --> 00:32:16,680 Speaker 3: It's Monday as we're recording this, and I would not 691 00:32:16,720 --> 00:32:18,360 Speaker 3: have if I was driving. So just because you can 692 00:32:18,400 --> 00:32:20,920 Speaker 3: doesn't mean you should. And having an awareness of these 693 00:32:20,960 --> 00:32:23,360 Speaker 3: patterns and like really understanding like, Okay, I don't have 694 00:32:23,400 --> 00:32:25,360 Speaker 3: to feel bad if I'm spending eighty five minutes driving 695 00:32:25,360 --> 00:32:27,560 Speaker 3: three days a week, then he can do it two 696 00:32:27,640 --> 00:32:28,240 Speaker 3: days a week. 697 00:32:28,440 --> 00:32:30,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, absolutely, absolutely. 698 00:32:30,320 --> 00:32:32,120 Speaker 2: This doesn't have to be all on you, even if 699 00:32:32,160 --> 00:32:35,280 Speaker 2: you theoretically have a more flexible job. I would also 700 00:32:35,320 --> 00:32:38,680 Speaker 2: be careful with appointments. This is another like work from 701 00:32:38,680 --> 00:32:43,200 Speaker 2: home temptation. You're like, oh, well, like my favorite hairstylist 702 00:32:43,240 --> 00:32:46,160 Speaker 2: has an appointment at eleven o'clock, I could just take it, 703 00:32:46,880 --> 00:32:50,560 Speaker 2: and you can, but those things can chop up a 704 00:32:50,600 --> 00:32:55,040 Speaker 2: work day pretty easily, So just be careful with that 705 00:32:56,080 --> 00:32:58,800 Speaker 2: if you are trying to work more focused hours. And 706 00:32:58,880 --> 00:33:01,000 Speaker 2: also you might just get in the habit of as 707 00:33:01,000 --> 00:33:04,480 Speaker 2: you were looking forward to any given week, map out 708 00:33:04,640 --> 00:33:07,800 Speaker 2: when your work hours are. And again, people who work 709 00:33:07,840 --> 00:33:09,280 Speaker 2: in an office at set times are like, this is 710 00:33:09,280 --> 00:33:12,040 Speaker 2: the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. Like, I have 711 00:33:12,120 --> 00:33:15,200 Speaker 2: to be at work at eight thirty, Therefore my time 712 00:33:15,240 --> 00:33:16,160 Speaker 2: it starts at eight thirty. 713 00:33:16,200 --> 00:33:17,760 Speaker 1: I mean in the office from eight thirty to four 714 00:33:17,840 --> 00:33:19,239 Speaker 1: thirty every day. I get it. 715 00:33:19,520 --> 00:33:22,680 Speaker 2: But for the people who work flexibly, you're just sort 716 00:33:22,680 --> 00:33:26,280 Speaker 2: of generally working. And so look and see when that 717 00:33:26,400 --> 00:33:28,640 Speaker 2: is going to start on any given day. When is 718 00:33:28,680 --> 00:33:31,160 Speaker 2: it going to get chopped up? When are you trying 719 00:33:31,160 --> 00:33:33,880 Speaker 2: to be done by? Are there additional hours after that 720 00:33:34,400 --> 00:33:38,040 Speaker 2: initial stop that you are also planning to work. If 721 00:33:38,280 --> 00:33:40,880 Speaker 2: with all your best intentions looking forward to the week, 722 00:33:41,120 --> 00:33:44,880 Speaker 2: this only adds up to like thirty hours and you 723 00:33:44,920 --> 00:33:48,080 Speaker 2: are trying to work more than that, then something has 724 00:33:48,080 --> 00:33:50,320 Speaker 2: to change. You have to flip something in your schedule. 725 00:33:50,400 --> 00:33:55,160 Speaker 2: You need to get additional driving help or additional childcare 726 00:33:55,280 --> 00:34:00,000 Speaker 2: or something, because you can't just magically manufacture extra time. 727 00:34:00,160 --> 00:34:03,000 Speaker 2: So I think having this little bit of accountability can 728 00:34:03,040 --> 00:34:03,600 Speaker 2: help as well. 729 00:34:04,000 --> 00:34:07,720 Speaker 3: Totally all right, love of the week, We're going to 730 00:34:07,760 --> 00:34:08,600 Speaker 3: go on theme today. 731 00:34:08,920 --> 00:34:11,120 Speaker 2: On theme, I gotta say, looking at old time logs, 732 00:34:11,719 --> 00:34:15,000 Speaker 2: it really is fun to haul up a time I've 733 00:34:15,040 --> 00:34:16,799 Speaker 2: been doing it less this year because I was in 734 00:34:16,800 --> 00:34:22,760 Speaker 2: the habit of looking at the corresponding date from the past. 735 00:34:23,360 --> 00:34:27,560 Speaker 2: So let's say that, okay, this week is that we're recording. 736 00:34:27,560 --> 00:34:31,200 Speaker 2: This starts September twenty two, twenty twenty five. So when 737 00:34:31,320 --> 00:34:35,839 Speaker 2: was the last time that Monday was a September twenty two? 738 00:34:36,440 --> 00:34:39,279 Speaker 2: But this year that doesn't work because it was back 739 00:34:39,320 --> 00:34:41,200 Speaker 2: in like twenty fourteen, so I don't have time logs 740 00:34:41,200 --> 00:34:44,200 Speaker 2: from then. But for the past ten years that has worked. 741 00:34:44,239 --> 00:34:47,000 Speaker 2: It has been a corresponding date. Like starting recently in 742 00:34:47,040 --> 00:34:48,680 Speaker 2: the past three years, I've been able to look at 743 00:34:48,719 --> 00:34:51,799 Speaker 2: a corresponding year and read through that and see what 744 00:34:51,840 --> 00:34:52,200 Speaker 2: was going on. 745 00:34:52,239 --> 00:34:53,120 Speaker 1: So that's been kind of fun. 746 00:34:53,680 --> 00:34:55,279 Speaker 3: And thirty years from now you're going to have to 747 00:34:55,320 --> 00:34:56,840 Speaker 3: go back to multiple. 748 00:34:56,880 --> 00:34:58,440 Speaker 1: I know exactly well it is. 749 00:34:58,480 --> 00:35:01,279 Speaker 2: I hadn't really thought about how date cycle works, like 750 00:35:01,520 --> 00:35:03,200 Speaker 2: with all the leap years and stuff, but it does 751 00:35:03,239 --> 00:35:07,040 Speaker 2: affect like how frequently you get Mondays of each day. Anyway, 752 00:35:07,600 --> 00:35:10,000 Speaker 2: fun stuff, little esoteric. Don't need to get into it, 753 00:35:10,040 --> 00:35:11,839 Speaker 2: but let's just say it is fun to look at 754 00:35:11,840 --> 00:35:12,719 Speaker 2: old time looks. 755 00:35:12,600 --> 00:35:14,440 Speaker 3: Totally well, I'm gonna go on theme as well and 756 00:35:14,480 --> 00:35:16,319 Speaker 3: use my hope in each five year journal, which by 757 00:35:16,320 --> 00:35:18,600 Speaker 3: the way, shines the same light on what you just said, 758 00:35:18,600 --> 00:35:20,759 Speaker 3: because on the left hand side of the page it's 759 00:35:20,760 --> 00:35:22,480 Speaker 3: each year, and I always would write the day of 760 00:35:22,480 --> 00:35:24,560 Speaker 3: the week, so you can see on any given page 761 00:35:24,560 --> 00:35:27,800 Speaker 3: it'll say like Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Monday, like its skips 762 00:35:27,840 --> 00:35:29,800 Speaker 3: a day, like I forget, but it's it's very interesting 763 00:35:29,800 --> 00:35:31,360 Speaker 3: to look at, so you're looking at different days of 764 00:35:31,360 --> 00:35:34,000 Speaker 3: the week. It would be kind of interesting to complete 765 00:35:34,000 --> 00:35:35,879 Speaker 3: a five year journal lined up by day of the week, 766 00:35:35,920 --> 00:35:38,200 Speaker 3: so you saw all mondays like, but I don't know, 767 00:35:38,440 --> 00:35:38,920 Speaker 3: there's many. 768 00:35:39,400 --> 00:35:41,359 Speaker 1: It wouldn't be the same date, right, it wouldn't be right, 769 00:35:41,560 --> 00:35:42,399 Speaker 1: Like you'd have to be. 770 00:35:42,360 --> 00:35:44,520 Speaker 3: Like Monday, one of the year, Monday number two, Monday. 771 00:35:44,840 --> 00:35:46,319 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's true. That's true. It could be that. 772 00:35:46,760 --> 00:35:49,359 Speaker 3: But anyway, I love that thing. I've put photos in there, 773 00:35:49,480 --> 00:35:53,040 Speaker 3: I stick random stickers, I have like tickets, I write stuff, 774 00:35:53,080 --> 00:35:56,239 Speaker 3: and it's like it's a really fun artifact. I am 775 00:35:56,280 --> 00:35:59,240 Speaker 3: actually starting to rethink my practice of throwing out my planners, 776 00:35:59,280 --> 00:36:01,680 Speaker 3: but I am absolutely not throwing out my five year journal. 777 00:36:01,719 --> 00:36:03,920 Speaker 2: That's absolutely not you know, that's an archive that one 778 00:36:04,000 --> 00:36:05,839 Speaker 2: put it in the museum. All right, well, this has 779 00:36:05,880 --> 00:36:08,040 Speaker 2: been best of both worlds. This has been our time 780 00:36:08,120 --> 00:36:11,719 Speaker 2: Tracking manifesto. Highly suggest you give time tracking a try. 781 00:36:11,800 --> 00:36:12,920 Speaker 2: And Sarah has. 782 00:36:13,160 --> 00:36:15,359 Speaker 1: Been somewhat reluctant over the past, but now she's been 783 00:36:15,360 --> 00:36:18,440 Speaker 1: doing Togglin has been excelling with that, so yeah, we 784 00:36:18,520 --> 00:36:19,440 Speaker 1: love it. All right. 785 00:36:19,480 --> 00:36:21,200 Speaker 2: We will be back next week with more on making 786 00:36:21,280 --> 00:36:22,680 Speaker 2: work and life fit together. 787 00:36:24,719 --> 00:36:27,520 Speaker 3: Thanks for listening. You can find me Sarah at the 788 00:36:27,520 --> 00:36:31,920 Speaker 3: shoebox dot com or at the Underscore Shoebox on Instagram, 789 00:36:32,360 --> 00:36:36,280 Speaker 3: and you can find me Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. 790 00:36:36,760 --> 00:36:39,319 Speaker 1: This has been the best of both worlds podcasts. 791 00:36:39,680 --> 00:36:42,480 Speaker 2: Please join us next time for more on making work 792 00:36:42,520 --> 00:36:43,840 Speaker 2: and life work together.