1 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:09,360 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning, 2 00:00:10,760 --> 00:00:16,639 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:16,680 --> 00:00:19,840 Speaker 1: tip is that as you are starting to track your time, 4 00:00:20,560 --> 00:00:23,400 Speaker 1: figure out what you want to learn from your time tracking. 5 00:00:24,560 --> 00:00:27,880 Speaker 1: If you identify a few numbers that you particularly want 6 00:00:27,920 --> 00:00:30,880 Speaker 1: to see, you can track in a way that makes 7 00:00:30,880 --> 00:00:35,840 Speaker 1: sure you get them. So lots of folks are tracking 8 00:00:35,880 --> 00:00:38,559 Speaker 1: their time with me here in January as part of 9 00:00:38,560 --> 00:00:41,960 Speaker 1: my annual time tracking challenge. I think it can be 10 00:00:42,040 --> 00:00:44,360 Speaker 1: helpful in general to see where the one hundred and 11 00:00:44,400 --> 00:00:47,320 Speaker 1: sixty eight hours of the week go. When we know 12 00:00:47,360 --> 00:00:50,279 Speaker 1: where the time goes, we can make choices about what 13 00:00:50,280 --> 00:00:54,279 Speaker 1: we would like to change or celebrate. But it is 14 00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:57,880 Speaker 1: even more useful to track time if you have particular 15 00:00:57,960 --> 00:01:02,720 Speaker 1: questions you want answered. People track in more or less 16 00:01:02,720 --> 00:01:06,320 Speaker 1: detail in different categories, and so knowing what you want 17 00:01:06,360 --> 00:01:10,560 Speaker 1: to know will allow you to focus more on these aspects. 18 00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:14,479 Speaker 1: For instance, many people want the answers to big picture 19 00:01:14,600 --> 00:01:17,800 Speaker 1: questions how many hours per week do you spend working? 20 00:01:18,720 --> 00:01:21,720 Speaker 1: How much time do you spend with your kids? But 21 00:01:21,800 --> 00:01:24,679 Speaker 1: within these categories, you might also want to get more granular. 22 00:01:25,640 --> 00:01:28,520 Speaker 1: For instance, within the category of work. You might want 23 00:01:28,560 --> 00:01:31,000 Speaker 1: to know how much time you spend on email or 24 00:01:31,040 --> 00:01:35,319 Speaker 1: in meetings versus other things. Perhaps at home, you want 25 00:01:35,319 --> 00:01:36,800 Speaker 1: to know how much one on one time you have 26 00:01:36,880 --> 00:01:39,319 Speaker 1: with each kid, or how much time you spend on 27 00:01:39,400 --> 00:01:43,040 Speaker 1: caregiving tasks like helping with homework, or how much time 28 00:01:43,040 --> 00:01:46,880 Speaker 1: you spend driving people around. You might want to see 29 00:01:46,880 --> 00:01:49,640 Speaker 1: how much sleep you get each night, and also whether 30 00:01:49,680 --> 00:01:54,160 Speaker 1: your bedtimes and waking times are consistent. You might see 31 00:01:54,200 --> 00:01:56,600 Speaker 1: how many times you get up in the night and when. 32 00:01:57,520 --> 00:01:59,520 Speaker 1: Some people don't remember to track this, but if you 33 00:01:59,560 --> 00:02:01,920 Speaker 1: want to know, then you need to remind yourself for 34 00:02:02,400 --> 00:02:04,680 Speaker 1: make a note or aim to remember in the morning. 35 00:02:06,040 --> 00:02:11,160 Speaker 1: Sometimes people just note categories like leisure or personal time. 36 00:02:11,680 --> 00:02:14,840 Speaker 1: That is totally fine, But if you want to know 37 00:02:14,880 --> 00:02:19,280 Speaker 1: how much of this you spend on hobbies versus random puttering, 38 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:22,720 Speaker 1: you'll want to go into these blocks of time in 39 00:02:22,760 --> 00:02:26,079 Speaker 1: more detail. Maybe you want to look for patterns you 40 00:02:26,160 --> 00:02:29,880 Speaker 1: are suspecting, like that you indulge in more low quality 41 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:32,760 Speaker 1: leisure time toward the end of the week when you 42 00:02:32,800 --> 00:02:36,600 Speaker 1: are tired. When you know what data you want to 43 00:02:36,639 --> 00:02:40,680 Speaker 1: see going into your week of time tracking, that will 44 00:02:40,720 --> 00:02:44,359 Speaker 1: guide you in deciding what details you do and don't 45 00:02:44,400 --> 00:02:47,560 Speaker 1: need on your time log. For instance, if you are 46 00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:50,720 Speaker 1: primarily interested in how much time you spend with your kids, 47 00:02:51,440 --> 00:02:55,000 Speaker 1: you can probably log all your work hours as simply work. 48 00:02:56,160 --> 00:02:57,920 Speaker 1: On the other hand, if you want to know how 49 00:02:58,000 --> 00:02:59,960 Speaker 1: much time you spend in meetings or on an email, 50 00:03:00,840 --> 00:03:03,160 Speaker 1: you will need to log the specific activity you are 51 00:03:03,160 --> 00:03:07,160 Speaker 1: doing for work. At the end of a week of tracking, 52 00:03:07,680 --> 00:03:11,240 Speaker 1: review your log with these questions in mind. Tally the 53 00:03:11,240 --> 00:03:13,920 Speaker 1: categories you are interested in and see what you learn. 54 00:03:14,919 --> 00:03:18,320 Speaker 1: You might be surprised, or you might not be. We 55 00:03:18,400 --> 00:03:22,760 Speaker 1: don't know until we see the results. You can track 56 00:03:22,880 --> 00:03:26,720 Speaker 1: all your time in close detail, but trying to capture 57 00:03:26,760 --> 00:03:31,359 Speaker 1: too much detail often means people stop tracking. So if 58 00:03:31,360 --> 00:03:34,160 Speaker 1: you want to finish the log and get a holistic 59 00:03:34,200 --> 00:03:37,240 Speaker 1: picture of your week, it helps to decide what you 60 00:03:37,280 --> 00:03:42,720 Speaker 1: care about most and what you care about least. I 61 00:03:42,760 --> 00:03:45,280 Speaker 1: know this week, I am tracking my work hours slightly 62 00:03:45,360 --> 00:03:48,040 Speaker 1: more closely since I think I need a tune up here, 63 00:03:48,880 --> 00:03:52,560 Speaker 1: But my sleep is mostly fine, so that can stay broad. 64 00:03:54,120 --> 00:03:56,760 Speaker 1: If you identify specific data that you want from your 65 00:03:56,760 --> 00:03:59,200 Speaker 1: time tracking, I would love to hear what you focus 66 00:03:59,200 --> 00:04:03,240 Speaker 1: on and what you learn. You can reach me at 67 00:04:03,320 --> 00:04:08,680 Speaker 1: Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. In the meantime, this 68 00:04:08,720 --> 00:04:12,680 Speaker 1: is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making the 69 00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:22,799 Speaker 1: most of our time. Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast. 70 00:04:23,360 --> 00:04:27,080 Speaker 1: If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach 71 00:04:27,160 --> 00:04:36,839 Speaker 1: me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast 72 00:04:36,880 --> 00:04:41,120 Speaker 1: is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia, 73 00:04:41,200 --> 00:04:45,240 Speaker 1: please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 74 00:04:45,279 --> 00:04:46,520 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows.