Loud Thinking

Track How You’re Using Your Time

If you want to get better at managing your time, you need to figure out what’s eating too much of it – and what could use more attention. Break down your work responsibilities into categories, and track how much time you spend in each:
Core duties: Day-to-day tasks that make up the crux of your job.
Personal growth: Activities that you find meaningful but aren’t part of your everyday duties. Maybe this includes a big project or learning a new skill.
Managing people: Do you have direct reports? Do you work collaboratively with colleagues? Do you lead a team? Log how much time this takes out of your schedule.
Administrative tasks: Necessary chores you perform each day – emails, time sheets, expense reports, etc.
Crises and fires: Interruptions. Urgent matters. Unplanned meetings. Any last-minute issues that end up sabotaging even the best time-management plans.

Adapted from Managing Time (20-Minute Manager).