By Dorcas Solomon

Last week I wrote about the effectiveness of a managed time, it is definitely a good read in understanding the importance of time (click here to read). This week I promised to share how I have now come to manage my time effectively.

Time logging is one way I have learned to manage my time effectively and is an integral part of my day. A time log is a personal time journal where I write down a record of how I spend my time.

Time logging has definitely made me more intentional about how I spend my day, and also provides me with great feedback on how my day went and what I can do to make the next day better. I’m going to explain what time logging entails, and you can tweak it around for your convenience.

I got a small compatible book from the store, one that is easy to carry around everywhere I go.

This is just an illustration to show you how it works. On the first side of the book I write down my “to-do list”- I always never make it more than 5, because we sometime want to do too much and end up with nothing done, so I like to limit it to 3 – 5 core things I have to do in that day. I highlight the ones I actualized in my day in red, so I know the ones I wasn’t successful in doing and work towards them the next day -P.S I try not to beat myself up over what I couldn’t do, as much as I love to get everything done I just let it be and work on it the next day.

Now moving unto my time log, the page 2. I personally love time logging because at the end of the day I can go through it and see what I did, where I wasted time or where I need to spend more time, this part is very important. like I said in my previous write-up, the effectiveness of a managed time– “It is very important that we spend time doing something that adds value to who we are, or is an investment into who we want to be.” I compare my time log with this everyday. My times log literally gives my a conscious awareness of how I spend the 84,600 seconds of my day. If I do not like what I see in my journal at the end of the day, I work on spending it better tomorrow .

You may decide to break down your time in 30 minutes lots rather that an hour, which ever works better for you. Now realize that you may not get it perfectly in the first few weeks, it will take some getting use to and discipline to keep a record of your time. Don’t give up, just keep doing it till it becomes a habit, and you will be glad you did.

One key thing here is to be true to yourself when writing this down, because it’s for you. No one else is marking or going through it, it’s for personal growth and time management. So write exactly what it is you did with your time, if it’s “nothing” put it down for that time slot that way you can make tomorrow better.

When there is a conscious effort to write down “your day” there is a conscious effort to make the best out of it. Time logging has definitely helped me a great deal. In just a week I noticed I was getting much more done with my time and the quality of my day improved.The myth is 24hrs is not enough in a day, but I say 24hrs is enough for what you need in a day if managed effectively.

Now it’s your turn, how or what do you personally do to manage your time ? what are your thoughts on time logging? And if you do give this a try, let me know how it’s going for you 🙂

Also feel free to let me know if you have any questions.