“Time is like money:
The less you have, the more carefully you have to spend it!”
— Marcia Ramsland, Simplify Your Time: Stop Running & Start Living
The best way to manage your time is to track it for one full week using my proprietary “168 Hour Time Tracker.” The simple act of writing down the main thing you do each hour will show you how much time you get distracted or spend on time wasters. Then you can create a master plan and reassign those hours to activities that add balance to your life.
To use the 168 Hour Time Tracker follow these steps:
DOWNLOAD a Blank Time Tracker HERE
Step #1-READ the Better Homes & Garden Article that Marcia did a “Time Makeover” for that brought in 1,500 downloads! This will explain what you are going to do for 1 Week.
Better Homes and Gardens Article
Step #2 – FILL IN the “Time Tracker” for 1 week.
Write the main thing you do in each hour in the box. The next step will show you how to write in each box simply.
3) Simplify Your Tracking this week by selecting 5 Categories that cover your time activities such as:
* Work you are paid for $$$ (Travel time, work, computer, admin work)
* Training (Classes or online training)
* Personal Time (Am & PM Routines, exercise, read, TV, social, cleaning)
* Computer (Email, Social Media, etc.)
* Family (Meals, TV, Evening & weekends, chores)
* A Specific Activity (Volunteer time, PTA, shopping, etc)
*** TIP: Use an abbreviation key to fill in each hour. Post it at the top of the Time Tracker for the activities above such as:
Work = W: Admin
Training = T: Simplify Life
Personal = P: Hair appt
Computer = C: Email
Family = F: Dinner
Activity = A: Tennis
Total the hours per category at the end of the week. You will see insights about where your time is going and where you could save and reallocate time.
Week #1 – When you Coach with Marcia, she will help you make adjustments weekly to achieve the lifestyle you want to live including productivity, completing your To Do’s, and living the lifestyle you want to live! Keep a list of what is not getting done and what you want to do.
Week #2 – After Coaching with Marcia on your first week of tracking and listing what’s not getting done and what you are doing well, then she will Coach you through adjustments to live the next week. You will be amazed at how much better life can be!
Food for Thought:
Intuitively, we do certain things at certain times in the week. We fall into patterns without realizing it. Tracking our actions on paper can jolt us out of time wasters.
Everyone has a weekly rhythm. Those who are most satisfied with life have a balance of personal time, purposeful work, and relational time. Before you fall asleep at night, think about what worked today and what you want to improve tomorrow. You can improve every day.