Time tracking is boring and — let’s face it — annoying. No one likes doing it, least of all a busy big-picture entrepreneur. As a productivity expert, professional organizer, and owner of a multi-person small business, I wanted an easy way to track my time, especially for day filled with heads-down computer work, which is when I see time-leakage.
The Timeular tracker (affiliate link) started showing up in my Instagram feeds last year, but I’m not too keen on adding one more gadget to my desk unless it’s truly helpful. But honestly, none of my other time tracking apps were really working for me. Timeular reached out to me and sent me a device to try. After just a couple of days of using the Timeular device, which pairs with my computer via Bluetooth, I could see the benefit of this new time tracking device.
It makes tracking work in any of 8 categories that I assign as easy as snapping your fingers. Scratch that…it’s easier than snapping fingers. It comes with everything you need to assign your own categories…a pen and eraser are included, as well as a base for the diamond device. You can use symbols, abstract patterns that are only meaningful to you if you are a think outside the box kind of person or if you don’t want office-mates to see your categories, or just regular old words (my choice).
Just flip the diamond device over when you begin new work. Flip again to another side of the diamond when you change tasks. It’s easy enough to flip while dialing the phone with the other hand. Forget to flip it when you switched tasks? No problem. Easily edit the time on the computer app dashboard. Then review all the times and categories on the reports page. Want to track time on the road, away from your desk? The app work independently of the device, so you can still keep tracking on mobile (without having to carry the diamond device).
I started tracking my time to determine time spent on one category of tasks versus another. Hoping to identify low-value tasks, the very act of flipping the device kept me more focused on the higher value tasks. If you are already thinking that just 8 categories won’t work because you need to track time by clients, don’t worry. Set your diamond device to track large categories first, like “clients” or “projects”, and you can easily add client detail right on your computer or device app screen in real time. I leave my Timeular window up in the corner of my screen to make corrections and edits throughout the day.
My surprising takeaway? I was actually working a much longer day than thought. I was punishing myself for the flexibility of dropping my kiddos at the bus, running out for a family errand, stopping early to receive my kiddos from the bus, taking a break to start dinner in the oven. This is normal for me, but I make up for all these breaks by pulling the night shift, too. Not having an easy way to measure this before (just one more thing to add to my todo list), Timeular easily tracked all of my worked time, which is way more than the hours I’d put in at a corporation, even in an executive office. This is a pretty normal working-mom problem, but now I had proof!
As the executive of my own business, Timeular has become a valuable assistant to help manage time, and help me realize when it’s time to close up shop for the day.
Are you ready to learn where the surprises, leaks and opportunities are in your day? The folks at Timeular have allowed me to extend a special offer to you:
Use promo code: Darla10 to get 10% off your Timeular purchase. (affiliate link)
Need more time management and organizing help? Check to see if you are operating with these modern day time management myths.
