TIME LOG

Sometimes people aren’t aware of how they spend their time, whether at home or the office. One way to avoid wasting time is to record how you have been using it. The medium to do that is the time log.

Using the time log, you record what events occurred, at what time, and for how long a period of time during the day. To extract meaningful information from a time log, be sure to take several recordings at random time periods. That way, you will have a more realistic view of how well you or other people use time.

You now have information that tells you much. It tells you when your peak periods are, the types of interruptions you receive, and your slowest work moments and how you spend them. Using this information, you can take several actions. One, you can adjust your workflow so that it’s more even and the work peaks are lower. Two, you can identify the interruptions that you receive and the best way to work around them. Three, you can develop performance standards for yourself and other people.

A time log offers several obvious benefits. It leads to identifying better ways to use time. It also provides information for streamlining operations and using resources more efficiently. It can even provide an audit trail for work that was done.

for Developing and Using a Time Log

• Determine the reasons for using the log.
• Determine the length of time for collecting information.
• On the top of a sheet of paper or using computer software, compose the words event, time, and duration.
• Select randomly the intervals to record information about the events.
• Compile and analyze the data.