Comments on: A kinder, less scary way to analyze your time

By: Amy Crawley

Amy Crawley — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 02:11:48 +0000

Hi Jen,

I used Charlie Gilkey’s heat maps for a few days to assess my most productive time in the studio. It confirmed what I was already thinking but never admitted to myself; that I’m most productive between 9am and 4pm.

I also noticed that, depending on what I’m working on during the week, I tend to get bored with certain projects by mid-week and have to switch gears and work on something else.

It is really interesting to observe ourselves to learn how we use our time. Now I have to put what I’m learning into better practice.
Amy Crawley´s last blog ..Standing at Water’s Edge-Chapter 10 (Final)

By: jennifer

jennifer — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 19:58:59 +0000

I hear you, Sherri! If keeping up with the notebook sounds like a chore – don’t force it on yourself. Seriously.

I’m only doing the time analysis for a week. Having a *specific timeframe* for the analysis makes it manageable in my own mind, instead of overwhelming.

Remember that you don’t have to be perfect at it. I have big gaps in my notebook already.

The other thing is to remember why I’m doing it. I want to be more focused while I’m at work – so that I have more free time to do other stuff I love.

Time analysis is clearly not sexy. But having a richer, slower life definitely is.

Does that help at all?
jennifer´s last blog ..A kinder, less scary way to analyze your time

By: Sherri

Sherri — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 15:06:56 +0000

I think I’d like to try this. Sounds like a good idea. But keeping up with the notebook…???

By: jennifer

jennifer — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 03:06:35 +0000

Hi Jen! Good for you! Really, when it comes down to it, the goal is mindfulness. Consciousness. For myself, I hope that someday most of my actions will be purposeful, rather than reactive.

Your meditating, yoga, and batching are all ways to be present. Not coincidentally, they all take practice. Thank goodness *perfection* isn’t the goal.

Thanks for the comment! (hug!)
jennifer´s last blog ..A kinder, less scary way to analyze your time

By: Jennifer Louden

Jennifer Louden — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 02:56:39 +0000

I love you. Just wanted to say that.

I’m working on this SO TOTALLY too (say that 3 times really quickly) mainly by 1) meditating/yoga first before anything; choosing one big thing to do first each day, the big thing; and trying to schedule / batch all the bullshit that sweeps me around into the afternoon. So far shaky but better.
Jennifer Louden´s last blog ..50% to Haiti

By: jennifer

jennifer — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 17:39:51 +0000

Qrystal – Oo! A BubbleTimer! It;s the first I’ve heard of such a thing.

I don’t know if it would work for me, but they have a free trial – and it looks neato! http://bubbletimer.com/

Thanks for the tips!
jennifer´s last blog ..A kinder, less scary way to analyze your time

By: Qrystal

Qrystal — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 01:19:33 +0000

In defense of the idea of tracking fifteen-minute chunks, it can be a little easier to analyze when split into equal-sized pieces. I use a bubble sheet, which I like because it’s simple and friendly. Reviewing a day is as simple as glancing at how many bubbles were where.

However, I can see the benefit of writing down task transitions too. It would be faster, because you wouldn’t have to process your tasks into categories at the time of recording it.

It might be interesting to track the transitions as you describe, and then at the end of the day, enter it into the bubble sheet to see how things go… and since the bubble sheet I use is virtual (BubbleTimer) it is like putting it into a database. I just haven’t figure out quite how to mine it for its trend data yet (said with a nod and smile to Crystal) but I know it’s possible.

By: jennifer

jennifer — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 23:23:58 +0000

Lori – Yay! I feel better knowing I have an ally on the path with me. I promise to be nice to you about your discoveries, if you promise to give yourself the same. Gentleness and curiosity rule! I’ll look for your post next Friday!

Crystal – You know, I’d totally forgotten about Toggl. I’m such a pen-and-paper person, the low tech is more likely to get done.

So, are you in, then with a different tool?

By: Lori Paximadis

Lori Paximadis — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 22:38:06 +0000

I’m a bit petrified of what I might learn from this exercise, but yeah, I’ll play.

And writing down when you switch tasks makes so much more sense than the 15-minute chunks — genius!
Lori Paximadis´s last blog ..Best of 2009: Place

By: Crystal (Silver)

Crystal (Silver) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 22:01:22 +0000

This idea appeals to the geek in me, too! Lists are awesome; data is awesome; and if I can think of some way to stick this in a database and use it to show a trend, that’d be awesome, too.

Out of curiosity, have you done the Toggl thing yet? I’ve been slacking on it in 2010 so far, but when I was using it regularly, it was nice to be able to see at a glance the different chunks of time I was allotting to different tasks and projects each week. A different sort of data, but the more, the better?