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Chances are that if you\u2019re a freelancer or business owner, you are all too familiar with the practice of tracking your time.<\/p>\n
Whether it\u2019s necessary to properly bill clients or is just a good habit developed out of the desire to be more productive, you already know that the minimal time it actually takes to track time (especially if you take advantage of helpful tools, hint hint<\/em>) is well worth the payoff.<\/p>\n And, if you work in an office environment and haven\u2019t been required to track your time yet, get ready\u2014it\u2019s probably coming soon.<\/p>\n That\u2019s why it\u2019s important to understand how to properly track time and avoid some common mistakes.<\/p>\n [content_upgrade cu_id=”82″]Get the bonus content: The Do\u2019s and Don\u2019ts of Time Tracking[content_upgrade_button]Click Here[\/content_upgrade_button][\/content_upgrade]<\/p>\n There are a few different segments of time trackers, so the benefits for each group vary a bit. However, the gist remains consistent across users\u2014it\u2019s valuable to know how much time you are spending on different activities and tasks throughout the day so you can work smarter.<\/p>\n First, let\u2019s break down three of the most common groups of time trackers:<\/p>\n This is probably the most active group of time trackers, solely because keeping track of time is likely critical to one\u2019s income.<\/p>\n Freelancers and small business owners need to know exactly how much time they are spending working on different tasks throughout the day\u2014whether that\u2019s researching for an upcoming presentation, crunching numbers, or building out a social media strategy\u2014so they can accurately bill clients. Failure to do this can land you in two different situations, the most common of which is losing out on billable time (those 10 minutes here, 15 minutes there can add up quickly). On the other hand, you\u2019d never want to be faced with having to defend the amount of work you\u2019ve done if (gasp!) a client feels you haven\u2019t delivered and asks to see proof.<\/p>\n Even if you\u2019re on retainer, submitting weekly or monthly reports charting time spent on a client\u2019s project helps you to continue to demonstrate your value and allows you to make a fair argument in the event that the time spent on the client consistently outweighs the agreed-upon compensation.<\/p>\n We mean this label in the most flattering of ways! And, to be fair, we should really just call this group \u201cAverage Achievers,\u201d since being dedicated to productivity should be the norm.<\/p>\n If this sounds like you, tracking time might not necessarily directly equate to cash in your pocket. Instead, you might be concerned with getting the very most out of the day\u2019s 24 hours\u2014both within and outside of work times.<\/p>\n For example, a dedicated Mac power user who is interested in getting the maximum out of their device could be interested in what apps they use the most\u2014and particularly what shortcuts and timesavers they could be utilizing.<\/p>\n For this group, having time-awareness (and self-awareness) empowers them to be as constructive as possible in today\u2019s modern digital world.<\/p>\n In an effort to become more efficient (after all, time equals money), many companies are looking for ways to streamline productivity and ensure that an employee is spending the majority of their time on the primary duties of their position.<\/p>\n It\u2019s less about looking over an employee\u2019s shoulder, and more about doing what they can as a company to remove unnecessary disruptions and time-sucks.<\/p>\n According to Workfront\u2019s 2017-2018 State of Enterprise Work Report<\/a>, only 44% of the average U.S. worker\u2019s work week is taken up by performing the primary duties of their job\u2014that\u2019s over half of the week being spent on wasteful meetings, emails, administrative tasks, and other interruptions.<\/p>\n By tracking time, employers are able to protect their employees\u2019 time, all while helping their business to be as profitable as possible.<\/p>\n Now that we covered how essential it is to track time, let\u2019s touch on a few of the most common mistakes made while doing it.<\/p>\n Picture this: You sit down to tackle a project (writing a helpful blog on time tracking, perhaps?), and right before your fingers start to hit the keys, you click \u201cstart\u201d within the stopwatch feature of your Mac\u2019s Timer app.<\/p>\n You outline some ideas, do some initial research, then ring, ring<\/em>\u2014your boss is calling to discuss an important client proposal for next week. Some time passes (was it 20 minutes, or 35?) and as you settle back into your article you realize the timer has been going all along.<\/p>\n Or, even worse, you come back to reality after an hours-long typing daze to realize you never even started the timer to begin with\u2014$%#!<\/p>\n Listen, you have more to worry about during the day than remembering to hit \u201cstart\u201d and \u201cstop\u201d on a digital stopwatch. Using an automated time tracking tool like Timing<\/a> takes the guessing work (and potential for human error) out of time tracking.<\/p>\nUsing automated tools takes the guessing work (and potential for human error) out of time tracking. <\/a><\/span>Share on X<\/a><\/span>\n And, of course, not every single thing you do during the day is on a specific device. Having the ability to manually track (for calls, meetings, field work, etc.) within an automated tracking tool will greatly help you get a holistic sense of your time. (Timing offers this, too!)<\/p>\n You know that time tracking is good for you, but sometimes it can feel like yet another thing on your endless to-do list for the day\u2014so you put it off. You know what else that\u2019s called? Procrastination.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll do it first thing tomorrow\u201d or \u201cI\u2019ll just look at everything at the end of the week\u201d can easily become familiar excuses. However, like anything else, a task that can take you just minutes while information is fresh in your head can take you exponentially longer if you leave it for later.<\/p>\n When you\u2019re not taking a daily assessment of your day, it\u2019s easier for time (read: billable minutes!) to fall through the cracks.<\/p>\n Make sure you use an automated (because manual tracking is problematic, remember?) tracking tool with easy-to-use features that quickly capture your day. With Timing, clicking the \u2018Review\u2019 tab will break down a timeline of minutes spent on your Mac into three groups: app activity, project, and task. It\u2019s simple to personalize, color code, and drag relevant activities into corresponding projects.<\/p>\n Taking a couple minutes at the end of each day to review and organize your time can make a world of difference and save you hours in the future!<\/p>\nWhy Time Tracking is Important<\/h2>\n
Freelancers \/ Self-Employed<\/h3>\n
Overachievers<\/h3>\n
Employees \/ Employers<\/h3>\n
![\"Time](\"https:\/\/timingapp.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/manager_employee.jpg\")
<\/p>\nCommon Time Tracking Blunders<\/h2>\n
Problem: Manual Tracking<\/h3>\n
Solution<\/h3>\n
Problem: Not Prioritizing<\/h3>\n
Solution<\/h3>\n
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