As an assignment for an online class I had, I needed to track my time. We could do it in half hour increments, but 15 minutes was preferred. I wasted a little time searching for an app to do this, but I didn't find anything I liked. Then I searched for some kind of template online. I found one I liked, but the time frame started too late. My day starts early. ::sobs:: I'm sure no one will be surprised when I say I decided to make my own.
It actually ended up being super easy. I opened a spreadsheet, punched in about an hour's worth of time in 15 minute increments, then did some dragging and Excel handled the rest. I then created four columns so I could check off if the time was spent on a must-do, a priority, something I wanted to do, or something nonessential.
Of course, I had to overthink the entire thing. Does the 7:15 row mean 7:15 to 7:30? Or does it mean the time ending at 7:15, making it 7:00 to 7:15? I know, as long as I'm consistent it doesn't really matter, but I'm not sure I was consistent.
I'll probably do it a few more times, but what I learned? I'm crazy busy with things I must do. Most of the rest fall into the priority category.
The only thing I checked off in the want to do category was my nap on my van pool on the drive to work. Seriously.
Nonessential did have a little online quiz/Facebook time, but other than that? No wasted time.
I will grant you that the day was a bit more crazed than usual, which is why I want to do it a few more times to better judge how my time is spent. It was also a day where I went to bed super early because 1) I'd had 2 hours of sleep the night before and 2) I had to get up super early to drive myself to work because no van pool driver and I wanted to hit the gym before work.
I'm not sure whether I'm more scared to find out that I waste a lot of time or more scared that my days really are this insane from the time I wake up in the morning until I go to bed. Gah!
