Update: I started tracking my daily tasks in a simple spreadsheet for 30 days

I used to feel busy but never got ahead on my big projects. Last month, I wrote down every single work task I did for 30 days. I found I was spending almost 15 hours a week just on email and small requests! Seeing the numbers made me block off two afternoons a week for deep work. Now, four weeks later, I've finished two parts of a report that had been sitting for months. Has anyone else tried tracking their time and found a surprising time-waster?

3 comments

3 Comments

hannahw301mo ago

Sounds like a lot of work just to feel productive. Most people's jobs are just a bunch of small stuff anyway. That report would have gotten done eventually without all the tracking.

alice_kim1mo ago

But that report was due yesterday.

paulschmidt1mo ago

Eventually" doesn't pay the bills though, does it? I read somewhere that deadlines are what stop projects from dragging on forever.