It is easy for time to get away from us.  We can get bogged down in the details.  When it comes to your home business, losing track of time is crucial.  Find out where your time is going and how to rectify the situation.

One way to see where you are losing time is with a time log.  We stress “where” instead of “if” because everyone loses track of time.  It becomes a problem when that loss of time leads to burning the midnight oil to meet client deadlines, or stress because one or more activities coincide with each other.

Stress is one likely result of lost time.  Consistently finding yourself in stressful situations can affect your entire life and your health.  Avoid all of that with a few simple experiments.

One is using a time log which was mentioned earlier.  A time log can be as simple as a spreadsheet document that you can fill out with the names of activities you did during each day of the week.  A time log is like a food diary.  It tracks your current time management habits for later evaluation.

Where does most of the time get lost?  It could be at the beginning of the day.  When there is not a plan in place to govern your tasks for the day, the day can get off to a sluggish start.  You spend time deciding what to accomplish or you begin with one area and see what falls out.  Because you have missed deadlines or forgotten about projects, your day is spent playing catch-up and apologizing to clients.

The same goes for the family side of your time.  It is hard to find the balance between family life and business.  Without a schedule it is next to impossible.  A forgotten deadline could mean you are working well into the weekend when you were supposed to take a family outing.  Do you skip the outing or delay the project work longer?  It is a tough decision that will leave you stressed either way.

Consider charting your time as a way of keeping it from escaping you.  You can keep a big chart in your office.  A large chart can be purchased if it meets your specifications.  The days of the week run along the top with the times running along the side.  Color-code the chart for easier reading.  Choose two or three colors for business activities and do the same for family activities.

Whenever you get a deadline, record it on the chart.  Scheduled family activities are also recorded.  Each day, block out time for work, personal time and family.  In a smaller planner or a digital calendar, record the details of the plan for the work and personal blocks for each day.

A chart can help organize your time better than keeping everything in your head.  At a glance you can see what your schedule will be like each day.

More time management tips…