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Action Plans Making Effective Time Estimates

The Activity Log

An activity log is a highly effective way of monitoring the way in which you spend your time. If you work purely from memory it easy to believe that you spent all your day working, and consider that you use of time is good. If you keep an Activity Log for a few days you may be surprised to see precisely how much of your day is wasted.

Without modifying your behaviour, note down the things you do as you do them, from the moment you come into the office. Every time you change activities, whether opening mail, working, making coffee, dealing with colleagues, gossiping, going to collect paper from a printer, etc., note down the time of the change.

As well as noting activities, it is worth noting how you feel, whether alert, flat, tired, energetic, etc. This should be done periodically throughout the day.

Once you have logged your time for several days, analyse the log. You may be alarmed to see the length of time you spend opening mail, talking to colleagues, dealing with disruptions, or doing low value jobs!

You may also see that you are energetic in some parts of the day, and flat in other parts. A lot of this can depend on the rest breaks you take, the times and amounts you eat, and quality of your nutrition. The activity log gives you some basis for experimenting with these variables.

Action Plans Making Effective Time Estimates
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