TIME LOG

BACKGROUND:
Do you ever finish the day and wonder to yourself, where did all that time go? Or get to the end of another week frustrated
that there's so much left to do? Sometimes issues with time management happen not because we didn't budget enough time,
but because other things end up getting in the way. The only way to uncover the barriers to getting things done is to explore
how you use time in the first place.

MATERIALS:
Printable Time Daily Time Log and Time Log Summary (see attached)
Timer, Watch or Stop Watch

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Download and print five days of the Daily Time Log sheet (or one for each day you intend to log). Download and print a
copy of the Time Log Summary worksheet.
2. For each activity during the day, complete the daily time log sheet. For each activity during the day, record the start and
end time, along with what you were doing. The more accuracy and detail you provide on the daily time log sheets, the
easier the summary reflection will be.
3. Repeat the process for several days. We find that it's helpful to record at least 5-7 days of activities and to use a typical
week rather than a week with vacation, holidays, big exams or assignments, etc.
4. For each step of the task, estimate how much time it will take you to complete. Then add up the total time that you
estimate the task will take.
5. When you're finished with the time logs, summarize the information on the Time Log Summary worksheet. Use the
summary to create time management SMART goals or create a progress monitoring program to improve your time
management.

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DAILY TIME LOG DATE:

CATEGORY DESCRIPTION START END TOTAL

TIME TIME TIME

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 TIME LOG SUMMARY

CATEGORY ANALYSIS Tally up the time used in each category on the daily time logs.

What are the top three categories? Do these categories match with your current SMART goals?

How am I managing my time well right now? What's getting in the way right now?
STRENGTHS

BARRIERS

What might you do differently Brainstorm 3 ideas for new SMART

What surprised you about the next time? goals from this time log:
time log?

What disappointed you about the

time log?

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