How I track my time:
I keep productivity strictly defined as an activity that produces results. For example, if I were to spend 1 month learning how to core apples, but I have yet to core a single apple, my productivity score should be 0.00% If I was to spend a year reading novels, and going to writing classes, the total number of words I’ve written is zero and therefore my productivity is zero. Oh, sure, you can argue that studying the fine art of apple coring could count towards productivity–I’ve done similar–but I find this only serves to make the productivity equation more complicated, less accurate, and it opens the door to human fallacy and mind trickery. For the purposes of sanity, and honesty with one’s self, productivity should be limited to activities that literally produce results.
Here is a report from an application I use called RescueTime:
Notes about this graph:
- This data is of home computer which I use for work and for leisure.
- Currently YouTube is classified as “distracting”, but RescueTime cannot tell the difference between funny videos or programming tutorials
- 64.5 hours is essentially how much I am in front of my computer, or laptop, whether I am working or watching Netflix
- 58% of 64.5 hours is 37.41 hours (close to a 40 hour work week)
- Not only is this 37.41 hours of productivity, but it is confirmed pen-to-paper productivity–not studying.
- I should ideally reclassify google.com as less-productive or neutral because it research, and not actual productivity. I’m still tweaking the categories.
What RescueTime has taught me:
- I spend way too much time texting (I use Google Voice to text, so this is trackable.)
- I spend way too much time emailing
- I may use texting or email to talk to colleagues, but it isn’t technically being productive
- Time spent texting could be better spent on Skype or face-to-face
- Time spent texting could be better spent on actual well-deserved rest and rejuvenation like playing video games
- Time spent doing any of the above is not actual productivity
What gets measured gets managed, and proper metrics are the key. Let’s be productive together. I encourage you, dear reader, to install RescueTime and comment here about your results.