The one productivity tip I am thankful for
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To all of the US readers – Happy Thanksgiving. It got me thinking a bit about my business and things that I am thankful for. I am definitely thankful for a lot of things – my awesome clients, the friends I’ve made through sites like twitter, the inspiration I find in the guys who’ve paved the way before me in the wordpress theme market, ect. But todays article is going to touch on a specific productivity tip I am thankful for. I hope you enjoy and find some use for it.
Tracking my time – with a moleskine notebook
There are a vast amount of online time tracking tools out there and they all serve a great purpose, but for my own personal productivity I have found that using my moleskine notebook is the best possible solution for time tracking and kicking ass during my work hours. I don’t need to track hours and bill clients for them (I charge on a per project basis – I’ll write more on this in another post), but I do need to ensure that I’m focused on the work at hand and don’t get side tracked.
By writing the beginning time in my moleskine (every quarter hour – if I am ready at 8:06, I wait until 8:15) and then work as quickly as possible on the tasks I have in front of me. If I need to stop for some reason, I do it on the quarter hour. If I get done with the project beforehand, I round up just to ensure that next time I try to go faster and get the job done quicker.
Why a moleskine and not an online time tracker?
I am not sure actually. I tried them all and just felt comfortable with the moleskine notebook. The feeling of writing something down just makes me remember back in school when I had to jot down a note for homework or something to do the following day – it just feels normal to me.
The goal of it all is to get the work done in the quickest amount of time and once I write that starting time down, nothing gets in my way. It’s almost like a game I play with myself every day to see if I can beat yesterdays score. It may sound a bit weird, but it works.
What productivity tip(s) are you thankful for?
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Gotta agree here… it just seems natural to me to write down my times, instead of logging into an application and doing it. I guess I just feel more “in control” if that makes any sense.
Happy thanksgiving!
hey Damon. thanks for the comment. Glad to see I’m not the only one who does this
Happy thanksgiving to you too!
This is something I never do and need to pick-up on. I lose track of time easy and get so caught up with the task at hand… Thanks for the tip!
Hello! My first comment here… I also agree, the moleskine notebook is my best productivity tool… And also the whiteboard.
I’ve tried using organiser software in the past, but having a real planner handy is certainly more efficient in my opinion. And mine is a moleskin as well!
And actually, just like a businessman, as a freelancer, I always have a ‘business plan’ (which I of course take note of in my notebook).
I read this article that might be handy for freelancers out there as well (not quite related to the notebook exactly, but it certainly gives tips on how to be more efficient) : http://freelancesupermarket.com/news/2009/11/13/5-freelancing-pitfalls-and-how-to-avoid-them.aspx
Good points. Just like any technology, a time tracking tool of choice should be based on your needs, your habits, and your self discipline. For some – like yourself – if you have a pretty solid routine, go for it. Why fix something that isn’t broken, right?
For others who bill by the hour and find it hard to keep track of time on their own, perhaps a time tracking and billing software would be a better fit for them. It has its pros and cons. Though the time it takes to access the software is by far a lot longer than opening up a moleskine notebook, it organizes time, project, and client information. But that would only be a worth-while benefit, if it helps you save time.
Just putting it out there that people should base their tools on their needs first and foremost.
I’m thankful for learning early on the importance of having a clear and detailed outline before I begin writing.
Thanks for the sharing!! I will try it!