This post is Day 13 of the January 2012 edition of the 31 Days to Reset Your Life Challenge. Learn more and sign up here.
Many people complain about not having enough time to make progress on their goals or even their overall personal development. And it usually stops there – with the complaint. But today, you’re going to take action and really analyze how you’re currently spending your time. This exercise is a conscious effort to investigate whether it’s really true that you “don’t have time” to make good on the life you want for yourself.
Estimated Time to Complete: 45-60 minutes
Today’s assignment requires you to think critically about how you spend your time. In order to do this, you will conduct a 24-Hour Time Audit. Simply use the format below to account for each hour of your time on a typical 24-hour period. You may also look to how you spent your time yesterday or in a pattern over the past week.
My 24-Hour Time Audit
6:00am-7:00am:
7:00am-8:00am:
8:00am-9:00am:
9:00am-10:00am:
10:00am-11:000am:
11:00am-12:00pm:
12:00pm:1:00pm:
1:00pm-2:00pm:
2:00pm-3:00pm:
3:00pm-4:00pm:
4:00pm-5:00pm:
5:00pm-6:00pm:
6:00pm-7:00pm:
7:00pm-8:00pm:
8:00pm-9:00pm:
9:00pm-10:00pm:
10:00pm-11:00pm:
11:00pm-12:00am:
12:00am-1:00am:
1:00am-2:00am:
2:00am-3:00am:
3:00am-4:00am:
4:00am-5:00am:
5:00am-6:00am:
Take Action and Reflect: Please share your 24-Hour Time Audit with us in the comments! What did you discover about yourself as you were completing it? If you blogged about today’s assignment, please post the link in the comments so we can read it.
Want All the 31 Day Reset Exercises in One Place?
The Reset Workbook contains all 31 daily assignments in one place as well as 28 printable worksheets to supplement the material and help you complete the daily exercises. The workbook is 60 pages long and comes in an electronic, ebook format.
For those who may wish to go at their own pace, this workbook allows you to have all the assignments at your fingertips in addition to the opportunity to connect with others who are doing the 31 Day Reset program here on the blog. There are also a few bonuses, like the full version of the Life Mapping Workbook with a video training!
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I didn’t have to do an audit to know that I am a huge time waster. The biggest culprit is the internet. Although I do watch TV, I record everything and watch mostly on Sundays (which I designate a work free day). That changes in the summer…I watch even less. Reading in one of my great joys but instead of reading, I spend way too much time on Facebook. Even though, I have known for some time that I waste too much time on Facebook (and the internet in general), it was really evident last week as I became increasingly irritated and annoyed with so much stuff on there. Information overload, “controversial” topics and articles, back and forth pettiness…all of that was really starting the frustrate me so I know I needed to take a step back from it. But here’s a typical 24 hour period for me:
6:00am-7:00am: getting ready for work
7:00am-8:00am: out the door by 6:45; drive to coffee shop near work…(7:15)work on agenda for week, emails, reading
8:00am-9:00am: continued work/reading at coffee shop (admittedly, I don’t get much reading done. too much internet time)
9:00am-10:00am: start my day job (9am-6pm) I do have pockets of down time during the day but again, it’s mostly spent online…usually Facebook or responding to emails although my plan is always to read.
6:00pm-7:00pm:driving home or stop at the coffee shop to read if traffic is horrible; there are some evenings that I may have a job booked.
7:00pm-8:00pm: dinner, household chores, business tasks until about 10pm
10:00pm-11:00pm: preparing for next day (picking out clothes, organizing work bag, planning the day)
11:00pm-12:00am: wind down by reading or watching something mindless on TV as I fall asleep
12:00am-5am: sleep
5:00am-6:00am: either hitting the snooze button or working out (depends on how I feel that morning but need to be more consistent with the working out)
Read my latest blog post…Day 12: Craft Your Ideal Life Narrative
I looked at a few days. I spend a lot of time driving to work, taking kids somewhere, driving to get food. What was surprising was how much TV I have started watching. Sometime it is on as background noise while I work but I’m definitely watching too much. I watched 6 hours of tv last night. This is not the norm but still a lot of hours. I also spend at least 1-2 hours reading a day. My sleep schedule has shifted. I go to bed every night between 1 – 4am. Somedays, I have to be up by 6:30am. So, I’m always tired or sneaking naps during the day.
So, take away point. Eliminate or decrease TV time. Find empowering audio recordings for drive. Stop tea after noon so that I can go to bed by 11pm.
Here are my day 12 and 13 exercises:
Day 12: http://hittheresetbutton2012.wordpress.com/2012/04/13/my-ideal-life/
Day 13: http://hittheresetbutton2012.wordpress.com/2012/04/13/time-audit/
This activity helped me to see where the time really goes. I have to make some adjustments on how I spend my day. I need to spend less time talking on the phone with my husband and more time networking and promoting my business.
Looking at my own time audit, I noticed how drone-like it looked and sounded. Like a wash/rinse/repeat cycle.
Pingback: #31DayReset Day 14: Redesign Your Day | Happy Black Woman | Helping Women Design Their Ideal Lives
6:00am-7:00am:Wake up: get eat/shower/ready for work
7:00am-8:00am:Commute to work
8:00am-9:00am: Work
9:00am-10:00am:Work
10:00am-11:000am:Work
11:00am-12:00pm:Work
12:00pm:1:00pm:Work
1:00pm-2:00pm:Work
2:00pm-3:00pm:Commute Home
3:00pm-4:00pm:Commute Home
4:00pm-5:00pm:Eat a snack
5:00pm-6:00pm: TS Meeting/watch tv/work out/emails–Depends on the day
6:00pm-7:00pm:TS Meeting/watch tv/work out/emails—Depends on the day
7:00pm-8:00pm: Volunteer at Shelter/work out/tv–Depends on the day
8:00pm-9:00pm:Volunteer at Shelter/work out/tv–Depends on the day
9:00pm-10:00pm: Late dinner
10:00pm-11:00pm:Sleep
11:00pm-12:00am:Sleep
12:00am-1:00am:
1:00am-2:00am:
2:00am-3:00am:
3:00am-4:00am:
4:00am-5:00am:
5:00am-6:00am:Wake up
Hmmm….. Although, my schedule is crazy, and not consistent, I’m seeing that on some days, I have more free time than I think I do, and I’m watching too much tv…(Was that supposed to happen?)
I liked this post.
I spend most of my day on work related things (which is probably like most people). I believe that is my #1 driving force for being my own CEO. I want to spend the bulk of my day enhancing my passion and goals in life.
6:00am-7:00am: Get Ready for Work
7:00am-8:00am: COMMUTE TO WORK!! Yuck!!
8:00am-9:00am: Catch up on work emails.
9:00am-10:00am: work projects
10:00am-11:000am: work projects
11:00am-12:00pm: work projects
12:00pm:1:00pm: work projects
1:00pm-2:00pm: 30 minute lunch where I work on my blog
2:00pm-3:00pm: prepare for upcoming training
3:00pm-4:00pm: online training for work
4:00pm-5:00pm: online training for work
5:00pm-6:00pm: Drive home.
6:00pm-7:00pm: Catch up on personal emails
7:00pm-8:00pm: Cook dinner and eat
8:00pm-9:00pm: Work on personal things such as blog, paying bills, contacting friends
9:00pm-10:00pm: pack lunch for next day, shower, and bed
10:00pm-11:00pm: sleep
11:00pm-12:00am: sleep
12:00am-1:00am: sleep
1:00am-2:00am:
2:00am-3:00am:
3:00am-4:00am:
4:00am-5:00am:
5:00am-6:00am: Wake Up
Read my latest blog post…Speak Like Margaret Thatcher: 5 Public Speaking Tips from the “Iron Lady”
The day in the life of Ayo.
6:00am-7:00am: rise/yoga:15min/Meditate on affirmations
7:00am-8:00am:shower/make breakfast/dress
8:00am-9:00am:check email/prepare for the day/list priorities
9:00am-10:00am:Touch base with clients/honor promises and commitments
10:00am-11:000am:Prospect for new business (money hours)
11:00am-12:00pm:prospect for new business (money hours)
12:00pm:1:00pm: Lunch with a prospect or colleague or networking event or eat/power nap
1:00pm-2:00pm:Prospect for new business
2:00pm-3:00pm:Prospect for new business
3:00pm-4:00pm:Public Speaking (virtual or research speaking venues)
4:00pm-5:00pm:Writing & Publicity (write on my blog/find venues to write for)
5:00pm-6:00pm:Networking event
6:00pm-7:00pm:Networking event
7:00pm-8:00pm: Dinner/Exercise
8:00pm-9:00pm: Me time, call mom, sister, chat with girlfriends
9:00pm-10:00pm: Shower, twist my hair, prepare for the day
10:00pm-11:00pm:Sleep
11:00pm-12:00am:
12:00am-1:00am:
1:00am-2:00am:
2:00am-3:00am:
3:00am-4:00am:
4:00am-5:00am:
5:00am-6:00am: Rise and do it all over again.
Wednesdays are my given off days and Sundays. I do whatever I want those days. When I am disciplined enough to do this consistently, the results in my life are outstanding.
Read my latest blog post…Abundance Principle #2