#31DayReset Day 15: Conduct a Time Audit

This post is Day 15 of the 31 Days to Reset Your Life Challenge for 2011. Learn more and sign up for the program 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.
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21 comments

  1. My 24-Hour Time Audit

    6:00am-7:00am: Headed to work (Clock in at 6:30am)
    7:00am-8:00am: Work
    8:00am-9:00am: Work
    9:00am-10:00am: Work
    10:00am-11:00am: Work
    11:00am-12:00pm: 30 min Lunch/Check emails
    12:00pm-1:00pm: Work
    1:00pm-2:00pm: Work
    2:00pm-3:00pm: Work
    3:00pm-4:00pm: Pick up kids (siblings)
    4:00pm-5:00pm: Open
    5:00pm-6:00pm: Open
    6:00pm-7:00pm: Open
    7:00pm-8:00pm: Open
    8:00pm-9:00pm: Open
    9:00pm-10:00pm: Open
    10:00pm-11:00pm: Checking emails/Working on 31DayReset
    11:00pm-12:00am: Sleep
    12:00am-1:00am: Sleep
    1:00am-2:00am: Sleep
    2:00am-3:00am: Sleep
    3:00am-4:00am: Sleep
    4:00am-5:00am: Sleep
    5:00am-6:00am: Sleep/Wake Up 5:30am

    My Open hours depend on the days because I have phootshoots, meetings, and exercise classes I attend on different days.

    I discovered that I have enough time, I just haven’t been using my time wisely.

  3. I reeeeally procrastinated on this one. I actually did a time audit on the assigned day but it scared me so much that I decided not to post it. My schedule was jam packed. Right at that time I had accepted some part time work by contract- this actually has something to do with starting my side hustle. But that on top of my full time job and all the other responsibilities I had was making my schedule look too crazy! I am working on making a more doable schedule for myself. My side hustle is paying off- they want to use me more. This gives me the opportunity to cut on my hours at the full time job I DO NOT WANT. I will have to do it. I read my letter to self and it reminded me to go after what I want to do.

  4. This exercise is a reality check to MAKE POSITIVE CHANGES :

    My time audit :

    6:00am-7:00am:Sleep
    7:00am-8:00am:Sleep
    8:00am-9:00am: The alarm is set for 8am But…
    9:00am-10:00am: Breakfast – Review to do list of the day
    10:00am-11:000am: Email Checking – Phone calls
    11:00am-12:00pm: Graduate programs research
    12:00pm:1:00pm: Job Search
    1:00pm-2:00pm: Lunch Break
    2:00pm-3:00pm: Nap Time
    3:00pm-4:00pm: Run Errands
    4:00pm-5:00pm: Job Search And/Or Spending time on social Networks ( FB, Twitter)
    5:00pm-6:00pm: More Job Search
    6:00pm-7:00pm: Job Search and or Job Application
    7:00pm-8:00pm: Time with Friends/ And or Boyfriend
    8:00pm-9:00pm: Diner Time
    9:00pm-10:00pm: Usually Family time/ or catching up on Things like the 31day reset challenge/ Reading
    10:00pm-5:00am:Sleep
    5:00am-6:00am: Praying Time

  6. Doing this exercise is reinforcing to me how regimented I am. I know pretty much what I will be doing for the day before it even happens. That may mean I need to re-think certain parts of my day and maybe be a little bit more flexible as well. I’d like to observe this for another day and definitely a weekend day to get some more perspective.
    Read my latest blog post…Gratitude

    • What I’ve found with this exercise is that I can do a pretty good job of managing my time, the hard part is making sure the energy is focused on the right activities.
      Read my latest blog post…Gratitude

      • Thats the same way I feel. I can use my time for the thing on my life map. It looks like Ive been wasting time.

  7. I audited a typical Thursday

    6a wake up at 6:20 to be at the gym by 6:45
    7a gym until 7:30 head home to get ready for work
    8a leave for work before 8:15 (to arrive at 8:30) and start busy work at work
    9a finish checking emails (doing busy work) head over to see clients
    10a (clients until 12)
    11a (clients until 12)
    12p lunch (usually)
    1p paperwork, reports, work planning (until 5)
    2p paperwork, reports, work planning (until 5)
    3p paperwork, reports, work planning (until 5)
    4p paperwork, reports, work planning (until 5)
    5p arrive at home some time before 6 (unless i work late, which would be until 8) tend to dogs
    6p sometimes I gig on Thursdays (7p – 12a)
    7p sometimes I tutor (one hour)
    8p sometimes I ballroom dance
    9p I eat dinner somewhere in the above time slot, I often work late these days
    10p SLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP
    11p SLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP
    12a SLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP
    1a SLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP
    2a SLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP
    3a SLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP
    4a SLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP
    5a SLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP

    My time audit was as I figured… I dont waste a lot of time in my day. I rarely have a lot of down time, and if I do Im spending it pretty wisely.

    • This is a normal Thursday as well

      6-7am Sleep

      7-8am-wake ( lay in bed,open eyes strecth give thanks for waking and pray for a productive positive day) yoga, shower

      8-9am-grooming,dressing, double checking that my bag has all I need for the day and watching local morning news while going through this process

      9-9:50am- breakfast, prepping my fruits and veggie snacks for the day and packing the rest of my lunch bag and watching the news while going through this process.

      9:50-11am- travel to work (via public transit) Read, write or listen to music on my journey

      11am-7pm- Work- case notes, make calls, counselling sessions with youth, internal meetings and committee work, one tea break (walk to local coffee shop and walk back with tea 10 mins) Eat lunch at desk while working, through out the day touch base with my work buddies who often drop by my office for chit chat, debrief at the end of the day with my close work friend.

      7pm-7:30pm- Take a walk to decompress after the day and build in some more physical activity.

      7:30-8pm- find a cheap eats spot for dinner (on this day it was a gourmet pizza place.

      8-9:15 take transit back home, read, write or listen to music during the commute

      9:15-10pm- change into house clothes, hang items that will go back into closet, put items that need to go to laundry, unpack items from bag that I will not need for following day, wash lunch containers, wipe off make up and massage and oil scalp and hair

      10pm-11:30pm- prep main meal for lunch on Friday, while watching T.V

      11:30pm- 12am-shower, groom change into pj’s

      12-12:30am- watch tv, check next day’s weather

      12:30-1pm- journal and meditate

      1am-7am-sleep

      I realize I multi task a lot, and that I need more sleep time most days. I do try to take time to reflect and plug into myself.

  8. 6:00am-7:00am: sleep
    7:00am-8:00am:sleep
    8:00am-9:00am:get ready for class
    9:00am-10:00am:class (Mon/Wed)
    10:00am-11:000am:class
    11:00am-12:00pm:class (Tues/Thurs)
    12:00pm:1:00pm: surfing the web, class (Mon)
    1:00pm-2:00pm: class (Tues/Thurs)
    2:00pm-3:00pm: class (Mon/Tues/Thurs)
    3:00pm-4:00pm:class (Mon)
    4:00pm-5:00pm:class (Mon), meeting (wed)
    5:00pm-6:00pm: dinner
    6:00pm-7:00pm: bible study (Mon)
    7:00pm-8:00pm:surfing the web
    8:00pm-9:00pm: bible study (Wed)
    9:00pm-10:00pm:studying/ surfing the web
    10:00pm-11:00pm:studying/surfing the web
    11:00pm-12:00am:shower/ watch tv
    12:00am-1:00am:sleep
    1:00am-2:00am:sleep
    2:00am-3:00am:sleep
    3:00am-4:00am:sleep
    4:00am-5:00am:sleep
    5:00am-6:00am:sleep

    I’ve realized that I have spent a lot of time sleeping and lounging around doing nothing and I will change this around.

  9. Egads. I conducted my time audit of Sunday and it’s not pretty. I spent five hours messing around on Twitter and Tumblr (not all at once but still) vs. two hours of shooting and editing photos. I’ve been spending too much time putzing around, not enough time being a photographer.

  10. Pingback: 31 Days to Reset Your Life: Recap and Reflect | Happy Black Woman | Personal Development for Success in Life + Business

  11. I completed my time audit, and after work, I have 5 hours for which I can develop my side hustle. I tend to spend this time either working on my side hustle or relaxing. Breaking your day down into hourly chunks really does help you to see that you really do have more time than you think to do the things you want. Then again, I am a single woman without children, so it’s easier for me to have more time to devote to my business.
    Read my latest blog post…In Case You Missed It: The Week of August 15th, 2011

  13. Pingback: #31DayReset Day 16: Redesign Your Day | Happy Black Woman | Personal Development for Success in Life + Business

  15. i waste a lot of time of things that do not benefit me like stalking folks on fb
    :) he so darn sexy.. but yeah this is the last week that i will not be maximizing my time and efforts toward achieving the life I want and deserve
    Read my latest blog post…Time Waits for No One ~ Day 15

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