Time Audits: A Genius Way to Make your Time More Productive

October 11, 2021 Nadya Corscadden

Are you a professional time waster? Do you actually know that for a fact, or are you just assuming that based on the fact that you’re always running out of time?

If you want to learn how to make your time more productive, the first step will be to actually figure out what you’re doing during your time so you can adapt it and make it more efficient…and then you’ll be able to see whether your priorities are in the right place.

So, if you want to learn how to try out this magical process for yourself, you came to the right place!

ps I DO have to tell you…

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What is a time audit and why are they useful?

The only way to figure out where all your time goes is to make a detailed log of it.

Are you actually spending 2 hours on studying, or are you spending a scattered 20 minutes here and there while also prepping meals and chatting on messenger?

A time audit means you’ll spend a few days or weeks keeping track of exactly what you’re doing and at what time.

How do I do a time audit?

Throughout your day, keep a clock and a piece of paper handy so you can write the start and end times for each task you do. This includes EVERYTHING you do: studying, sleeping, chatting, commuting, or whatever else you do with your days.

Don’t exaggerate or lie - if you get distracted by something, write it down and try to guess what time it might’ve started. There’s no use completing this process based on a fictional human who, in theory, was always doing what they were “supposed to be” doing.

Once you’ve completed, add up the times for all the tasks, and you’ll have a clear road-map of where you spend your time.

This seems like a LOT…what’s the point of it? Isn’t this a little obsessive?

The only way to make your time more productive is to know exactly where you’re losing time in the first place. Once you’ve done that, you’ll be able to re-organize your time in a way that’s more efficient.

Are you spending a lot of time on things that aren’t that important? Are you working yourself to exhaustion, and you’re slowing down too much because of it? Are you easily distracted and need to create blocks of time to just DO those distracting things so they don’t take away from your work time?

At the end of the time audit, you’ll know exactly what you’re spending time on, and you’ll see what needs to change.

How do you know if a time audit is worth the…time?

Quick question: do you find yourself always wondering where all your time went?

If it’s 1am and you still haven’t picked up that one thing you legitimately HAVE to do for tomorrow, it’s very possible that efficiency might not be your strongest suit…especially if everyone around you doesn’t seem to have the same time issues.

This means it’s probably time to do a solid check-in to re-prioritize and re-focus.

Where does all your time go? Besides obviously into the vast pit of nothingness and nonexistence that was never really there in the first place….

Yes, time audits take time (surprise!), but it’s worth it if it helps you with efficiency in the long run.

The first step to improving anything is to know what you’re doing in the first place, and the only way to know where you’re losing time is by figuring out exactly where your time is going.

Ok - I did my personal time audit - now what?

Well, what did you discover? Could you be using your time more efficiently?

Try to spend the bulk of your time on things that are the most important. If things aren’t important, and they take a lot of time, figure out how to scale them back. Yes, it may take you a billion hours to get an A on a certain elective…but what if you spend 2 hours less? Is a B good enough? Would you rather spend 2 more hours on this other class that you genuinely want to work on, and career-wise, it will 100000% be useful to spend more time on?

Very often what is also discovered is that there is a lot of time wasted on personal things…whether that’s on errands, being social, making food, etc. While you obviously can’t be school-driven for all of your time, it may be totally possible to scale things back in other ways.

Maybe you can start batch-preparing meals so you cut down on food-prep time. Maybe you can assign 30 minutes right when you get home of straight “nothing” time so you can blow off a bit of steam with some roommate chatter. It’s hard for me to guess how you can make your time more productive when I don’t know your schedule…so all I will say is:

Find out where the leaky buckets are, and try to lessen the leakage.

Want More Study Tips?

Want more study tips to help make your study/homework sessions more productive? Check out my book: The Secret to Stress-Free Exams. It’s full of actionable tips and tricks to make your studying life more efficient and productive…so you can get that A and move on with your life!

Who is Nadya Corscadden?

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Nadya holds an MA in Musical Theatre and is no stranger to the home learning scene. Having spent a good chunk of her younger years in distance education (and opting for some correspondence electives at university), she has accumulated many tricks to help maintain focus and inspiration. She has a passion for independent learning and wants to help anyone and everyone find their stride in this atmosphere whether it’s homeschooling or simply studying for that next big test!

She is also a triple threat singer, dancer and actress….and can’t wait until stages are alive again!

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