{"id":1568,"date":"2022-05-09T09:08:19","date_gmt":"2022-05-09T09:08:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zaratechs.com\/?p=1568"},"modified":"2022-05-09T09:08:19","modified_gmt":"2022-05-09T09:08:19","slug":"why-is-it-important-to-keep-track-of-daily-activities-habits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zaratechs.com\/why-is-it-important-to-keep-track-of-daily-activities-habits\/","title":{"rendered":"Why is it important to keep track of daily activities & habits"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
I don\u2019t have time. We hear this sentence almost every day, from our coworkers, family, and friends. But, in most cases, people have no clear understanding of how they actually spend their work hours and leisure time. I am too busy, I don’t have time. Nearly all of us hear this sentence every day, from our coworkers, families, and friends. Unfortunately, most people don’t understand how they spend their work hours and leisure time. Everyone should have keep track of daily activities what they do in the day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now, the key to becoming a master of your time is quite simple. You need to keep track of your daily activities in order to have a better grasp of everyday tasks and habits. Thus, you\u2019ll know what actions you need to tweak to get extra hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this blog post, we\u2019ll discuss:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you often feel like you don\u2019t have enough time for all your daily tasks, consider keeping track of what you do during work hours. We compiled a list of the major benefits of tracking activities:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s explore each benefit with more details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By keeping your daily activity report<\/a>, you\u2019ll manage your time much better. Thus, you\u2019ll do what you enjoy doing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another interesting point that Vanderkam mentioned during her speech is that time is highly elastic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe cannot make more time, but time will stretch to accommodate what we choose to put into it,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s up to us what we\u2019ll choose to put into it, <\/em>and these are the priorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition, Vanderkam suggests making a list of priorities on Friday afternoon. This list should contain the activities you plan for the next week, in three categories:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Be sure to add 2-3 priorities for each category.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In his book The Productivity Project<\/em><\/a>, Chris Bailey says that being realistic about how much you can accomplish is crucial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWithout becoming aware of how you currently spend your time, it\u2019s hard to reflect on whether you\u2019re acting in ways that match up with what your values and highest-impact tasks are. Keeping a time log is a great way to find your starting point, your base level.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n As you can see, tracking your time and tasks will help you realize what your baseline is. Thus, you\u2019ll be able to make rational goals and plans for the future. For instance, if you notice that there are some time gaps on Wednesdays and Thursdays, use these periods for brainstorming ideas for the next project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aside from this, having accurate data on how much time you need for each assignment means being able to organize workdays better. Another practical step you can take is to create a list of tasks for tomorrow, the night before. Remember to write down time frames for each one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Besides, once you start logging each little activity throughout the day, you\u2019ll see how you spend your free time, too. So, those previously mentioned two hours of television can be switched with some other action, such as riding a bicycle for an hour and then having a bath the next hour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s face it, you can\u2019t always predict how long it will take to buy groceries, take your kids to school, or finish an important task at work. In fact, many studies show that we usually underestimate the time we need to complete an errand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the Exploring the \u201cPlanning Fallacy\u201d <\/em>research<\/a>, fewer than half of the participants managed to complete their activities at the time they predicted themselves. The results also showed that, when people make forecasts about their activities, they focus on the specific case from the past and its details. However, people should see a bigger picture \u2013 review all earlier cases with details. That way, they would remember the issues they had with earlier cases; thus, they would make more realistic predictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, last Friday, you were lucky enough to finish your grocery shopping and drive back home in less than an hour. But, usually, you need almost two hours for this chore, because of the traffic jam. Thus, you should dedicate more time to this activity, somewhere between an hour and a half and two hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In general, to make precise time estimates you have to keep track of your activities. This means writing down every single errand throughout the day. Then, after a few weeks, you\u2019ll be able to make more accurate predictions about your everyday chores.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some days you\u2019ll be more productive than others. As you already know, when you can\u2019t keep your focus at work, you might turn to social media or start reading the latest news. Or, when you have to study for an important exam, but instead, you binge-watch your favorite series. This is what we call the wasted time<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But, what happens when your entire week is unproductive? You probably won\u2019t be able to achieve your weekly goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s what we suggest: keep track of your wasted time, the same way you log the activities you complete. That way, when you see entries such as \u201cbrowsing the web\u201d or \u201cwatching series\u201d, this will be your wake-up call. Then, tomorrow, you\u2019ll do your best not to repeat these actions, which will result in better performance and enhanced motivation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition, tracking your activities can help you improve productivity levels, too. Pamela Ayuso<\/a> is a real estate entrepreneur and developer who writes a blog about business growth. She believes that, since we all get the same 24 hours in a day, our best bet is to use it in the most productive way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBy tracking daily activities, we are able to identify what tasks are absorbing the majority of our time. With the data in hand, we can then make the necessary changes so that we are spending our time in the best way possible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thus, if you want to stay focused on your tasks and be more productive, remember to keep a record of your activities throughout the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMultitasking arises out of distraction itself.<\/em>\u201d \u2013 Marylin vos Savant<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although it\u2019s not truly a distraction, multitasking is a delusion. Earl Miller, a professor of neuroscience at MIT, believes that our brain can switch the focus from one thing to the other extremely quickly. But, the brain can\u2019t focus on both things at the same time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, you may think that you can cook your dinner and wash the dishes simultaneously. But, the chances are that you\u2019ll either forget to add that important spice or accidentally break a glass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When it comes to time tracking and logging your activities, you\u2019ll want to have clear and precise information about what you do. That means doing each errand separately so that you can log them properly. Therefore, you\u2019ll improve your single-tasking skills and avoid multitasking. Moreover, when you pay attention to only one activity, your results will be better, not to mention more delicious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now that you\u2019ve learned the main advantages of tracking your daily activities, let\u2019s explore two ways of keeping a record of your tasks:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Created by Neville Medhora, this method is an ideal solution if you prefer using traditional writing tools, such as pen and paper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, at the beginning of your workday, take a piece of paper and start writing the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are several other practical tips that Medhora suggests:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Write your to-do list the night before. Thus, when you begin your workday in the morning, you only need to follow the list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Break down your tasks into smaller, manageable chunks. So, instead of having one larger assignment, you\u2019ll have several tasks to complete. Plus, you\u2019ll feel satisfied whenever you scratch out the task you\u2019ve just finished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A simple trick you can use when you feel like procrastinating \u2013 use another paper with a piece of tape at its top. Then, stick that paper to your list and adjust it so that you can only see your first task. Even if you don\u2019t feel like working at the moment, seeing only one task at the time means that you won\u2019t be bothered with others from the list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To learn more details about this simple technique, check out the video explaining this method.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Alternatively, if you prefer using software for keeping track of your daily activities, try DeskTrack as your own activity log app.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s how you can log your assignments with this tool:<\/p>\n\n\n\nYou\u2019ll be more realistic and organized<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
You\u2019ll make better time estimates<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
You\u2019ll be more accountable and productive<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
You\u2019ll learn how to single-task instead of multitasking<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How do you keep track of your daily tasks?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Pen and paper method<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Tracking activities with DeskTrack<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n