Printable Time Management Worksheet to Categorize your Time

This time management worksheet does more than just track time, it categorizes it. Do you ever think that you should spend more time on this project or less time on email? Are you wanting to get more productive and focused on those things that matter most to you, your team, or your family?

This worksheet identifies those 5-10 projects in your work and personal life and the time you are devoting to these.

Why use this worksheet?

If you were a swimmer and you wanted to get quicker then you would first get a clear understanding of how long it takes me to swim a length, and try to beat that time.

If you were a sales person and you wanted to increase the face-to-face time with external clients, you would first need to get a baseline of how much time you are spending with clients now, and then try to increase it.

It is the same with time management. If you want to improve your time management you first need to have an adequate/objective measure of it.

As Peter Drucker, the father of time management, once said:

If you can't measure it then you can't manage it!

This worksheet gives you that objective measure on those key areas of your life that matter most.

Why is this important?

Because as soon as you start to measure something you start to focus more of your energy into that space. You also raise your own accountability on those things that you are wanting to track.

Instructions for filling out the time management worksheet

Download this time management worksheet (PDF file).

1. Identify the top 5 to 10 tasks in your work or your life that you want to monitor, and track your time.

• face-to-face time with external clients,
• time making sales calls,
• time on email,
  
• the number of interruptions,
• quality time with children or loved ones.

2. Place a mark next to each 15 minute block for the category that you are spending your time in. For example, if you are in meeting with a client from 11-12 midday, then you would place four ticks, one in each 15 minute block between 11 and 12.

3. Do this for a minimum of 3 days. I recommend a full week.

4. Set time management goals. Now that you have an idea of how you are using your time in these areas, what do you want to change? If you want to reduce email time, then you now have a baseline you can compare against. If it is to increase time in face-to-face meetings with clients then you can create a plan to do this.

These printable to do lists and weekly planner tools can help you to set your time management goals.

If you liked this time management worksheet then you will also like the time management log.