Are you feeling overwhelmed by your daily tasks? Do you wonder where all your time goes?
A time audit can help you regain control of your schedule. In his book Buy Back Your Time, Dan Martell outlines a simple process to analyze your activities and get a handle on how your time is allocated. This method allows you to identify high-value tasks and energy-draining activities.
Read more to get details on Martell’s four-step time audit process and discover how it can transform your daily routine.
How to Conduct a Time Audit
Martell writes that the first step to reclaiming your time is to understand how you currently spend it. This helps you identify which activities are draining your time and why, so you’ll know what changes you need to make. To get a clear picture of your time use, he recommends the following time audit process:
STEP 1: Record everything you do over a two-week period. Every 15 minutes, stop and write down the task you’re doing to get an accurate understanding of where your time goes.
(Shortform note: To make this step easier to do, consider using free time tracking software. Some, like Clockify’s Automated Time Tracker, can automatically record how much time you spend on certain websites or programs, saving you the effort of having to manually record it.)
STEP 2: Determine how much each task is worth. Martell recommends you figure out how valuable tasks are by labeling them with one to four dollar signs. You can decide what each dollar value stands for—for example, one dollar sign might signify tasks worth $20 an hour, while four dollar signs might signify tasks worth $100+ an hour. By scoring each task based on its value, you’ll learn which ones to prioritize.
(Shortform note: Assessing the value of each of your tasks prevents you from getting distracted by urgent but ultimately unimportant tasks. In Awaken the Giant Within, Tony Robbins says we often prioritize urgent tasks because they’re time-sensitive, which pressures us into feeling like we need to do them before other tasks—even if they’re not truly important or can be delegated or rescheduled. James Clear (author of Atomic Habits) offers an alternative method to determining the value of tasks: Determine how much one hour of your time is worth, and measure that against the time a task would take and its expected reward.)
STEP 3: Reflect on how each task affects your energy. Identify whether a task replenishes or drains your energy by highlighting each task in a different color. For example, handling technical difficulties at your work might drain your energy, while participating in a professional seminar might replenish it.
STEP 4: Organize activities into one of four groups based on how valuable and energizing they are:
- Group A: Energizing tasks that have high financial value—for example, brainstorming new business ideas or meeting with potential investors or clients.
- Group B: Energizing tasks that have low financial value—for example, practicing personal hobbies or attending social events.
- Group C: Draining tasks that have low financial value—for example, running small errands or dealing with unnecessary paperwork.
- Group D: Draining tasks that have high financial value—for example, paying business taxes or handling difficult employees.
| Which Zones Do Your Tasks Occupy? In The Genius Zone, Gay Hendricks says, when performing a task, you’re operating in one of four zones: Incompetence, Competence, Excellence, or Genius. You find the most happiness and fulfillment in your Genius Zone, which is when you’re doing tasks that align your natural skills and passion. It has many benefits, such as unlocking flow and creativity, decreasing negative thinking, and improving your relationships. Let’s look at which zone doing the different types of tasks may put you in: The Incompetence Zone: You occupy this zone when doing tasks you’re simply not good at. These might include certain Group C (draining and low-value) tasks and Group D (draining but high-value) tasks. For example, you may struggle with making both routine phone calls and high-impact presentations. The Competence Zone: These are tasks you do well but not better than most people. Group B tasks can potentially fall into this zone. They’re energizing, but they may not tap into your specialized skills or provide you with the deep fulfillment of progressing toward your goals. However, they might be indirectly beneficial, replenishing your energy so that you can do more Group A, Genius Zone tasks. The Excellence Zone: These are tasks that you excel at but don’t truly love. These might also include certain Group C and Group D tasks. You may be highly skilled at doing them, but they drain your energy because you’re not passionate about them. The Genius Zone: By working on Group A (energizing, high-value tasks), you can maximize time spent in your Genius Zone. These are tasks that fall in line with your natural abilities—you not only do what you love, but you can make a significant positive contribution in doing so. |
