Caroline Becker
Dec 30
Have you ever wondered what the main reasons why we do not achieve our goals at work are? Of course, it all depends on the individual person and the type of a task, but among the most common reasons we can undoubtedly mention not meeting the deadline. Fortunately, there is a simple solution to such a problem – all you need to do is to improve your task management process at work so that achieving your goals comes faster and with greater ease. How can you do this? By imposing discipline on yourself when estimating and tracking your work time.Read on.
Time tracking – table of contents:
Time estimation – why is it so important?
Many people involved in project management believe that estimating time required to complete certain tasks is the key to success. Why? Because accurate calculations make it possible to plan all the work in the right way, distribute tasks among individuals and react earlier if problems arise.
However, estimating work time is not only important if you are a member of a project team and your work is controlled by a manager. Its aim is to help you gain confidence in completing all tasks on time and prevent you from wasting time on unnecessary activities.
What’s more, when you stick to your plan and, in most cases, manage to properly estimate the number of hours needed, you open up space to accomplish tasks you simply didn’t have time for before. In this way, you help yourself achieve your goals faster, while discovering new opportunities.
Time tracking – for greater control
What is the primary purpose of time tracking? First of all, in this way you gain control over the tasks you perform, which gives you confidence that they will be completed on schedule. This activity also helps when unexpected problems arise – it makes you aware that you need to make changes to your assumptions and take steps to minimize their impact on your responsibilities. What’s more, time tracking allows you to discover what exactly is consuming your attention, which also helps you improve the way you manage your tasks.
By time tracking, you acquire data from which you can draw conclusions for the future to better plan your work and estimate the time needed to complete tasks of a specific type. This information can be related, for example, to your productivity – perhaps in this way you will discover at what hours during the day you work better (that is, also faster) and in the future you will plan the most difficult tasks for this time slot, which will make it easier for you to complete them.
It’s also worth mentioning that constant time tracking, just like time estimation, is a motivating factor in terms of focusing on a particular task (especially when we feel that “we should have done it long ago”) and protects us from reaching for easy distractions. Thanks to time tracking (e.g., using a specific app or even special project management software like Firmbee), we focus more on work, respect the flowing time, and sometimes even save it. Consequently, we can use the acquired resources for tasks of strategic importance to us.
Summary
By focusing on properly estimating the time needed to complete a given task, you will avoid having to work overtime and experiencing stress, which can have negative consequences for both your physical and mental health. By keeping track of your work time, you will be able to determine if there is a risk of missing a deadline and if any changes need to be made.
At the same time, these two methods will allow you to discover your own capabilities, examine your performance, analyze the pace of completing tasks – all of which will let you achieve your goals faster (thanks to a better understanding of how you work). Without a doubt, such benefits would encourage you to introduce these two activities into your daily routine.
Read also:Best online calendar for project management
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Author: Caroline Becker
As a Project Manager, Caroline is an expert in finding new methods to design the best workflows and optimize processes. Her organizational skills and ability to work under time pressure make her the best person to turn complicated projects into reality.
