Time trackers like HoursTracker have been helping students and entrepreneurs get the most out of their productivity. See how you, too, can benefit from a time-tracking app.
The use of time trackers is on the rise among those who realize they are being seduced by the distractions of social media and technology. If you are ready to reclaim your time, consider downloading one today. Here are seven reasons you should.
1. Time Trackers Show You How You Are Using Your Time
An ounce of prevention, it is said, is worth a pound of cure. You know that you’re wasting time, you tend to do better. Too often, however, we either don’t know we are, or we have no real clue the quantity that we’re wasting.
Social media has made it very difficult to stay focused. So have all the major technological advancements of the last 20 years. Today, we need to have a full accounting of our time if we want to be at our most productive.
Using time trackers will help you see at a glance how long you worked on certain tasks. As you start to realize yourself taking longer to do things that you know you’re actually much quicker at, it will give you pause to consider what’s slowing you down.
Once you start drilling deeper into the questions, you find yourself in a position to make changes. Those changes can come in the form of eliminating unnecessary tasks, batch-tasking, or learning when and where to focus.
2. They Improve Flowstate
Time trackers create a ticking clock mentality. They give you a nice, swift mental kick in the pants. From there, it’s easier to start working and entering what is called a “flowstate.”
Flowstate is a term that was coined by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi to describe an optimal state of consciousness where you feel like you’re in The Zone. Flowstate is when you’re so absorbed in what you’re doing that it’s like time stands still and you’re completely focused on the task at hand.
It’s what people experience when they’re so engrossed in a task they don’t even realize time has passed. One of the most important things you can do to keep flowstate going for longer is to limit your time on social media or any type of TV program or attention-grabbing form of entertainment.
3. Trackers Help You Slash Waste
Once the tracker is up-and-running, you’ll know where your time-wasters are. Time wasters can take many forms.
The biggest time wasters for us are anything that’s not getting us closer to our goals. For example, having too many open browser tabs, constantly checking social media, and constantly switching between different tasks that have nothing to do with each other.
There are a few time wasters you have to be aware of if you want to run a successful business. It’s important to do certain things and not others if you want to be a successful entrepreneur. You have to be willing to say no to things that aren’t going to help you move forward. The same is true for students.
To get your most important work done, it’s important to find the right place to work. Find a place with few distractions or potential interruptions and work in that place. It might be in your office, at a local coffee shop, or even at home.
4. And Avoid Social Media Overload
Not to beat a dead horse, but social media is the Devil in all its forms. Facebook, SnapChat, Instagram, Twitter (especially Twitter). You name it, and there is a way that it can and will be abused. It’s best to never get involved with it, but if you must, use a time tracker to block out access to certain websites for set periods of productive time.
You also might consider deleting the apps from your phone as these make interacting with networks far easier than the mobile browser does. Therefore, forcing yourself to only visit these sites through a mobile browser will reduce the likelihood of you getting distracted.
5. Time Trackers Are Flexible
Time tracking is now easier than ever. Time tracking apps like Toggl and Harvest are now available on mobile and desktop, so you can track your time wherever you are.
Use these apps to track your time on projects to make sure you’re focusing on the projects that bring in the most productivity. You can use time trackers to monitor what you’re doing (and how you’re spending your time) on your computer, phone, and tablet so you can see how much time you’re spending on a project or how much time you’re spending on social media.
If you’re a creative, you probably know that there are a lot of distractions in your life. It’s really important to set aside some time where you’re not going to be distracted and you can just focus on getting things done. Whatever tool you use, it’s important to make sure it’s on every device you use because you never know when inspiration will strike.
6. Can Keep Your Study Group Engaged
If you’re all using time trackers while studying, it will guarantee that you are engaged in what you should be doing. It will also prevent any group members from pawning off their work on others or getting distracted by life in general.
People tend to work better in a collaborative environment. What better way to collaborate than by making sure you can’t focus on anything as a group but the task at hand?
7. And Help You Reclaim Your Independence
Controlling your time is about more than just being productive. It’s about reclaiming your independence from the different holds that technology and people place on you. When you maximize the efficiency of your time, you have the opportunity to reclaim free time for the things that you truly enjoy doing, or the hobbies that you have yet to explore.
Using Time Trackers Is Now a Necessity
For people who truly want to be productive, time trackers are now necessities when it comes to optimizing output. Have you used any for yourself? Which ones do you recommend? Share your suggestions (free or paid) in the comments section below!
Aric Mitchell's work appears regularly here at 4tests.com and across the web for sites, such as The Inquisitr and Life'd. A former high school teacher, his passion for education has only intensified since leaving the classroom. At 4tests, he hopes to continue passing along words of encouragement and study tips to ensure you leave school ready to face an ever-changing world.
