Time Audit Strategies

I did a time audit yesterday 🕒 Every 15 minutes, I wrote down what I was doing — no matter how small or messy. Not just to track productivity… But to evaluate my energy and calculate the real value of the tasks I was doing. Here’s what I learned: 🕒I put in ~9.5 hours of work, but nearly 40% of my time went to tasks that didn’t truly move the needle 🕒 My highest-value work — strategy, growth, and driving results — only took up a small slice of the day 🕒 I was spending too much time on internal coordination, back-and-forth in Slack, and task switching — things that should be systemized or delegated The kicker? A lot of that stuff didn’t just cost me time — it drained my energy and momentum. This exercise was inspired by the Buy Back Your Time framework — and damn, it delivered. If you’ve been feeling like a bottleneck, or just stuck in the weeds, try it: ✅ Track every 15 minutes for a day or two ✅ Rate your energy and assign a dollar value to the task ✅ See what’s draining you — and what needs to go If it doesn’t give me energy or generate ROI — it gets delegated, automated, or deleted. That’s the new rule.

You're the bottleneck in your own business. Yesterday someone asked me how I stopped being everywhere at once in my company. Hard truth. Gently said— You're not irreplaceable. You just haven't taught anyone to replace you. Here's how to "Buy back your time". (hat tip to Dan Martell) Step 1: Time Audit Track every task for a week. Not what you think you do. What you actually do. That Instagram scroll? Write it down. That "quick" email that took 47 minutes? Document it. That client revision you should've delegated? Note it. Step 2: Create Your Escape Plan (SOPs) Record yourself doing the task. Loom. iPhone. Whatever. Just hit record and narrate your thinking. "I'm choosing this font because..." "I always check this metric first because..." "When clients say X, I respond with Y because..." Your brain on video. Your process in pixels. As Dan says, Camcorder yourself. Step 3: The Three-Phase Handoff Phase 1: "Watch me" They observe. Take notes. Ask questions. You're still doing. They're learning. Phase 2: "Let's do it together" They drive. You navigate. Supervised practice with immediate feedback. Phase 3: "You've got this" They own it. Random quality checks. Only escalate when stuck. This isn't delegation. This is how you clone yourself. The result? They get agency. You get freedom. The business gets systems. Most founders think they're protecting quality by doing everything themselves. You're not. You're protecting your ego. Your business shouldn't need you to function. It should need you to grow. Big difference. What task are you doing this week that someone else should be doing next month? Name it. Own it. Then delegate it. Small Business Builders #smallbusinessmentor #businessgrowth #delegation #buybackyourtime

Are you losing 40 hours a week on the wrong tasks? Reclaim your time with these practical steps: The 80/20 Mindset Shift: Identify the 20% of tasks driving 80% of your success. Track your time for two weeks, then focus on the vital 20%. Reclaim up to 20 hours weekly. Escape Energy Vampires: Ditch time-draining meetings, especially in the morning. Prioritize clear agendas and action points for important ones. Gain back 10 hours weekly. Calculate Your True Hourly Rate: Evaluate your time’s real value. Calculate your actual hourly rate for non-critical tasks. Save 5 hours a week by eliminating/delegating lower-value work. Cultivate Systems Thinking: Goals are static; systems build momentum. Implement systems for repetitive tasks like lead gen and content creation. Save over 5 hours per week as systems evolve. The Grand Total: Reclaim 40+ hours weekly for crucial priorities. It’s like unlocking a whole workweek. Invest in systems, audits, and asynchronicity, and your greatest ROI emerges: time. 🚀 #TimeManagement #ProductivityHacks #UnlockYourWeek

As leaders, our days can feel like a whirlwind of responsibilities, decisions, and endless tasks. But fear not! Let’s dive into the concept of a “Personal Time Audit” and how it can revolutionize your leadership game. 🚀 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜𝘀 𝗮 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝘁? A time audit is like a magnifying glass for your daily routine. It reveals how you spend your precious hours, helping you identify patterns, inefficiencies, and areas for improvement. For leaders, this process is especially crucial because effective time management directly impacts productivity and overall effectiveness. 🌟 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗣𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝘁: >> Duties (D): - Reflect on your responsibilities: What tasks are uniquely yours? 🤔 - Prioritize wisely: Focus on what truly matters. - Revisit outdated systems: Say goodbye to unnecessary paperwork and standing meetings. - Address root causes: Solve problems at their core to free up your time. >> Assumptions (A): - Examine your leadership beliefs: Are you the “first in, last out” type? Always accessible, even when under the weather? 🤷♂️ - Beware of overcommitment: Setting the bar too high can lead to dropped balls elsewhere. - Embrace delegation: Trust your team and let go of tasks you no longer need to handle. >> Preferences (P): - Understand your work style: Are you a night owl or an early bird? 🌙🦉 - Optimize your energy peaks: Schedule critical tasks during your most productive hours. - Guard your personal time: Don’t sacrifice family, friends, or self-care for work. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗜𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀: - Increased Productivity: By eliminating time-wasting activities, you’ll make better use of your hours. - Goal Alignment: Ensure your daily actions align with your short-term and long-term objectives. 🎯 Remember, time is your most valuable resource. Use it wisely, and watch your leadership soar! 🌟 #TimeManagement #Leadership #Productivity #TimeAudit

A Chief of Staff & Sr. EA's biggest value? The TIME you save your CEO. 🕰️ But where do you even start.... If you ask any CEO or business leader (and you should ask them), they will tell you a few ways they wish they spent thier time better. But with the hustle & bustle of the everyday life of a high-level leader... it's rarely actioned on. That's where YOU come in. One of the first things a new Chief of Staff or strategic Sr. EA can do is conduct a CEO time audit. (You can and should do this if you've been in your role for a long time, too.) Many calendar tools on the market help with time audits now, but even if you simply use Outlook or Google Suite, it can be done in just a few steps. The best part? You use the research outcomes to help build & recommend the rhythm of business that will be most effective for your leader.   So... Follow these 8 steps to conduct a CEO Time Audit ↴ 1) discuss time goals with your leader 2) export calendar items 3) review & create tag 4) tag calendar items 5) analyze the data 6) present findings & strategic recommendations 7) implement the changes & informed rhythm 8) schedule the next time analysis Tip: keep track of your wins! I used a CEO Time Audit just like this in my last corporate Chief of Staff role... ...and the findings were the backbone of many conversations & strategic decisions we implemented, which also guided the rhythm of business. Plus, who doesn't love digging into the data once in a while!? Take your role as Chief of Staff or Sr. EA seriously: And take steps now to SAVE your leader TIME.🕰️ **In the comments: have you done this? What would you add? __ ♻ Share to help others add value in their role. 👋 Follow Maggie Olson for daily CoS & leadership insights. #chiefofstaff

95% of entrepreneurs and executives struggle with time management because of this 1 mistake. They're focused on the wrong tasks. This happens because as companies grow, so do the jobs to be done. You find yourself in the weeds and your days become filled with low-impact work. But recently I read an insightful book on this topic: Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell. My major takeaway was how our primary focus as entrepreneurs should be on achieving our mission by leveraging our unique talents to concentrate on tasks that light us up and make our company money. If you find yourself spending too much time in the weeds, your vision might not be clear or big enough. Start by getting clear on your vision, then take these 6 steps to buy back your time: 1. Audit Your Calendar: Review your daily activities to identify tasks that can be delegated. 2. Delegate Low-Stakes Tasks: Identify team members or hire a virtual assistant to whom you can delegate. Create standard operating procedures to help them take over these tasks. 3. Focus on High-Value Activities: Fill your time with work that generates revenue and propels you closer to your big vision. 4. Invest in Self-Improvement: Identify personal gaps holding you back from achieving your vision. Dedicate time to learning new skills that enhance your value. Remember, things don't get easier; we get better. 5. Implement Time-Buying Strategies: Adopt techniques to reclaim your time, such as batching similar tasks, setting boundaries, and utilizing productivity tools. 6. Regular Review and Adjustment: Periodically reassess your time allocation to ensure it aligns with your evolving goals and priorities. Effective time management isn't about doing more; it's about doing what matters.

The Executive Strategist Series (Strategy 3 of 8) THE SILENT SUCCESS KILLER: WHY GREAT LEADERS AUDIT THEIR CALENDAR BEFORE THE NEW YEAR Your calendar is the most honest feedback you'll ever receive about your leadership priorities. Pull up your last 90 days of meetings and ask yourself: 1.     What percentage of your time aligned with your top 3 strategic objectives? Calculate the percentage of your meeting time dedicated to your top 3 strategic objectives versus operational tasks to identify if your calendar reflects your stated priorities. 2.     Which recurring meetings haven't evolved since Q1? Review recurring meetings to determine which ones are operating on outdated agendas or stale formats that haven't adapted to your organization's current needs and challenges. 3.     Where are you the bottleneck? Identify patterns where your presence is repeatedly required for decisions that could be delegated, indicating opportunities to empower your team and scale your leadership. Remember that the meetings you accept in December become your reality in January. Here are three strategic moves for the next 30 days: 1. Eliminate one recurring meeting that no longer serves its original purpose. 2. Delegate three decisions you're habitually holding onto. 3. Block two hours weekly for strategic thinking - and defend it like a board meeting. Keep in mind that your team doesn't need more of your time in 2025. They need your time in the right places. Dr. Kym On Wednesday: "Legacy Planning Isn't Just for Retirement: Your 60-Day Leadership Impact Strategy"

Here's how I became 10x more productive, while doing all the things......... While building Fresh FP&A, juggling multiple roles can be overwhelming. To break free from burnout & increase productivity, I implemented a quarterly Productivity Audits. My team tracked their time in 15-minute increments, revealing hidden time sinks and efficiency gaps. 🔥Results: Our Productivity Audit pinpointed areas for strategic hiring, resource allocation, and focused effort. We also instituted ‘Building Time’ (1-5pm Fridays) for innovative projects. ⏲ Ready to optimize your time? Start your Productivity Audit this week. Goal: Identify time-wasters, invest wisely, and work smarter, not harder. #productivity #CFO #finance #timemanagement #ceo #business #insights #advice #freshfpa

Time management isn’t about doing more… It’s about doing less, but better. But doing less strategically is the challenge. Feeling overwhelmed? Let’s fix that: 1. Pareto Principle (80/20 Rule): - Rank tasks by impact. - 20% of tasks drive 80% of results. - Tip: Say “no” to low-value work. 2. Eisenhower Matrix: - Sort tasks: Do, Schedule, Delegate, Eliminate. - Daily review ensures focus on what matters. - Tip: Automate “Eliminate” tasks where possible. 3. Time Blocking: - Dedicate slots for your high-priority tasks. - Color-code your calendar to focus. - Tip: Protect blocks like unmissable meetings. 4. Parkinson’s Law: - Work expands to fill the time you give it. - Shrink deadlines to 75% of your initial plan. - Tip: Set alarms to stay on schedule. 5. Audit Your Time: - Track your week’s activities to find time-wasters. - Apps like Toggl or RescueTime make it simple. - Tip: Schedule focus hours after peak energy times. 6. Eliminate Distractions - Silence notifications and use tools like Pomodoro. - Gamify focus with apps like Forest. - Tip: Block apps during deep work sessions. 7. Regular Review & Adjustment - Weekly check-ins refine your productivity strategy. - Monthly goals keep your progress on track. - Tip: Write goals where you’ll see them daily. Mastering time means working smarter, not harder. Prioritize what matters most to protect your energy. Follow Jonathan Raynor. Reshare to help others.