Keeping track of time loss

[Memyself&who]

My new therapist brought this up in my last session and I used to try and keep notes in my day planner but I fell out of the habit for some reason. In my day planner I used to keep notes about what I did/could remember about the day, where I went, what I ate (if I ate),what I wore (I'm petrified of wearing the same thing the next day lol. It's happened), etc. She suggested it to maybe see both how much time I lose, where I lose it, and if there are any patterns.

So I thought about setting up a planner or pocket notebook to do that but...I'm not sure. I might still try it but since I slacked off last time...

My therapist mentioned that there are some tools on the Live Strong website but I'm not sure that it's what I personally want. Maybe it would help someone else though.

I'm now looking at websites and freeware tools. I think I would like to be able to update things from my cell phone (if not then I think I will have to keep a notebook handy).

So far I have signed up for (it's free. They say they may charge in the future but..X fingers). So I'm gonna see if I can set it up to work for me. There is another site out there called TSheets but it doesn't say too much about how the free account works but I might check it out too. For these I just did a search for "Time Track". I did look on Cnet.com too but got a little frustrated sorting through all the programs and couldn't find one that would do the mobile updates (+free).

I think for the MyHours, my "projects" will be Sleep, Work, Eating, Recreation, and Time Loss. Then I'll just put in the tasks that fall under/lead to each (Brush teeth Going to :Work, Cooking:Eating, etc). Seems like kind of a tedious task but I'm willing to give it a go!

I would love to hear if anyone else has done this or does it, and what is your method that works for you (or doesn't work)?

[JigsawAnalogy]

I have several things I do with this.

Some are focused on being reminded of things that need to get done. I use , which sends reminders by text (and I think email and instant message as well) for things like tasks, appointments, and stuff I need to remember to do.

I also use Google Calendar, both for daily stuff and appointments, as well as other reminders (the good thing about Google calendar is that you can put stuff on that is pretty far in the future). You can text to Google calendar, once you have it set up to work with your phone: basically include a day and time, and it will put it onto your calendar. Mine is set up through my website, so I have different accounts for different parts, but I think it's possible to have different calendars even if it's one of the free accounts. That makes it easy to color code things, and to set different levels of privacy.

I set up a spreadsheet/form on Google Docs that I use as a daily checklist--what did I have for meals, how was I feeling, what did I do, that kind of thing. It's pretty easy to set up and very easy to fill out each day. (Play around with to see the different options.) Once it's been filled out, you can log into your Google Docs account and see a spreadsheet of all of the replies you've done. So you've got a way of tracking things (and could even print it out to take into therapy if you wanted).

[Memyself&who]

Cool, thanks for the suggestions.
I use sometimes for things I need to remember to do.
I think I have a remember the milk account somewhere lol.

So far the Myhours thing is working out pretty well. I think today and another day I was just to exhausted to do it. Thought I'd share some pics of how I laid mine out.

This is the Daily View. I have my various "projects" (things I want to track or main 'subjects') then I have tasks (like what it might take to get a "project done) so you can see for eating the task of cooking and actually eating. Therapy I sometimes count tasks such as journaling or reading informational websites, my walk to and from, etc. Sleep I try to record when I go to sleep and if and when I wake up during the night. I can just put in the duration of something too. I should have done that for my web time today but I can make notes too 2 of my tasks are labeled as walk to and walk from for example so then in the notes I can write where I was going or coming from.


Then there is the monthly view with all my notes, totals


Then my favorite thing to stare at pie charts and other charts. It lets you sort them in different ways and you can export them to excel and things or email or print them. These are pretty off I think 1) I'm on vacation 2) I think I might have botched a few things putting in both the hours and a duration 3) I got lazy 2 days and didn't record much.


It's kind of crazy, obsessive but it's kind of fun, interesting, and scary. It's scary when I sometimes realize I don't really remember well what I've been doing for the last 2 hours, or I don't remember eating but there it is on my daily list. The notes help a lot too like when I record that I'm feeling funny at the moment and then go back, look and say yeah...everything after I recorded I was doing is hazy. I usually try to glance over the previous first thing the next day then, before I go to bed go over the current day and make notes.

[JigsawAnalogy]

I do find it useful to keep a record, although with how my system works, it's rare that any part thinks to go back and look over the records. But having lots of different ways of keeping track of things is handy.

Now if only all the different parts of my system would get on board with this, and be willing to fill out information for the rest of us!

[doodles77]

new name is doodles77 was neveralone +++++++

sense my husband got sick we have been disconnecting and looseing time again . we arn't really great at computer skills so we need to find a method to keep track of things again . we used to have a rally good way but it's been so long i forgot . right now i'm trying to use notes .

some things don't need kept track of but there are a few ultra important things like meds and insulin . and food . we are thinking these through and have some ideas like useing color codes and spicific symbols ... designing a notebook then phopto copy the pages ...

not sure if i want to set them up as a weekly or a monthly tool . the weekly would be useful for oh say i loose it but the monthly has other advantages . i also plan to use a larger one that all notes are copuied into for those days when i / we lost the smaller pocket versions ...

then the teens want to design an easy to carry carry case hand designed and very easy to attatch to us by a keyring or small clothing hookie thing . seperate from the belt bag but can be hooked onto it ...

any ideas are gratefully accepted ....

[JigsawAnalogy]

One thing that might be useful is those small spiral notebooks that have a slot for a pen, and that close with an elastic band. You could write the list of things to keep track of inside the front cover if you don't want to copy it over and over. We have a bunch of spiral notebooks for different purposes, and a lot of them also come with pockets where we can stick notes.

We also use post-it notes for things we're trying to make sure we notice (or small pieces of paper and tape). Or writing on our hands, but that's not always a wise choice.

We've also found a day planner type calendar useful, although not as much recently, since we've started doing way more stuff with online calendars.