How to Do a Time Audit (+ Finally See Where Your Time Is Actually Going)
I hear from so many of you who feel like you're constantly running out of time. Like no matter how early you start or how late you stay up, the to-do list never actually gets shorter.
I get it. I've BEEN her.
So I want to walk you through some of my favorite ways to manage your time and get it BACK... so you have more room for the stuff that actually matters to you.
And today? We're starting with the one thing that changed everything for me: learning how to do a time audit.
Because before you can fix your schedule, you have to figure out exactly how much time you really have in a day... and how much of it you're quietly wasting on things that aren't one of your priorities.
You Have the Same 24 Hours as Oprah (Yeah, I Said It)
It might shock you to learn that you have the exact same amount of time each + every day as people like Oprah, Beyoncé, and Taylor Swift...
(I truly hope you sensed my sarcasm there...)
Because OF COURSE Oprah can pay people to clean her house, cook her meals, and do her laundry. Luxuries I'm gonna guess you don't have. (I sure don't.)
But just because we can't afford to outsource the stuff we put off until the last minute... doesn't mean we have fewer hours in our day.
Oprah might have a housekeeper + a personal chef. But she's ALSO figured out how to manage her time so she can pour it into the things that actually matter to her (you know... like building a freaking empire) and let go of the things that don't.
And listen, I am 100% all about outsourcing when you can swing it.
But I also know that's not in the cards for everyone right now.
So that's where a time audit comes in... and finally figuring out where all your precious time is really going.
Why "Busy" Isn't the Flex You Think It Is
You wanna know the one phrase I absolutely HATE hearing?
Someone asks how you're doing, and you say...
"Good! Busy, but good."
Why do we wear busy-ness like it's a badge of honor? Why do we feel like we have to justify not texting someone back by saying we've just been SO slammed?
Here's what's actually happening...
The real reason you didn't call your mom (sorry Mom... love you!) or finally book that dentist appointment or go to that event... is because it wasn't a PRIORITY. womp womp
And look, I'm not saying I'm innocent here. I say the busy thing too.
But the truth is, we take so much pride in being "busy" when we somehow still find a solid hour to scroll TikTok or get lost in a Netflix hole. (Guilty. So guilty.)
Busy is not a badge of honor.
So let's actually figure out where your time is going... and if you've been struggling to nail down those priorities we talked about, this is your chance to dig in and start living a more priority-based life.
How to Do a Time Audit in 3 Simple Steps
Here's exactly how I do a time audit (and how I have my clients do one too). It's not fancy. It's not complicated. But it WILL open your eyes.
ONE || Track yourself for 3 days
Grab a notebook, friend... because this is gonna be your sidekick for the next 3 days.
For the next 3 days, write down what you do every single hour... or with each transition... from the second you wake up until the moment your head hits the pillow.
This is an exercise in honesty. I'm not looking over your shoulder. You don't have to show anyone. So don't be ashamed if you find out you spent a solid hour watching Reels one afternoon. (Oh wait... that was me...)
I'd pick your 3 days in advance, and make ONE of them a Saturday or Sunday so you really see how your weekends look too.
This gives us a real picture of your days (even if they're not 100% "typical") so we can spot where things need to change.
TWO || Rate your energy level
Like I said, I'm a BIG believer in priority-based living... whether it's the big stuff or the boring, mundane stuff.
So when we look at how you're spending your time, we also have to look at your energy while you're doing it.
This does two things. It shows you how you actually FEEL about a task... and it helps you spot patterns around what fills your tank versus what drains the life out of you.
Next to each activity, rate your energy:
"+" for high energy
"-" for low energy
"=" for meh, neither one
We'll use these in the next step to figure out when + where you should be protecting your time.
THREE || Do your homework
Like any good teacher (and y'all... I was an OK teacher at best...), I'm gonna give you a little homework to go with this.
Because tracking your time is great. But the real magic happens when you dig into the what + WHY behind it all.
After your time audit, answer these:
What activities did you spend the most time on? List 2-3.
Are those activities actually PRODUCTIVE? (Do they bring in money, move a goal forward, check something real off the list?)
When was your energy + productivity the highest?
Which activities gave you the most energy? Which ones drained you?
What's ONE thing you'd change about how you spend your time?
Here's the Whole Point
The point of a time audit isn't to make you feel guilty about that TikTok hole.
It's to help you be MORE productive with the time you already have.
If you read this far, I have a feeling this is exactly where you've been stuck. You feel like there's just not enough time to get it all done... when really, we just need to manage the time you DO have a little better.
And I know some of you are thinking, "Kristen, there is no more time to give." I hear you.
When I started out, I was teaching full time, had a 30 minute commute each way, raising two little ones, coaching after school... and somehow still building a business on the side.
Was it easy? Not even a little.
But by taking an honest look at my days (and getting a little practice), I found pockets of time I didn't even know I had.
You can too. I promise.
So this is your permission slip to stop wearing "busy" like a trophy... and start spending your time on the stuff that actually matters.
If you missed it, hop back to my post on priority-based living before you start... because it's hard to know where your time SHOULD go until you know your priorities.
Ready to stop guessing where your time goes?
The SYS Planner has a time audit worksheet built right in... plus my whole Plan / Prioritize / Protect method to help you turn your time into actual progress (not just a longer to-do list).
And if you want a simple weekly rhythm to keep this going? My free CEO Weekly Reset walks you through planning your week around your priorities in about 30 minutes.
