List your Roles and the accompanying results (Goals) you’d like to accomplish over the

next week.

GOALS
ROLES help with homework, go to daughter’s
Example: mother soccer game, chaperone sleep-over, take
son to park

(Adapted from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen Covey)

 Time Log Directions and Analysis

Keep your time log for 3-7 days. You can use any format that works for you. One
possible format is to use a 3-column log. The first column is marked “Activity” to track
what the activity was, the second is labeled “Time” to track the time it took, and the third
is marked “Scheduled or Interruption?” to note whether it was a scheduled activity or an
interruption (this includes self-imposed interruptions as well as other-imposed
interruptions). Each time you switch to another activity, write down what you did and
how long it took. While you don’t need to keep track of every breath you take, do not
skip even minor activities, because this is where time-wasters can hide!

Once you have completed your time log, it is time to analyze it by considering the
following questions:
• What percentage of your life is spent in the different areas of your life (work, family,
spiritual, recreation, health/fitness, etc.)?
• Is this time distributed the way you’d like it to be, or is it out of balance? Are there
activities you could cut back on? Activities you’d like to add to?
• What percentage of your activities go as planned?
• Are you scheduling the right amount of time for most things, or do you end up getting
behind because you underestimated the time needed? Conversely, are you
overestimating time allotments and ending up with time wasted?
• How much of your time spent is actually productive time, meaning time spent getting
something done instead of procrastinating, doing busy work or “getting ready” to
work? If this number is surprisingly low, take a look at what is getting in the way.
Figure out what behaviors you need to change or adjustments you need to make with
your schedule to make your time more productive. You may actually find that if you
use the time you have more efficiently, you won’t need to work longer hours to get
things accomplished.
• What are your main interruptions? How many of these can you eliminate?
• Are your interruptions imposed upon you by others or do you create many of them
yourself?
• Can you save time by grouping some related tasks?
• What is your most productive time of the day? Are you scheduling the tasks that
require more of your mental or physical energy during this time? Is there anything
you can delegate or simplify?
• Look at your transition times—how efficiently do you switch from one activity to
another? Once you stop one task, do you lose momentum and waste time in the
transition?
Are you easily sidetracked by others or can you stick to your plan?
 Time Management Matrix

URGENT NOT URGENT

II ACTIVITIES:
I ACTIVITIES:
Exercise, long-range planning,
Crises, pressing
preparation, preventive
problems, deadline-
IMPORTANT driven projects
maintenance, relationship
building, personal growth
activities, some leisure

III ACTIVITIES:
IV ACTIVITIES:
NOT Interruptions, some
Trivia, busy work, some mail,
calls, some mail,
IMPORTANT some reports, some
some calls, time wasters, some
pleasant activities
meetings

Adapted from The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen Covey
 Time Management Profile
Directions: Choose the response that most accurately completes each sentence.
Then put the letter that corresponds to the response in the blank marked “Total =
10”.

1. At the end of a typical day I feel that…

______A. My time was spent on my most critical priorities, but I was under a lot of
pressure concerning urgent deadlines.
______B. My time was spent on my most important priorities, and I was able to balance
other things that I needed to do.
______C. My time was spent on things that had to get done, but I had no time to work
on my own important projects.
______D. My time was spent on “busy work” and other things that really were not all
that important.
_____ TOTAL = 10

2. When I have to make a choice about how to use my time…

______A. I focus almost exclusively on things that have the highest priorities and the
most immediate deadlines.
______B. I keep in mind both my immediate and future priorities so I can stay well
and avoid organized crises.
______C. I focus on getting other people’s urgent demands out of the way so I can
work on my own priorities.
______D. I sometimes decide to work on “busy work” or other less important things.

_____ TOTAL = 10

3. When I am faced with problems at work…

______A. I don’t have the time to deal with them unless they prevent me form
completing other things I am working on.
______B. I make sure that I schedule time to ensure permanent solutions for high
priority and recurring problems.
______C. I am so busy with other people’s priorities that there isn’t time to work on
permanent solutions.
______D. I sometimes find myself spending valuable time on problems that are not
really important.

_____ TOTAL = 10

4. When it comes to making improvements in systems and

procedures…

______A. My time was spent on my most critical priorities, but I was under a lot of
pressure concerning urgent deadlines
______B. My time was spent on my most important priorities and I was able to balance
other things that I needed to do.
______C. My time was spent on things that ad to get done, but I had no time to work
on my own important projects.
______D. My time was spent on “busy work” and other things that really were not all
that important.

_____ TOTAL = 10
5. When I think about my communication skills at work…

______A. There are so many demands on my time that my communication is pretty

much limited to things that are high priority and have pressing deadlines.
______B. I plan and manage my time to ensure that people are kept well informed and
that effective communication takes place.
______C. I am so busy trying to get to my own business that I don’t spend enough time
on communication.
______D. I sometimes find myself involved in unproductive things that prevent me
from taking the time to communicate with coworkers effectively.

_____ TOTAL = 10

6. When I think about the relationships I have with the people I work
with…

______A. I am so involved in the rush of critical matters that I don’t devote enough
time to my relationships with others.
______B. I make sure that I find the time to develop and support strong relationships
with coworkers.
______C. I am so busy with the demands placed on me by others that there isn’t much
time to spend on cultivating relationships with coworkers.
______D. I sometimes get caught up in doing nonproductive things like “busy work”
and I do not take the time to work on important relationships.

_____ TOTAL = 10

7. When I think about my relationships with the people I work with…

______A. There are so many demands on my time, that my communication is pretty

much limited to things that are high priority and have pressing deadlines.
______B. I plan and manage my time to ensure that people are kept well informed and
that effective communication takes place.
______C. My time was spent on things that ad to get done, but I had no time to work on
my own important projects.
______D. My time was spent on “busy work” and other things that really were not all
that important.

_____ TOTAL = 10
 Personal Behaviors
Urgent Not
Urgent

I II

_________% _________%
Important

Choice A Choice B

III IV

_________% _________%
Not

Important
Choice C Choice D

Now add up the totals for each letter choice—each response is worth 10 points. Then look at the
percentage chart below and convert your score to the corresponding percentage. Put the
percentage for each letter choice on the “Personal Behaviors” grid. This shows you the percentage
of time you spend in each of the four quadrants of the time management matrix.

Total for all Total for all Total for all Total for all
Choice A Choice B Choice C Choice D

________ ________ ________ ________

score %
70 100
60 86
50 71
40 57
30 43
20 29
10 14
0 0