If you do timesheets at your job how accurate are you filling them out?

[tghytrethytrtyhtr]

I have to do timesheets for my job, and I really struggle doing them. I forget to do them as I go and then I'm often having to scroll through my emails and my Teams messages to see what I was doing and for long. I still end up with lots of time just completely unaccounted for, I think the odd minutes here and there add up and I'm just struggling with it

If you do timesheets how accurate are you at logging your time? What do you do when you have extra unaccounted-for hours?

You currently have a habit of ignoring them all day. Set yourself a reminder to go off every hour or half hour until you build a new habit of completing them as you go along.

Nothing will change unless you do something different.

It's not acceptable where I work to have chunks of unallocated time because you haven't been completing them as you go along. It would be considered a disciplinary issue as you would be losing fee income.

It's just habit for me now to update it every time I finish a task, or every hour if I'm working on something lengthy. I always have my timesheets open which also acts as a reminder to keep on top of it.

I use an online timesheet tracker thing, set up so you can click and it starts timing and you can preset with values like admin, client meetings, writing, internal meetings, etc.

I also use it as a motivational thing I suppose - each time I update it I feel like I am seeing what I am achieving that day which is a nice feeling.

And so is watching the hours build and knowing I'm progressing towards the weekend.

If you're viewing it as the enemy and something to be avoided that won't help you change your habits.

Yes I either use time recorder software or just an open notepad where I jot down as I go what I’ve been spending my time on. It’s really hard if you leave it to the end of the day - let alone longer!

I used to do this, but after a while just got into the habit of doing them at the end of each day / second day. That’s not some weird stealth boast, it genuinely makes life easier!