Timesheets - do you 'undersell' yourself?

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I'm working as a consultant for a company, and am meant to be doing about 6 hours a day.

Mostly researching stuff, pulling together presentations/ re-writing stuff etc.

I sat at my desk at 8.30, and have only had 45 mins for lunch and 15 min break this afternoon, so in theory I've done about 6.5 hours today, but I have virtually nothing 'on-paper' to show/submit for it .

I haven't been surfing/ on MN/ day-dreaming etc, I REALLY have been focused on the job I was doing, but it's juts taken AGES to download stuff/ get on the network at work/ format slides etc etc.

I feel like it must be my fault - that I am hopelessly slow or incompetent? I don't feel I can put 6.5 hours on my timesheet, as my manager won't believe it!

Does anyone else ever feel like this?

Blokes don't so why should you?

How do you know blokes don't? (Although I'm sure you're probably right...)

I just can't believe how long faffing around with slides can take

I just wondered if other people put in extra hours because they feel they ought to have done more in the time they've spent...?

Nope I account for every minute, no matter what it is, I don't get paid hourly either, I get paid a daily rate.

My boss knows I don't take the piss and if something has taken much longer than I might have first thought I usually moan to tell him anyway.

I know what you mean and I really have to be firm with myself not to think this way. It DOES take loads of time to do not much sometimes - crappy downloading and unavoidable sorting out of dull stuff.

People in offices spend just as much time on it, if not more, so we must not allow ourselves to feel bad .

I have an app on my iphone which I use to record my time, so I can easily turn it on and off when I'm having a break on MN. Its great because I can break it down to different activities like downloading stuff, tidying slides, on the phone etc. That way if anyone ever does query it I have a good back up.

Ooh, what is this app, please?

Its just called Timesheet on my phone - I'm not sure how to find out the publisher.

Its not hugely sophisticated but you can set up multiple projects and have activity codes for each project. And you can email end of day/month spreadsheets to yourself.

It saves me hours of time at month end! The best £1.59 I've ever spent.

Thanks, that's great - I'll search the app store.

Its actually called 'Easy Timeshert' and has green alarm clock on the front.

Be accurate with your time.

These things take time and I doubt if they could find anyone faster. I am always bemoaning the fact that admin tasks take far longer than people anticipate. Booking a hotel for someone should take two minutes but not when you're given half the information, the visitor accidentally pays for it on his own credit card, they end up having to recharge it which entails form filling, numerous emails to Finance and them having to raise an invoice their end (like I have had to sort out over the last few days!).

Gaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!

If I was charging by the hour then they would be paying for every sodding second.

paymo is a good free online timesheet. I love it - you can list projects, individual tasks, milestones etc and then click on a timer each time you start something new. (and click to stop it when you take a break). I think it helps you keep track of time - and not question yourself when you get to the end of the day and feel like you haven't done much.