Using Google Spreadsheets To Track Time Inputs
Tuesday
Oct 21, 2008
For freelancers and telecommuters, tracking time spent on projects can be difficult or time-consuming. There are software out there you can use to do this, but sometimes these just don’t have the right features, or are too complicated to use.
Sure, you can always use spreadsheet applications, but those can be cumbersome, and you’re constrained to keeping track of stuff on just one computer.
My solution: Google Spreadsheets.
This lets me “time in” so I can easily track how much I spend on my different tasks. The columns I usually use are:
- Date/Day
- Start time
- End time
- Time spent for task
- Total time for the day
- Total time for the week
- Total time for the month
– The sum of the individual tasks done for the day
– The sum of the time put in for that whole week (Mon to Sun)
– The sum of all time put in for a month
Sure, I do have to copy around formulas to different cells. But it’s as easy as Ctrl-C and Ctrl-V. And I do have full control!
Comments
Amitabh
October 26th, 2008 at 2:14 am
Hi,
Very interesting!
I say this because all my Project Managers prefer spreadsheets to the more sophisticated MS Projects.
I must say it takes a lot of discipline to keep a track of ones own activities.
Cheers,
Amitabh
Andrea Piccolo
December 5th, 2009 at 3:40 pm
Hi,
I use Time Tracker, which also keeps track of different tasks – just click “start”, “stop” for the specific task. In addition, it can be converted to an excel spreadsheet, when needed.
Keeping track of our own time indeed does take discipline – it needs to become “habit”. Well, at least, this is a good habit
Regards,
Andrea