How long should a time audit last?

One week covers both weekdays and the weekend, which is usually enough to see patterns.

Should I track in 10, 15 or 30-minute blocks?

30 minutes is easiest on paper; an app can go finer without extra effort.

What's the difference between a time audit and time blocking?

Time blocking is the plan; a time audit is the record. Comparing the two is where the insight is.

How to do a time audit that actually changes your week

A time audit is a week of writing down where your time really goes. Most people only log what they did. Adding what you planned next to it is what makes the audit useful, because the gap between the two shows which hours keep slipping and why.

Step 1: Plan each day the night before

Write the next day in blocks: work, study, exercise, meals, rest. Rough is fine. 30 or 60-minute blocks are enough.

Step 2: Record what actually happened

Every few hours, fill in what you really did next to each block. Use the same activity names as the plan so the two columns can be compared.

Step 3: Compare at the end of the day

For each block, mark one of three things:

Done as planned (same activity, same time)
Done at another time
Not done

Then note anything you did that wasn't in the plan.

Step 4: After 7 days, look for patterns

Which hours are "not done" most often? (Often: right after lunch, late evening.)
Which activities keep moving to another time?
What unplanned activity takes the most time?

Change one thing next week: move the block that slips most, or make it shorter.

Free template (copy this)

Time	Plan	Actual	Result (as planned / another time / not done)
07:00–08:00
08:00–09:00
09:00–10:00
...

Download the template as a PDF

Doing it on your phone

A spreadsheet works, but filling it in during the day is the part people drop. Sync: Plan & Actual is built for exactly this: the plan on the left, a one-tap record on the right when each block ends, and two numbers at the end of the day (how much matched the plan at the same time, and how much got done at all). After a week, the hours you miss most show up on their own.

Planwhat I meant to doActualwhat I did

The Today screen: the plan on the left, what actually happened on the right. Example day.

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FAQ

How long should a time audit last?: One week covers both weekdays and the weekend, which is usually enough to see patterns.
Should I track in 10, 15 or 30-minute blocks?: 30 minutes is easiest on paper; an app can go finer without extra effort.
What's the difference between a time audit and time blocking?: Time blocking is the plan; a time audit is the record. Comparing the two is where the insight is.