by Catherine L. Tully

Ever wonder how much time you spend sitting in a given day? Or how many hours you actually work? Take a page from dieters everywhere and start a work log…

Like a food log, a work log is a tool you can use to learn more about your work habits. After keeping track of your hours for a couple of weeks, you will begin to see patterns emerge, which can in turn help you to figure out your most productive work schedule. It will also give you a “big picture” of how many hours (on average) you are working per day/per week. This can help you see (approximately) how much you are making per hour as well.

A work log doesn’t have to be fancy. All you need is a pen and paper – or a calendar of sorts. Simply log in when you start working and log out when you stop – along with the times. (I would recommend rounding up or down to the half-hour mark for ease.) At the end of the day, total the hours. Same goes for the end of the week.

When you have the info, you can then calculate your hourly rate. Then, ask yourself if you are using your time wisely…

It’s a very simple way to estimate a pay rate–but it works!