It's about Time

RescueTime, that is...

Your most valuable asset is Time, those moments and hours each day that slip by without notice, spent on, well, who knows what, right? And that's the point of this post.

"If you can't measure it, you can't manage it."

We waste a lot of time, but it's a vague feeling without any hard data to give us a reality check. What if we could actually see the exact amount of time we waste each day/week/month, and what we waste it on? I'll bet it would be a real eye-opener.

It was for me. I've been experimenting with RescueTime software and like it so much that I just upgraded to the Pro version. It's dirt simple to use because you don't really do anything. It runs in the background and watches what you do on your computer and results are displayed in a dashboard format. How easy can it be?

The reports are excellent. You can slice and dice your data and get graphs and summaries and drill-downs galore. I may not have been able to design it any better myself. And for that reason it give it a 5-star rating. Just do it.

I wish it could track the time I spend in the hammock, or playing Frisbee on the beach...  :)

Here's what PC magazine says in their review:

• PROS
  Tracks all your computer usage, or only apps and sites you want. Can work across multiple Macs and PCs. Creates great reports. Graphs and charts contain information you can use to change behavior. Quick setup. Good default settings, excellent customization options.
• CONSCharts and data only available in Web app; would be nice to have them locally available.
• BOTTOM LINE
  RescueTime helps increase your productivity by monitoring your computer use and informing you when and how you're both productive and distracted. With excellent settings and customization, this app is aces.