Something doesn’t sit well, right?

If that’s the case, perhaps it’s because you haven’t heard of Flobotics yet — the team in charge of helping people speed up or entirely eliminate their repetitive tasks. 

But how do they do that exactly, and why has Clockify become an indispensable asset to Flobotics’ day-to-day operations?

Stay tuned and read on because we sat down with Krzysztof Szwed, Tech Lead at Flobotics, to discuss all things automation, and find out more about how Clockify fits in on their road to making repetitive tasks a thing of the past. 

Flobotics: Behind-the scenes

As soon as we heard the words automation and repetitive used in the same sentence — we were all ears.  

Naturally, we wanted to take a peek behind the Flobotics’ scenes, and see first-hand how they automate the processes of customers from diverse industries. 

Providing services to medical, finance, logistics, real estate, IT consulting, and manufacturing businesses, Flobotics manages to add value to and make people’s workflow much easier across industries day after day. 

Let’s see how exactly they do it. 

Flobotics’ core mission 

Flobotics boast the ability to help teams reach their highest potential by lifting the weight of time-eating tasks off their shoulders. 

Here’s how Krzysztof Szwed sums up Flobotics’ essence: 

“Flobotics is a young and hungry RPA (Robotic Process Automation) agency with a core mission of automating and speeding up mundane processes, reducing operational costs, and unleashing the productivity of our customers’ employees.”

But what does the process of enhancing the workflow of teams across industries actually look like? Krzysztof says the magic is in the careful analysis and a bit of alignment: 

“The entire process usually starts with a short process consultation. We determine which of the customer’s workflows have the highest automation potential and show the company our numbers — the cost of our services and the estimation of potential savings they could gain thanks to them.” 

Almost immediately after the intricate analysis, the automation process begins: 

“If the profit and loss balance is positive — we usually get the customer’s permission to start the automation process. Our developers work closely with users to understand the process first-hand, and then magic (RPA) happens.”

Ultimately, Flobotics’ formula is what helps their clients get things done by giving them enough room to focus on what truly matters in their line of business.  

The flow behind providing Robotic Process Automation (RPA) services

Being no strangers to automation, Flobotics gave special attention to speeding up their own day-to-day workflow first. 

In fact, as a remote-first company currently employing more than 30 people from different corners of the world, they are particularly aware of the importance of not losing speed over distance: 

“We use different systems for our project management, customer management, or time management activities — and of course, we’re adding a bit of our automation knowledge to every single one of them. For example, we have built a very complex marketing automation that we use in-house to automate our outreach activities and do what we do best — free up our employees from the mundane, repetitive work.”

On top of all that, the company gives extra care to their employees’ well-being — they manage to sidestep overworking by adding a sprinkle of automation to their day-to-day operations: 

“We’re the walking advertisement of our own services. We put an end to giving our employees robot-like activities leading to easy burnout, and instead, we dedicate them to professionals — bots themselves.”

Flobotics — the last-minute assignment experts

To be able to spearhead towards a future peeled away from redundant tasks, Flobotics claim that they have specialized in last-minute assignments. 

Obviously, since we’re all about time management here at Clockify, we wanted to know where they sat on accomplishing their milestones on short notice. Turns out — hand-picked experts at Flobotics take the praise: 

“Planning the entire automation process is very time-fragile — we always present development time to our customers depending on the project. It takes mostly the expertise of our superb tech professionals who know how much time is required to build a particular automation — as everything also comes with experience.” 

Yet, nothing would be quickly done if it wasn’t for eliminating the low-hanging fruit at the foundation of each task: 

“We take the processes that take employees’ precious time out of their hands and create an automated virtual coworker that can conduct the task faster and error-free.”

Then, after they’ve ruled out the need to tackle time-consuming tasks, they make sure to remain open for change:

“We have always put our customer’s priorities first and adjusted our services to reflect their actual needs — sometimes on a very tight schedule. Working with many industries open to constant change and fast operational pace (such as finance or healthcare), we’ve learned that the only sure thing about the initial plan is its need to be change-flexible.”

Finally, all the puzzle pieces come together, and voilá — Flobotics team manages to set their clients up for success at warp speed. 

How Clockify became Flobotics’ close companion on their way to success

Not so long ago, Flobotics revealed that they would not have become the company they are today without Clockify’s functionalities.  

For a business that places such a high value on efficiency and rooting out time-eaters, we were more than flattered that they chose Clockify as their loyal companion.

For that cause, we wanted to hear all about Flobotics’ experience with Clockify — from the reasons they went for our time tracker, to all the particularities of their workflow with Clockify. 

Flobotics and Clockify — Friend at first sight

Describing Clockify as the key ingredient they cannot imagine their workday without, Flobotics’ team speaks highly of the impact our tool has on their company’s overall performance. 

But what is the backstory behind this bond? 

Turns out, it was friendship at first sight — and it was all due to Clockify’s smooth and user-friendly interface that made it stick out:

“It’s hard to imagine Flobotics without Clockify, as it became our friend on day one. Compared to other tools we’ve discovered on the market, UI and UX truly stand out and create a unique experience for all of us. It just smoothly integrated into our company and became its inseparable component.”

Being well-versed in making the most out of their time, the people behind Flobotics recognized the need for a time-tracking system right from the start. That’s when they welcomed Clockify with open arms:

“Clockify became an obvious choice so far ago. The tool was on board when our first time-tracking needs emerged and has been irreplaceable ever since.”

How Clockify aligned with different customer needs

As with all the apps — there’s no such thing as one right way of using them. 

However, when the app seamlessly integrates into different workflows and works smoothly across teams, your only task is to focus on what you do best. (And excel at it, if we might add).

As a cross-functional team being particularly focused on delivering the best results to their clients, Flobotics finds Clockify to be their best ally to rely on, regardless of their customers’ needs. Namely, Clockify reports ensure transparency and trust between Flobotics and their clients:

“Sometimes, our customers need a specific type of reporting to track the project’s progress, while other times, a very standard, simple time-tracking is entirely sufficient. 

Clockify appears to be surprisingly flexible here — while switching between different options and settings usually comes with at least a bit of a struggle to the user, with Clockify, the entire process is smooth and pleasant.”

With the ability to give all their attention to tasks, instead of course-correcting their workflow according to the tools they use, Flobotics can focus on what they do best — unleashing their clients’ productivity. 

Clockify features that help Flobotics stand out from the crowd

On their way to freeing up their customers’ busy schedules, Flobotics found a couple of Clockify functionalities the most valuable for their mission. 

Let’s hear first-hand why the following 3 Clockify features deserve Flobotics’ praise.  

Clockify feature #1: Reports

Providing services to clients from various industries, Flobotics needed to make sure they always kept a transparent overview of their teams’ time spent within reach. 

Yet, although they went for Clockify early on, they didn’t expect the tool solving their reporting troubles, too:

“An unexpected benefit that we got with the tool is the built-in reporting module, which allowed us to gain a competitive edge during our interactions with customers — instead of explaining the time-tracking model (usually we charge our customers per development time), we can simply show them the system’s outcome.”

Not only has Clockify helped Flobotics stay on top of all their projects by giving them an added insight into where their time goes, but it also gave them the option to showcase their numbers to clients and outstand the competition. Two birds with one stone. 

Clockify feature #2: Integrations

Using multiple tools to stay on top of their game, Flobotics needed a tool flexible enough to integrate with the software they were already using. 

Luckily, Clockify met their expectations, and its ability to blend with their workflow turned out to be a shortcut to success:

“Being a tech-oriented company, our operations strongly depend on data and the right tools that reflect our business requirements — therefore, the fact that Clockify could smoothly integrate with our other systems became crucial to our success.”

Coming with 80+ time tracking integrations, Clockify enabled Flobotics team to tick multiple tasks off their to-do lists and see exactly where they stand at each moment: 

“Thanks to integrations, we’ve been able to compare planned vs. tracked time, forecast future demands, and translate it into our short-term strategies.”

Clockify feature #3: Time tracker

Initially, Flobotics needed an app that could aggregate all their time spent on tasks. Clockify’s time tracking feature (along with reporting options) quickly filled that void:

“Two things that we expected from Clockify were time tracking and reporting — and what indeed came as a surprise was the great quality of both functions. Thanks to being superb when compared to the market, they impacted our daily operations and business on a level we could not have predicted ahead.”

However, along with their expectations being matched came an unforeseen perk — according to Krzysztof, Clockify’s interface was unexpectedly pleasant to the eye: 

“When speaking of time-tracking, the first thing that usually comes to mind is a boring, gray window with simplified functionalities that measure employees’ time. At Flobotics, we like to do things differently — and Clockify appeared to be different and more than we hoped for.” 

Who would Flobotics recommend Clockify to and why?

Even though getting a detailed rundown of their workday adds a bit of context to everyone’s time management habits, Flobotics finds Clockify’s features particularly useful to small to medium businesses dreaming big: 

“Speaking from our experience — the tool is a perfect match for small and medium enterprises. Amongst its many benefits, we could point out that it:

• Scales well,
• Provides multiple reporting options,
• Has a fair amount of integrations, and 
• Offers access management functionality.”

On top of all that, being a robust work hours tracking system, Clockify supports businesses with little to no extra time to spare in making the most of their hours and improving their performance: 

“With this powerful functionality set — most of the small to medium-sector entrepreneurs will be able to achieve their goals and skyrocket their effectiveness.”

Final overview: Clockify supports getting as much joy from work as possible

To top off the story of how Clockify became a vital part of Flobotics’ operations, Krzysztof stressed the tool’s ability to live up to its promises: 

“Our pure satisfaction from using the tool comes mainly from its simplicity and the fact that everything that should be expected from it is done very well.”

Also, apart from being true to itself, Clockify did its part in perfectly aligning with Flobotics’ values: 

“It is eye-pleasing, super convenient to use, and has an actual impact on our business. We use it while working with our customers; we use it while forecasting future activities and organizing our daily work. With its amazing, unique UX, it also speaks to our values of doing things the fun way, taking as much joy from work as possible, and valuing people over anything else.”

In the end, that’s what set the seal on Flobotics’ decision to incorporate Clockify into their workflow and ultimately “rock their world,” as they had once excitedly shared. 

Flobotics’ expert opinion on automation and the future of workforce

Despite the evident benefits automation brings to the table, as we were bringing our conversation to the end, we had to address the elephant in the room — a.k.a. the fears of bots taking over the workforce. 

Should we trust the shivers down our spines, or are we in for a transformation of the workforce that’ll empower us to be even more productive? 

Krzysztof claims the transformation is happening as we speak, but it’s not bringing to life our darkest fears. In fact, it’s quite the opposite — RPA technology should give us a breath of fresh air: 

“The current industry’s landscape is changing rapidly and significantly because of the current development of AI models and increased interest in automation. It connects to many things that are relevant to our everyday lives — we appreciate life as it is, learn to experience the world, and are currently rethinking how our professional lives should affect our personal ones — all being a part of the same matrix. And in this metaphor, Flobotics thrives on being Morpheus handling you the red pill!” 

As automation gets more and more common (and we begin accepting Morpheus’ red pill wholeheartedly), it is expected to become a vessel for enhancing lives — not the other way around: 

“RPA and AI-based technologies are often seen as a threat to many industries and workplaces, but it is not a vision we share at Flobotics. We do believe that automation will become closer to us and integrate into our daily routines — while it will never be able to replace the person, it surely can make our lives easier.”

Then, after we accept automation into our daily life, the scenario where we all take back control of our time comes to life: 

“Imagine sitting in front of your laptop and supervising employees while they’re taking over your most time-consuming tasks while you can enjoy your morning cup of coffee — this is exactly the future as we see it.” 

Wrapping up: The sky’s the limit when you hold fast the right tools 

Whether it’s about surrounding yourself with RPA bots or logging your hours in your favorite time tracker — the statement about reaching the sky holds true in both cases. 

As the Flobotics team has clearly shown, there’s nothing you can’t do if you add a bit of automation to your workflow. If you wrap that up with a simple-to-master time tracker ticking off in the background while you blaze your trail — you’re already halfway to the top. 

Have you already tried automating your repetitive tasks? What about time tracking? Are there additional nuances that help your business stand out from the crowd? Let us know at blogfeedback@clockify.me, and we might include your experience in this one or one of our future articles. Also, if you liked this blog post, share it with someone you think would be interested in reading it. 

On a similar note, owning a business or managing a team does not spare you the same thoughts. You still need to work out a perfect employment strategy and see which type of employment offers more advantages to your business.

But what is the best decision if you’re in two minds about part-time and full-time employment? 

Well, this guide is here to connect the dots and help you make an informed decision — whether you’re hiring or about to be hired. 

We’ll walk you through all the ins and outs of part-time and full-time employment and cover:

• The definitions and laws regulating part-time and full-time employment,
• The pros and cons of part-time and full-time jobs,
• Tips from experts for managing both part-time and full-time employees, and
• FAQ about part-time vs. full-time employment.

What is considered part-time?

Broadly speaking, part-time refers to a type of employment agreement under which employees are expected to work fewer hours than what is considered a full-time schedule. 

The exact sum of hours a part-time employee in the US should work per week usually depends on the employer’s policy since the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) leaves it up to the employer to define the number of hours a part-time employee can work. 

What is considered full-time?

Similarly to part-time, full-time is defined as an employment agreement under which employees are expected to work more hours than what is considered a part-time schedule. 

Again, the exact number of work hours a full-time worker is expected to put in per week depends on the terms stated in the employer’s policy. The FLSA does not define the number of hours an employee needs to work per week to be classified as a full-time worker. 

However, for the purpose of determining whether an employer is required to offer minimum essential health coverage, the IRS defines full-time employees as workers who spend at least 30 hours per week or 130 hours per month working. This definition could be relevant if you are a large employer (employing 50+ full-time workers), but we’ll get into more detail on this matter later on. 

What is the difference between working full-time and part-time? 

One of the main differences between full-time and part-time employment is the number of hours worked — full-time employees tend to work more than 35 hours per week, and part-time employees tend to work less than 35 hours per week. However, these work hours are actually not federally regulated — it’s just how it usually is in practice.

Here are some other differences, listed in the table below: 

Let’s take a look at all the above mentioned differences between full-time and part-time in more detail.

Difference #1: Full-time employees work more hours per week

Even though the federal law does not regulate neither part-time nor full-time hours, the research by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the majority of US part-time employees work less than 35 hours per week.

According to the same research, full-time employees spend more than 35 hours per week working.  

Difference #2: Part-time employees tend to be paid by the hour

Part-time employees most frequently work an hourly position, therefore, receive wages for each hour of work they put in. They are usually required to log or track their work hours to ensure they get paid correctly. 

Full-time employees, on the other hand, often receive a flat salary regardless of the number of hours they work. Even though, in some cases, full-time employees could be offered an hourly rate, the majority of them are salaried employees. 

Difference #3: Most part-time employees are not eligible for benefits

Apart from statutory benefits (Social Security, Medicare, unemployment insurance, and workers’ compensation insurance), US employers are not required by law to offer any other additional benefits to part-time workers, such as employer-funded health insurance, retirement benefits, or PTO. 

Similarly, full-time employees working for a small employer (companies with less than 50 full-time employees) might not receive any benefits on top of those mandated by the federal and state governments. However, according to the ACA’s (Affordable Care Act) employer-shared responsibility provisions, employers with more than 50 full-time employees (including the full-time equivalent employees) are required to cover minimum health insurance. 

Furthermore, statistics show that full-time workers are more likely to receive additional employer-funded benefits. Namely, according to a US Bureau of Labor Statistics news release,  81% of full-time workers had access to retirement benefits in March 2022, whereas only 43% of part-time workers had the same perk. 

Difference #4: Full-time employees tend to have a fixed schedule

Part-time employment usually comes hand in hand with instability in work schedules. Even though the changes regarding work hours depend on the terms agreed on in their employment contract, part-time workers frequently work in rotating shifts — which leaves enough room for adjustments. 

The majority of full-time employees, on the other hand, work on a fixed schedule — putting in a pre-defined number of hours week after week. Some employers may choose to offer their full-time workers a flexible schedule, but they’d still be required to work for a set number of hours throughout the week. 

Why do the definitions of full-time and part-time employment matter?

Although federal law does not distinguish between full-time and part-time employment, being aware of the acts and regulations that might impact your workers’ status helps you avoid potential lawsuits. 

Also, if you are an employee considering a part-time or a full-time position, knowing the definitions could help you make an informed decision when selecting your perfect type of employment and even claim your rights when necessary. 

Let’s go over all the reasons for why the definitions of full-time and part-time matter in more detail. 

Reason #1: Misclassification could result in IRS fines 

As we’ve already mentioned, under the ACA, employers with 50 and more full-time employees (workers who spend at least 30 hours/week or 130 hours/month working), including the full-time equivalent employees, are classified as applicable large employers (ALE). Therefore, they need to offer minimum health insurance to all their staff. Failure to do so could result in serious fines and penalties from the IRS. 

However, since the FLSA leaves enough room for employers to distinguish between full-time and part-time workers as they see fit, the employer handbook definition of full-time employees might differ from the one provided by the ACA. Still, having their own interpretation of full-time and part-time employment does not absolve employers of legal liability. 

Reason #2: Incorrect definitions might lead to criminal penalties

Most US employers are generally not required to provide benefits such as holiday pay, vacation leave, or covered retirement plans. Still, similar to minimum health insurance, there are certain exceptions to this.

Namely, according to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), employers who already offer pension plans to their full-time employees must allow their part-time employees who work more than 1,000 hours/year (20 hours/week) to participate in a retirement plan as well. 

Let’s say an employer decided to offer retirement benefits to full-time employees only. However, their employee handbook defines part-time employees as working 30 hours per week. Following ERISA, this employer is violating the federal act and could be subject to civil or criminal penalties and lawsuits for withholding benefits from their employees.  

Part-time employment: Pros and cons for employers

As it is with all types of employment, each comes with its own share of perks and downsides. Take a look at the breakdown of some of the most common pros and cons of part-time employment you might face if you plan on hiring part-time employees. 

Let’s go over both pros and cons of part-time employment in more detail so you’ll be aware of them at all times.

Part-time employment: Pros for employers

If you’re about to hire part-time workers, you’ll probably witness a handful of advantages coming with this type of employment. 

Let us walk you through each benefit coming with employment of part-time staff: 

• Part-time employment opens the door to a large pool of candidates — frequently, candidates looking for a part-time position already work full-time and are looking for additional income. This widens your candidate pool since you’ll be able to select from a broader group of candidates, including already employed talents experienced in their fields and part-time newbies.  
• Employing part-time workers could be cost-effective — instead of mandating overtime during a busy season and having to compensate for overtime hours, hiring seasonal part-time employees could be more financially sustainable. Also, if you’re just starting out and running a business on a tight budget, you could lower your employment costs if you hired only part-time employees in the early days of your business.  
• Adequate part-time staff helps meet customer expectations — if you expect your business to experience a significant increase in customer demands, hiring part-time workers who could cover time frames outside your full-time staff’s working hours could help increase customer satisfaction. Since you’ll be able to meet their demands much quicker, this will, in turn, improve customer retention and naturally grow profit.

Part-time employment: Cons for employers

On top of clear advantages that hiring part-time employees brings to light, this type of employment naturally comes with a fair number of cons. 

Here are some of the most common downsides employers hiring part-time workers usually have to navigate through: 

• Hiring part-time workers comes hand in hand with organizational challenges — whether you employ only part-time employees or also hire full-time workers, chances are you’ll find it challenging to ensure everyone’s available to attend important meetings and discussions at the same time. Making sure everyone’s present when key decisions are being made is especially tricky if your part-time employees work in shifts. 
• Part-time employment comes with a risk of a higher turnover rate — part-time employment is usually paired with a low employee retention rate, especially in hospitality and retail industries. Also, not offering part-time employees the same benefits as full-time employees frequently leads part-time staff to go for greener pastures.
• Part-time staff could be less committed to their jobs than expected — due to the nature of their work hours and a higher chance of not being informed about every relevant decision, part-time employees are more likely to feel excluded. In turn, they might not feel committed to the company to the same extent as full-time employees. 

Part-time employment: Pros and cons for employees

If you’ve been wondering whether part-time employment is the right choice for you, take a look at the table below, where we’ve narrowed down some of the most common pros and cons you should consider before accepting a part-time job offer. 

Now, let’s explore what these advantages and disadvantages mean exactly for part-time workers. 

Part-time employment: Pros for employees

Although there might not be such a thing as an ideal type of employment, part-time brings a number of benefits to employees that might be worth taking into account if you’re about to accept a part-time job offer.

These are some of the pros of part-time employment you might notice: 

• Part-time workers usually have a more flexible work schedule — depending on the nature of their jobs, part-time employees may have more chances of negotiating their working hours, especially since part-time workers commonly work in shifts.
• Part-time employment positively impacts stress levels — research on work arrangements and stress levels has shown that employees who work fewer hours (including part-time workers) experience significantly lower levels of stress compared to those working in other types of employment arrangements. This is especially the case with employees working 37+ hours/week.  
• Working part-time helps with achieving a better work-life balance — with reduced working hours comes more time for personal activities, therefore a better balance between personal and professional life, and an overall improved quality of work-life. 

Part-time employment: Cons for employees

Apart from evident perks of working part-time, this type of employment arrangement also goes along with a number of drawbacks. 

Here’s a detailed rundown of each of them:

• Part-time employees frequently have variable income — unlike full-time employees who reap the benefits of a steady income, part-time employees are usually paid by the hour. This means a part-time worker’s income could be significantly lower than usual at times when their employer’s business is going through a quiet time.
• Part-time workers might not receive employee benefits — as we’ve mentioned before, US employers are not required to offer their employees benefits beyond the statutorily required ones. Still, research by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics shows a staggering gap between the number of full-time and part-time employees with access to employer-funded health benefits. Opposed to 87% of full-time employees with health insurance benefits, only 24% of part-time workers received the same coverage in 2022.
• Part-time work schedule is commonly unpredictable — along with the benefit of working flexible hours comes a fluctuating schedule. Despite the possibility of negotiating work hours, many part-time workers struggle with the unpredictability of their work schedule. Part-time workers occupying leisure and hospitality positions, for example, commonly receive their schedules last minute — which makes it difficult to adequately structure and plan their days. 

Full-time employment: Pros and cons for employers

Full-time employees bring a particular set of pros and cons to employers, and here’s a breakdown of some of the most common ones: 

Full-time employment: Pros for employers

After welcoming full-time employees on board, employers usually witness a handful of advantages this decision brings to light. 

Let’s go over some of the most common advantages that come with full-time employment in more detail: 

• Full-time employment reduces time spent on resource planning — opposed to part-time workers whose schedule sometimes depends on the workload, full-time employees usually work a fixed number of hours week in and week out. This schedule predictability reduces the time spent on planning work and managing team capacity.  
• Full-time staff show high loyalty to the company — since full-time employment comes with a consistent schedule and income, full-time employees are more likely to remain loyal to the company. In fact, Gallup’s research on employee retention has shown that the lack of job stability is one of the most common reasons behind employees choosing to leave their jobs. 
• Full-time employees could be more dedicated to their jobs — apart from being content with their job stability, full-time employees are much more likely to be committed to their jobs. When they’re provided with a clear career advancement roadmap coupled with internal training possibilities, employees know exactly which areas to focus on and are more likely to remain committed to their roles. 

Full-time employment: Cons for employers

Along with clear advantages comes a certain amount of drawbacks that frequently come hand in hand with full-time employment. 

If you’re in two minds about hiring full-time employees, take a close look at the cons of full-time employment to see how they stack up against its advantages: 

• Full-time employment comes with increased payroll costs — unlike part-time workers who get paid by the hour worked, full-time employees usually earn a steady salary — they need to be paid even if the business is slow and their workload is lower than usual. Compared to issuing part-time employees’ paychecks, this would mean that your payroll costs might not always reflect your business profits. 
• Higher demands could impact full-time employees’ work output — even though the risk of experiencing burnout does not depend on the employment contract, full-time employees’ positions usually come with higher demands. If the demands are unrealistic or too high, this could negatively impact full-time employees’ motivation, interest, and energy levels — all ultimately leading to lower productivity levels than expected. 
• Full-time employees are at high risk of burnout — along with high expectations and overall loss of motivation comes an increased risk of burnout. When symptoms of burnout knock on your workspace doors, there’s more at stake than your full-time employees’ productivity levels. If not adequately addressed, the prolonged burnout could even lead your business to lose its stellar full-time employees, regardless of the job stability that comes with their positions.  

Full-time employment: Pros and cons for employees

If you’re about to sign a full-time employment contract, and you’re not sure whether it would be the right fit for you, take a look at all the pros and cons of full-time employment you could encounter as an employee.

Full-time employment: Pros for employees

Being familiar with all the benefits of full-time employment could help you make the right decision if you are wondering whether you should be looking for a full-time job.

Here is a detailed overview of some of the most common pros of full-time employment you can expect as an employee: 

• Full-time employment comes along with a stable income — since full-time workers usually earn fixed salaries that do not depend on their workload, their monthly earnings are easily predictable. Precisely due to this fact, full-time employees find it much easier to manage, plan, and keep track of expenses. 
• Full-time employees are usually offered covered benefits — despite the fact that the US employers are not obligated to offer paid benefits to their employees, as the US Bureau of Labor Statistics research we’ve mentioned earlier has indicated, full-time employees commonly receive employer-compensated benefits. 
• Working full-time brings more career advancement opportunities — research about equality in the workplace has shown that full-time employees have more advancement opportunities than their counterpart colleagues. In fact, out of 1,150 surveyed companies, only 45% claim that they offer equal career advancement prospects to both part-time and full-time employees. 

Full-time employment: Cons for employees

Even though full-time employment appears to be a more stable job opportunity when compared with part-time employment — it still comes with a fair share of drawbacks.

Let’s go over some of the disadvantages of full-time employment you could run into as an employee: 

• Full-time employees could be more prone to mental exhaustion — high or unrealistic expectations matched with longer working hours are a slippery slope to mental exhaustion, especially when a full-time employee is exposed to chronic stress and physical exhaustion for long periods of time. 
• Full-time employment does not leave enough room for work-life balance — compared with part-time employees who, by definition, work shorter hours, full-time employees are left with much less time to engage in personal activities. Having less hours to allocate to each aspect of their lives outside work, full-time employees are more likely to lack a healthy work-life balance. 
• Full-time employment doesn’t allow much flexibility — unlike part-time workers, full-time employees most frequently work under a fixed schedule — usually the same days in a week for the duration of their employment. 

Expert tips for managing part-time employees

Whether you’re new to staff management or you want to avoid some of the common pitfalls of managing part-time employees — you’ll greatly benefit from the expert tips we’ve singled out. 

Expert tip #1: Keep everyone up to date

Part-time employees commonly have inconsistent working schedules, especially if they work in retail or hospitality industries. Also, in case they’re hired by a company that employs both full-time and part-time workers, they might meet their full-time colleagues only on rare occasions due to different schedules. 

Even though your part-time employees might have chosen this type of employment exactly because it lightens the load coming with a fixed schedule, they still need to keep in contact with their coworkers and be in the loop with the latest happenings. 

This is where a centralized communication hub comes in. When you introduce a dedicated spot where all internal communication happens (whether it’s the newest PTO policy or a quick chat with a coworker), part-time employees know exactly where to go to catch up on the latest updates. 

Also, if all your employees use a team chat app for company-wide communication, your part-time staff would be less likely to feel excluded since they’ll have the option to reach out to all teams.

On top of all that, streamlining all your business communication lets part-timers switch shifts faster or consult when having to handle unexpected on-duty issues. This further helps your business run smoothly without your direct supervision.   

Expert tip #2: Connect part-time employees with company’s goals

Hand-in-hand with keeping information transparent and available to all employees comes the importance of clearly communicating company goals — especially with part-time employees.

As a matter of fact, keeping part-time employees in the dark regarding your company’s mission might be detrimental to their dedication to the job. 

According to the co-founder of Greenpal, Gene Caballero, who has managed both part-time and full-time employees over the course of 25 years, shining the light on your company’s objectives is one of the factors which directly affects your staff’s motivation levels:

“Over the years, I’ve observed that motivation isn’t strictly tied to the number of hours one works. It’s more about the alignment with personal goals, job satisfaction, and how well an individual connects with the company’s values. Some full-time employees showcase exceptional dedication, while certain part-timers, in their limited hours, exhibit remarkable zeal.”

Also, showing your part-time employees how their efforts fit into the big picture could prove beneficial for achieving better employee retention rates. When they’re aware of the greater business purpose behind their work, part-time employees are much more likely to reach their peak performance and ultimately stay loyal to the company. 

Expert tip #3: Get to know your part-time employees

Letting your part-time employees see the value they bring to your business could help strengthen their ties with the company. 

However, taking the time to get to know your part-time employees helps you provide them with the best possible employee experience. In the long run, not only will these efforts prove useful in retaining your part-time employees, but they could also directly impact your profits.

In fact, a Harvard Business Review research on employee satisfaction has shown that customer-facing staff working at employees-first companies with positive employee experience could increase revenue and profits by up to 50%. 

Showing genuine interest in your part-time employees’ goals, aspirations, and well-being is one of the simplest yet most effective ways of improving the overall employee experience. When you allow your employees to feel heard and seen, you help them feel more included, which in turn increases their likelihood of staying with your company by 47%. 

Expert tip #4: Offer growth opportunities

According to McKinsey’s research, one of the top reasons employees quit their current job is the lack of career advancement opportunities. Given the part-time staff’s overall increased likelihood of job hopping, if your business depends on a large number of part-time workers — the stakes for your company could even be higher.

Therefore, providing your star performers with a clear career growth path coupled with enough learning opportunities is key to building a workplace where people would gladly stick around. 

Gene Caballero confirms this, but also stresses the importance of providing part-time workers with opportunities to transition to full-time employment: 

“Presenting opportunities for growth is a game-changer. If a part-time employee sees a potential path to growth, learning, or even transitioning to a full-time role, it acts as a significant incentive for them to stay and give their best.”

However, even if your employees are not interested in leaving their part-time hours behind, that still doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give them a chance to learn and grow. 

Try setting aside at least 15 minutes per month for discussing career goals with part-time employees. This will help you fill in the blanks on their aspirations and see exactly where you could provide support — whether by organizing training sessions, introducing professional development funds, or simply encouraging them to seek mentorship from their colleagues. 

Expert tip #5: Try to schedule fairly

Even if your business requires part-time employees to frequently respond to urgent requests, trying to retain a consistent and fair schedule is essential for creating a healthy work environment.

Moreover, certain states have introduced predictive scheduling laws requiring employers to compensate their employees if they change their schedule without notifying them within the required time frame (usually 14 days in advance). The law might also require employers to make their schedule visible and easily available to employees. 

So, to avoid calling in employees to take on a shift at the last minute, you’ll need to be aware of the workload at all times and schedule and prioritize their work hours accordingly. 

Apart from checking in with your part-time employees regularly to minimize the chances of unexpected absences, introducing a solid scheduling system could lift even more weight off your shoulders. 

An employee scheduling software could give you a helping hand with both assessing your employees’ work capacity and letting them know of their schedule well in advance.

Some employee scheduling software, such as Clockify, also gives you the option to see who’s off at all times and notify your employees as soon as you adjust your day-to-day operations. 

Even though it might not always be possible to avoid making out-of-the-blue schedule changes, especially when a no call no show happens, setting up a solid scheduling system keeps the chances of having to overhaul a schedule to a minimum. 

Expert tips for managing full-time employees

Managing full-time employees and making sure they’re involved without working beyond their capacity is a handful on its own. 

Take a look at what you can do as a manager or a business owner to offer your full-time employees a well-rounded work experience. 

Expert tip #1: Be wary of overworking and burnout

Depending on the industry, full-time employees’ schedules might vary. Yet, even though their average working hours do not go beyond the number stated in your employee handbook, that still doesn’t mean your full-time employees could not end up overworked.

In fact, Visier’s research has shown that as many as 89% out of 1,000 surveyed full-time employees have experienced burnout in 2021. 

The alarming statistics, however, do not necessarily suggest that the main cause of burnout is staying overtime. Sometimes full-time employees could be dealing with unclear expectations, which leads them to try to be available at all times, even during off-hours. Other times, they could just be hoping to get a promotion, so they go one too many extra miles. 

To put a stop to, or at least decrease the likelihood of your full-time employees ending up drained, try to find a way to make their work hours as focused as possible. Cut down on unnecessary meetings, encourage working in uninterrupted chunks of time with frequent breaks, and look out for signs of heavy workload. 

Also, openly discouraging working off the clock and setting an example by practicing what you preach could help your employees achieve great results without ending up on the brink of burnout. 

Expert tip #2: Show support when needed

Even if you take pride in the work environment you have built, if you’re not there to provide support in times of need — you might even be preventing your full-time employees from reaching their full potential. 

Sometimes you’ll notice your star employees’ focus faltering, and brushing it off might not be the greatest decision in the long run. This is especially true if they always deliver their best work.

Instead, try scheduling a check-in and making your interaction as intentional and meaningful as possible. Whatever the underlying cause is, being compassionate and checking what you as a manager can do to support your employee could be one of your go-to options. An honest conversation might even prevent the issue from escalating and potentially help them get back on track. 

Also, if you make it a habit of scheduling intentional meetings with your full-time employees at least once a week, you could nip potential issues in the bud — especially if your team works remotely. 

Managing a remote team of full-time employees, Dunja Jovanovic, Content Manager at CAKE.com (Pumble), places high emphasis on open and regular team communication:

“We have a team meeting once a week to catch up, and we also communicate regularly on a team messaging app. Frequent and open communication has many benefits, the most prominent ones being higher productivity and a psychologically safe work environment, so I insist on maintaining it. My team also knows that if they need any help or support, I’ll do my best to solve the problem.”

By scheduling intentional calls to build rapport and allowing your staff to feel heard, you plant the seed of a healthy work culture. And sometimes, that’s exactly what your full-time employees need to shine. 

Expert tip #3: Establish clear productivity metrics

Full-time employees should know exactly which factors their management might consider when evaluating their overall performance. 

VP of Sales at CAKE.com, Nikola Neskovic, states that clearly defined metrics are what breed a high-performing team:

“Effective management goes hand in hand with clear performance metrics. In our team, numbers are key — we track meetings, leads, conversion rates, etc. These numbers need to be transparent enough and easily available to each team member because they serve as a motivation catalyst and push the team forward.”

Although there might not be a one-size productivity metric system that works for all industries and across different teams, focusing on the outcomes rarely goes wrong. 

This approach gives employees more autonomy and eliminates the need to micromanage.

Outlining the logic behind the outcome-based approach in managing her team, Jovana Kandic, VP of Customer Experience at CAKE.com, claims that shifting the attention to outcomes is essential to a job well done: 

“I prefer to focus on tangible outcomes or results achieved by team members rather than simple task completion rate, but the specifics vary depending on the role. Take a customer support role, for example. A basic productivity metric could be the number of solved tickets in a given time period. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that a support representative with the most tickets solved would be the one customers are most satisfied working with. If our goal is to achieve greater customer satisfaction, then we need to look beyond that.”

However, outcome-based metrics might not seem easily achievable in every industry. Your business might largely depend on processes, too, such as in the healthcare industry, for example. 

Yet, your productivity metrics still need to be explicitly stated upfront to give your employees enough clarity and prevent them from having too many irrelevant tasks on their plates. 

Expert tip #4: Set expectations upfront

In addition to clueing in your full-time employees on the key performance indicators relevant to their position, you’ll also need to map out exactly what is expected of them. 

Not only would clear expectations maximize their efficiency, but they would also dispel your full-time employees’ illusion that they need to be reachable at all times. 

Managing a cross-functional team, Jovana Kandic has found setting expectations upfront a turning point for her team’s success:

“People I manage have a diverse mix of skills, personalities, work styles, experience, and priorities. So it can be difficult adapting and navigating through it all. It’s really obvious but what I found to be paramount in this type of situation is to communicate effectively and set clear goals and expectations. You need to give people the autonomy to do their job but still clearly define everyone’s responsibilities and communicate what everyone is working towards, and finally support that with a plan on how to achieve the set goals.”

Apart from guiding your employees to the point where you expect them to be, clear expectations can help you minimize mistakes along the way. 

With nearly half of US employees not being sure of what is expected of them from work, and consequently becoming less engaged, discussing work expectations has become imperative. 

To stay in the clear, make sure to let your full-time employees know:

• What is expected from them,
• What they can expect from their management, and 
• What they can expect from their colleagues.

Expert tip #5: Encourage team spirit and cooperation

Given the number of hours full-time employees spend at work compared to part-time employees, it’s paramount that the environment they work in initiates equal contribution, cooperation, and unity. 

In fact, HBR research has shown that employees working in environments that nurture support are less prone to burnout and more likely to stay at their jobs. 

Nikola Neskovic stresses the importance of fostering a cooperative culture, too. But he also points out that cultivating a team mentality within a group of extroverted individuals can pose a whole new level of challenge:

“Encouraging team spirit and motivating employees to collaborate can be particularly challenging when managing a group of extroverts. This is especially true in sales — each team member strives towards reaching the highest number of targets, so maintaining a balance and creating a strong culture of sharing is a true craft.”

However, since nothing sets off a cooperative culture better than strong social connections, Neskovic has found outside-of-work gatherings key to his team’s alignment: 

“I try to arrange out-of-work social activities with my team where everyone gets a chance to get to know one another on a more personal level. That way, we get to bond, build real human connections, and ultimately cement a sense of unity. It’s only logical that these efforts further translate to our day-to-day collaboration.”

Fixing up small get-togethers with your employees may not always be doable, especially if your teams operate on a global scale. 

Yet, investing time and energy in strengthening workplace relationships could unlock more resourcefulness and innovation and ultimately elevate your full-time employees’ productivity without falling prey to burnout. 

FAQs about part-time vs. full-time employment

If you still have doubts about part-time and full-time employment, perhaps looking at the answers to some of the frequently asked questions about the two types of employment could dispel them. 

Is it better to work part-time or full-time?

The response to this question depends on your needs, preferences, and expectations. 

If you’d like to be able to change your work schedule from time to time, then working part-time would be your best option. Given the shorter number of hours you’d spend at your job, part-time employment is also a great choice if you’d wish to fit in quality personal activities in your day and prioritize personal time. 

However, if you gravitate towards a more structured work routine and you don’t mind longer working hours for the sake of stability — full-time employment might work best for you. 

Ultimately, think about what matters most to you and outweigh the pros and cons to clearly spot which employment option is more suitable for you.

Are part-time workers more efficient?

In a way, yes — part-time workers are more efficient than full-time workers.

However, part-time workers’ efficiency is a logical consequence of their working hours and sometimes even depends on the number of their counterpart colleagues. 

Namely, a study exploring the link between labor productivity and part-time employment has shown that companies with a large share of part-time employees boast a greater labor output than companies employing full-time workers only. 

However, the researchers tie this increased efficiency to the working hours distribution, not to part-time workers per se. In other words, since the company employs many part-time workers, they were naturally able to cover all the shifts (even their full-time colleagues’ outside hours) and produce more output.

Are part-time workers happier?

There might not be a clear-cut answer to this question since a part-time worker’s overall happiness could depend on a number of factors — from motives for accepting a part-time job offer to their job conditions expectations. 

Yet, research has shown a link between working part-time hours and greater life satisfaction, stressing the impact shorter working hours have on employees’ overall happiness. 

Since part-time workers tend to work fewer hours per day, the greater fulfillment should not come as a surprise. This is especially true considering the fact that pushing through our limited amount of focus per day just for the sake of clocking in the expected number of hours usually leads to nothing but burnout and exhaustion. 

Is working 4 days a week considered part-time?

Working 4 days a week is generally not considered part-time. In fact, full-time employees can work 4 days per week too. 

Whether an employee is considered a part-time worker or not does not depend on the length of their workweek, but on the total number of hours they should be working per week, as stated in their employment contract. 

Part-time employees could work 25 hours/week Monday through Thursday, whereas their full-time colleagues could clock in 35 hours/week over the same time span. Yet, only the workers whose employment contract clearly states their part-time status would be considered part-time employees. 

What is the most hours for a part-time job?

Federal law does not cap the maximum number of hours for a part-time job. The number of hours usually depends on a company’s policy and its definition of full-time workers. 

As stated above, the majority of US part-time employees work less than 35 hours/week. 

Why are full-time employees better?

These are some of the most common reasons full-time employees could be a good choice for a business: 

• Full-time employees could be more engaged and connected to your business, especially if offered advancement opportunities,
• Since their employment conditions usually suggest more stability, full-time employees are less likely to hop jobs, and
• Provided they’re offered a steady fixed schedule, full-time employees’ work is usually easier to plan long-term.

Still, keep in mind that whether full-time employees are the best hiring option for your business depends on your company’s needs, working hours, and even size. 

What percentage of moms work full-time?

According to the latest Employment Characteristics of Families news release by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 80.5% of moms work full-time. 

Is 22 hours classed as full-time?

Full-time employees generally rarely work as little as 22 hours/week. 

Still, since federal regulations do not define minimum hours a full-time employee can work, 22 hours could be classed as full-time if stated as such in the employment contract.

Is 32 hours full-time in Texas?

Texas does not have state laws concerning full-time and part-time, so whether 32 hours/week would be considered full-time in companies operating in Texas depends on employers. 

Texas employers are required to follow federal recommendations regarding both types of employment — which means they are free to define the number of hours full-time and part-time employees are expected to work. 

Is 32 hours full-time in NY?

The state of New York does not legally define part-time or full-time employment, so whether 32 hours per week would be considered full-time in companies operating in New York depends on employers. 

In other words, NY employers are required to follow federal recommendations concerning both full-time and part-time employment. They are allowed to decide on the number of hours full-time and part-time employees are required to work. 

What’s the difference between contractors and part-time and full-time workers?

Unlike part-time and full-time workers who are on a company’s payroll and most frequently get employee benefits, contractors are self-employed independent workers.

Contractors are most frequently hired on a project basis, meaning they provide a certain service to a company and, as such, only work for a company for a limited amount of time.   

As independent workers, contractors are required to pay their own taxes instead of having their taxes withheld from their paychecks, as is the case with part-time and full-time employees. 

Contractors are also free to decide how, when, and where they will complete the contractual work, as opposed to part-time and full-time employees whose work is directed by their employer. 

Differentiating between contractors and part-time and full-time employees is crucial for the purpose of withholding and paying necessary federal employment taxes, therefore, misclassifying workers could result in penalties. 

In case you’re about to hire contractors or you’re not sure how to classify your workers, you can request a determination of the status of a worker from the IRS to make sure you’ve properly classified your staff. 

Wrapping up: Analyze your case before going for part-time or full-time 

No matter whether you’re looking for talents to hire or searching for the perfect job opportunity — knowing the difference between part-time and full-time matters on many levels.

As an employer, you need to be familiar with all the nuances of both types of employment to avoid legal liabilities and retain your top-tier talent.

Also, if you are trying to find the right job opportunity, or you’re already employed and you’d like to know your rights — focusing on the subtleties between part-time and full-time employment could help you make the most of your position. 

In fact, your choice of employment could make or break employee experience. That being the case, keep all the relevant information within your grasp and double-check the state laws applicable to your situation. 

Yet, a type of employment is only good if it works in your favor. So, regardless of whether you own a business or you’re job hunting — size up what matters to you and go for the one that’ll allow your strengths to shine. 

What is your experience with part-time and full-time employment? Do you have more ideas on what we could have included as benefits or disadvantages to these two types of employment? Let us know at blogfeedback@clockify.me, and we might include your thoughts in this one or one of our future articles. Also, if you liked this blog post, share it with someone you think could benefit from it.

What about estimating your project’s budget or the number of people needed from start to finish?  

In case your estimates do not hit the mark every time, or you’re just new to project management, you’re in the right place. We’re about to dive into one of the most frequently used project management estimation methods that might just save your day — parametric estimation. 

But, what is parametric estimation exactly, and more importantly, how do you put it into practice? 

Well, keep on reading, because in this blog post, we will:

• Introduce you to the definition of parametric estimating (+ a parametric estimation example),
• Let you in on the difference between parametric and analogous estimation,
• Shed some light on the top benefits of using parametric estimation in project management, and
• Guide you through the 4 steps to using parametric estimation in your projects so you’ll know exactly what to do if you wish to start using this method right away.

What is parametric estimation?

Parametric estimation is one of the most accurate statistical methods for estimating the overall amount of: 

• Time, 
• Money, and 
• Resources needed for a specific project. 

According to PMBOK, parametric estimation is “An estimating method in which an algorithm is used to calculate cost or duration based on historical data and project parameters.”

So, only by combining statistical and historical data will a project manager be able to find a statistical correlation between the relevant variables and obtain the most accurate estimations regarding their current project. 

However, it’s important to keep in mind that parametric estimation is usually used during the project planning phase, long before the actual project execution. 

But, in case you’re still a bit baffled by this estimation method, let’s take a closer look at how parametric estimating actually works.  

Parametric estimation example and formula

This is the formula you need to use for parametric estimation:

 E_parametric = (A_old / P_old) x P_curr 

The parametric estimation formula above encompasses the following elements:

• E_parametric is the parametric estimate,
• A_old is the historical amount of cost or time,
• P_old is the historical value of the parameter, and
• P_curr is the value of the parameter in your future project.

Now, let’s see how this calculation actually works.

Let’s say you want to predict how much time it will take for your designer to finish 20 illustrations. Before you get to the calculation, you’ll first need to obtain all the historical values. 

So, your previous project involved 1 person in charge of designing 15 illustrations, and it took them 70 hours to finish everything. With that in mind, here’s how your units would stack up:

• A_old, the historical time of the past task is 70 hours, 
• P_old, the historical value of the parameter is 15 illustrations, and 
• P_curr, the value of the parameter in your future project is 20 illustrations.

Now that you’ve obtained this information, you can use it to arrive at the new estimate: 

 E_parametric = (70 / 15) x 20

As seen in the formula above, first, you calculate the time needed to complete one illustration: 

70/15 = 4,66

Then, after you obtain the exact number of hours, you multiply this unit with the value of the parameter in the future project: 

4,66 hours x 20 

Finally, you arrive at the parametric estimate, which is 93,3 in this case.

All things considered, it’s safe to say that your designer will finish 20 illustrations in 93,3 hours. 

Parametric estimating vs. analogous estimating

If you have ever stumbled across estimating methods in project management, you must have noticed that parametric estimating frequently goes hand in hand with analogous estimating. 

But why is that the case? Are they the same methods?

Well, not exactly. 

Even though the analogous estimation requires you to use available data from your previous projects, as is the case with the parametric method, the two methods differ in terms of both their accuracy and scope. 

In other words, you’ll arrive at an analogous estimate based on historical data, but you won’t need to go into great detail as with the parametric estimation method. You just need to recall a past project of similar scope, take a look at that project’s duration/cost/budget, and make your estimate based on analogy. 

So, in case you’re about to initiate a project that involves your designer creating 20 illustrations, and you’d like to find out exactly how long would the new project take, this is how you can predict your project’s duration based on the analogous estimating method:

Since you’ve already been in charge of a similar project before, you know that the last time your designer took on a similar task they needed 70 hours to finish it. Based on this, you predict that your new project will take around 80 hours to complete, give or take. 

Parametric estimating, on the other hand, takes into account the difference between an old and a new project on a unit level. This means that instead of basing your prediction on similarities, you’ll first need to calculate the number of hours it takes the designer to finish one illustration. Then, only after multiplying the product with the number of illustrations that need to be completed now, you’ll obtain the time estimation you were looking for.

Top benefits of using parametric estimation

Even though there’s an array of project estimating methods you could use to keep your numbers in check, parametric estimating comes with a handful of perks that could change the way you make your project predictions.

Let’s go over some of the most common ones. 

Benefit #1: Parametric estimation helps you obtain accurate numbers

When compared to the other project management estimating methods, parametric estimation seems like a one-stop method for an accurate prediction. While other methods, such as PERT, rely on what-ifs, parametric estimation helps predict: 

• The budget, 
• Resources, and 
• Your project’s duration based on past data. 

Since the data you rely on is rock-hard evidence (it’s how your project unfolded, after all), when you apply the parametric estimation formula, you should be able to predict each project aspect with precision. 

Also, to be able to take up the calculating process in the first place, you’ll need to go over separate units of your previous projects, which helps increase the precision of your final estimate.

Benefit #2: Parametric estimation leads you to set achievable goals

As soon as you’re done with arriving at your final estimate, you’ll be able to spot exactly where you’ll need to make changes so that you can complete your key project deliverables. 

Sometimes, you’ll be able to scale up your team capacity or increase your budget. Other times, you’ll need to take a slight turn from your desirable outcome. 

Whichever it is, relying on parametric estimation can help you set a project goal you and your team would actually be able to reach. 

The very method requires you to dig deeper into previous data for a more accurate estimate. So, the objectives you set would ultimately be more manageable since you’ll see exactly which aspect of your project might be a stumbling block and tweak your goals accordingly. 

Benefit #3: Parametric estimation helps you cut down on repetitive tasks

Although there are no two projects exactly alike, certain steps tend to repeat project in and project out. 

Take budgeting, for example. How many times did you have to map out the cost baseline during your project planning phase? And how many project planning phases have you gone through up until this point? 

If your answer consists of a number larger than 1, you must have noticed that sometimes you simply waste time going over certain project aspects multiple times while planning. 

For example, your content team’s workload consists of 20 articles per week, and this has remained unchanged throughout dozens of projects. 

So, instead of assessing each task individually time after time, you can simply rely on the parametric estimate you make once and re-use that information whenever you’re about to estimate content production budget or duration.

However, keep in mind that if certain changes regarding your content team’s capacity, workload, or budget arise, you’ll need to adjust your parameter values, too, a.k.a. redo your calculation using the same formula from above. 

4 Steps for using parametric estimation in project management

Now that we’ve gone over all the details about the parametric estimating method, you might be wondering — but how exactly can I make the parametric estimation work?

To make getting to the bottom of numbers as doable as possible, we’ve broken down the parametric estimation execution into 4 simple steps. 

Let’s take a look at each of them. 

Step #1: Find out which parts of a project are eligible for estimation

Before you even begin reviewing data from earlier projects, you’ll need to determine exactly where you should use parametric estimation.

In other words, you’ll first need to take a look at your project and divide it into different stages. You can use the work breakdown structure (WBS) for this purpose, and break the entire project down into smaller, more manageable chunks. 

Then, after you’ve decided whether you’d like to predict your project phase’s budget, duration, resources, or all of the above, next comes the question of accuracy and data. 

Since the accuracy of your estimate goes hand in hand with the amount of the previous data available, before you even consider diving into the calculation, ask yourself these three big questions: 

1. How precise should my estimate be?
2. How much data do I have at hand?
3. Is my parameter connected to historical values? 

So, let’s say you’re still looking for a way to accurately estimate how long your designer will be working on those 20 illustrations. This would mean you’d wish to measure time. Since you have enough data from a similar project from before, you’ll measure this parameter against the time it took them to finish 15 illustrations. 

But, in case you aren’t quite satisfied with the responses you give to the questions mentioned above, you might want to reconsider using this method since it might not lead you to the most accurate predictions. 

Step #2: Obtain the historical data

After you’ve selected the exact project phases you’ll need to apply parametric estimation to, and decided on whether this method is right for you, now would be the time to actually get around to historical data. 

In case your team has been keeping track of all their project-related activities, you’ll probably be able to obtain the most detailed information about your prior projects quickly. 

For example, a time and expense tracking app can store your prior projects’ expense data and give you a helping hand whenever you need to estimate your future project’s budget. 

Still, in case you haven’t exactly given that much attention to storing your project information, or you simply haven’t worked on a similar project before, there are still ways for you to use the parametric estimating method.

You can go over publicly available databases for your industry and see how the data you obtain from there corresponds to your current project’s parameters.

Step #3: Check if your parameters are valid 

After your historical data is all in place, the importance of question number 3 — whether your parameter is connected to historical values — comes to the surface. 

Now you’ll need to assess your parameters and see how they relate to the historical data you’ve obtained. 

For example, you might notice that the number of illustrations is somehow correlated to the time the designer needs to finish them. This means that you’ll be able to include both the unit measurement (15 illustrations) and time (70 hours) in your calculation, multiply them with your parameter (20 illustrations), and obtain a valid parametric estimate. 

However, keep in mind that the example above is a simplified illustration of what parameter testing looks like in practice. In case you’re dealing with a more complex project, you might even need to turn to data analysts and/or statistical tools for assistance.

Step #4: Calculate the parametric estimate

Now that you’ve assessed the validity of your parameter, obtaining a parametric estimate becomes a matter of seconds.

Simply put the formula into action by multiplying the units you’ve obtained from the historical data, and dividing the product by your current parameter. 

To help you avoid unnecessary scrolling, we’ll leave the parametric estimation formula here as well: 

E_parametric = (A_old / P_old) x P_curr

Wrapping up: Keep tabs on your projects and give parametric estimating a try

It’s no secret that project estimating takes time. 

However, the right project estimation method might just save you a couple of weeks in the long run. 

Parametric estimating, as a matter of fact, enables you to do just that.  

By nudging you to rethink your project goals and leading you to automate repetitive tasks, this project estimation method helps you make the most out of each minute later on during your project’s execution phase. 

Still, to successfully put parametric estimating into action, you’ll need to pay close attention to each of your projects and be sure to document every process thoroughly.

Then, with a large database and the parametric estimation formula at hand, nothing will stand in your way of getting the most precise project estimates. 

(Except for your variables not being correlated to your parameters, but that’s nothing that a bit of statistics can’t solve.)

Have you ever used parametric estimation during your project planning phase? How close was your estimate to the final project outcome? Let us know at blogfeedback@clockify.me for a chance to be featured in this or one of our future articles. Also, if you liked this article, share it with someone else you think might find it useful.

If you have noticed your employees are in two minds or are not able to settle on either option, chances are they might belong to an increasing number of workers who’d instantly go for a hybrid work schedule.

But, how does the hybrid work schedule actually work? And should you change your team’s work environment right away?

Sit tight and read on because we’re about to go over everything you need to know about this type of work schedule — from its benefits and drawbacks to carefully curated tips to help you successfully implement a hybrid work schedule. 

What is a hybrid work schedule?

A hybrid work schedule is a work model that allows employees to finish their work tasks both remotely and on-site, usually alternating between these two options. 

By combining the best of both worlds, a hybrid work schedule offers your team members the option to cooperate in a traditional office setting while not giving up on the flexibility of a remote work model. 

Four types of hybrid work schedules

The moment remote work entered the scene, our perception of both place and time of work transformed. We traded cubicles for home desks and cafés while breaking out of 9-to-5 to move on to a more flexible schedule. 

This transformation gave rise to different work models that could encompass both the complexities of a redesigned workplace and a remodeled work schedule. 

Naturally, several different types of hybrid work schedules have come to the surface, so companies can now single out and settle on a model that suits their teams’ workflow best. 

Type #1: Cohort hybrid work schedule

If you’d like to avoid turning the office into an overcrowded source of distractions, then the cohort hybrid work schedule could be the solution for you and your team. 

The cohort work schedule is a carefully structured hybrid work model designed for companies who’d like to organize their office hours based on a prearranged schedule. 

This way, you can either: 

• Schedule different departments to work from the office on different days of the week, or 
• Work out a new office-work plan every week. 

What matters is that there’s a plan arranged in advance so that your team members know exactly when they’re expected to come into the office. 

Best for: Large companies with more than a hundred employees

Potential downside: Lack of employee flexibility

Type #2: Flexible hybrid work schedule

A flexible hybrid work schedule is the exact opposite of the cohort hybrid work schedule. Employees are encouraged to complete their tasks on-site every once in a while, but they are allowed to arrange their office work schedule and choose when they’d work from the office. 

Best for: Small businesses with less than a hundred employees

Potential downside: Lack of structure; risk of running out of office space

Type #3: Remote-first hybrid work schedule

Although this hybrid work schedule model favors remote work, it does not entirely eliminate on-site work either. 

Employees are usually allowed to choose their own work setting. This could be a great option for team members who’d like to change their work scenery from time to time or meet up with their team without the pressure of a prearranged schedule. 

Best for: Businesses that operate globally or companies that want to keep the on-premise option at hand 

Potential downside: Lack of in-person engagement

Type #4: Office-first hybrid work schedule

If your team usually needs to be physically present or collaborate in person, but you still want to give them the option to work from home now and then, the office-first hybrid work schedule might be your best option. 

Although their working hours might be flexible, employees usually get a limited number of days per month they could spend working remotely. 

Best for: Businesses that mostly operate on-site

Potential downside: Limited employee flexibility

Advantages of a hybrid work schedule

By blending the flexibility of remote work with the option to collaborate in person, hybrid work incorporates a fair share of benefits of both work models. 

We’ve singled out 3 advantages you should instantly spot regardless of the hybrid work schedule model you choose to implement. 

Advantage #1: Improved work-life balance

With an entirely new perspective on work came a changed view on life outside of work too. Therefore, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that a whopping 61% of US employees seem ready to change their jobs for a better work-life balance. 

Hybrid work schedules, however, accommodate the needs of this transformed work perspective by promoting flexibility and choice. 

By allowing employees to occasionally work from anywhere, hybrid work schedules help them offset stress and easily schedule out-of-work activities around office hours. This is especially common with employees who have waved goodbye to everyday commutes after switching to a remote environment. 

Advantage #2: Access to a global talent pool

Similar to a remote schedule, a hybrid work schedule allows businesses to expand their recruitment pool and hire talent from all around the world. 

With a carefully thought out hybrid work plan that allows enough flexibility, companies can easily reach out to and hire the most qualified people. 

The option to search for employees globally can also prove beneficial for companies looking to hire in a field with a large talent shortage, such as the IT industry. 

Advantage #3: Room for productive collaboration

Transitioning from a traditional office setting to a hybrid work model leaves enough room for companies to make the most out of both work settings. 

Instead of spending their office hours trying to ward off distractions, employees who work from the office on specific days can use these hours for productive collaboration. 

This way, sessions such as monthly meetings, brainstorming, and team check-ins can all be held during the on-site hours — leaving the remote time exclusively reserved for individual work and tasks that call for a distraction-free environment. 

Disadvantages of a hybrid work schedule

Similarly to its advantages, hybrid work schedule disadvantages stem from its ties with both the traditional 9-to-5 schedule and the remote work model. 

However, by looking into 3 of the most common downsides you might face if you’re about to begin leading a hybrid team, you increase your chances of steering clear of them. 

Disadvantage #1: Higher risk of burnout 

Although a hybrid work schedule could help in striking a perfect work-life balance, whenever there’s flexibility on the table, there’s always a risk of overworking too. 

Without clear boundaries and rules for disconnection from work, employees usually tend to work longer hours, ending up overwhelmed and exhausted. 

Similarly, in case you decide to switch to a hybrid work model without adapting your business workflows accordingly, your teams might end up burning the midnight candle day in and day out. 

To avoid your hybrid team’s stress levels going over the roof, introduce a clear hybrid work policy and set clear expectations and key performance indicators instead of adding to the pressure to overwork.  

Disadvantage #2: Increased workplace inequality

Managing a hybrid team comes with a risk of favoring certain employees based on their preferred work location. 

This phenomenon is called proximity bias. Although it has helped humans pick out the safest and most familiar option for centuries, it can lead to unconscious favoritism and unequal chances for promotion in the workplace. 

So, instead of providing employees equal chances for promotion, managers tend to offer advancement opportunities to the employees who work from the office just because they see them more frequently.   

To avoid privileging employees who work on the premises while excluding the ones who work from home, you’ll need to find a way to bridge the distance gap and give everyone equal opportunities to get ahead.

If you manage a hybrid team, start by choosing the right tools that enable you to stay in touch with everyone. Also, make sure that you keep all the relevant information accessible to every team member, regardless of their workplace location. 

Disadvantage #3: Heightened cybersecurity risks

As soon as organizations turn hybrid, they risk a potential data security breach now that their teams need to handle company data while working outside the office. 

Still, there are ways to prevent your company from experiencing data incidents. They involve: 

• Devising detailed procedures for handling and accessing information outside the company’s premises, and 
• Implementing software solutions that assure data security. 

If you and your teams have only recently decided to switch to a hybrid work schedule, make sure that you’ve: 

• Ensured everyone has a secure internet connection, 
• Introduced firewalls and/or VPNs, and 
• Limited access to confidential information.

6 Tips for implementing a hybrid work schedule

Although switching to a hybrid work schedule is a process that requires detailed and long-term planning and preparation, there are ways to skip a few steps. 

We’ve listed 6 tips to pave your way to a successful implementation of a hybrid work schedule. 

Tip #1: Set hybrid work ground rules

If you want to make sure your workflows retain the same level of transparency and efficiency from the office days, you’ll need to establish clear processes and procedures beforehand.

Although hybrid work procedures might vary depending on the company’s size and daily operations, there are some universal ground rules you should try to set right away: 

• Start by defining the exact conditions that need to be met for working outside the office. Perhaps some of your employees need to remain on the premises due to the nature of their work, so be clear on the criteria for switching to a remote environment. 
• Craft a detailed hybrid work schedule stating when employees are expected to be on-site. Whether it’s onboarding, 1-on-1 meetings, or team building activities, workers need to be clear on management expectations regarding their work environment. 
• Communicate rules regarding employees’ working hours. In case you decide to introduce a flexible work schedule, make sure you’ve specified core hours when all employees are expected to be online while working remotely. 

Tip #2: Pick your tools carefully 

Whether your employees prefer to work from the office or you’ve introduced a remote-first hybrid work schedule, everyone should be able to collaborate efficiently despite the physical distance. 

Start by selecting a reliable team chat app that’ll enable you and your coworkers to retain an efficient workflow by letting you: 

• Share files, 
• Hop on a quick video call, and 
• Even store data. 

To increase workflow transparency, you can introduce a time tracking app that allows you and your team to visualize task progress and stay on top of your coworkers’ productivity. 

Don’t forget to set aside enough time to test each app you intend to introduce into your team’s hybrid workflow. This way you’ll make sure everything’s up and running before officially switching to a hybrid work schedule. 

Tip #3: Think about productivity assessments

When a team changes their work environment, managers tend to face difficulties assessing each employee’s productivity levels in changed conditions. Without the ability to take a glimpse at an employee’s desk, they might even fall prey to micromanaging. 

To avoid fueling your team members’ pressure, try setting clear expectations and a transparent productivity assessment system from the onset.  

Instead of focusing on the volume of emails sent or the time spent in meetings, try the following: 

• Analyze the final outcomes, 
• Encourage breaking larger projects into smaller measurable objectives, and 
• Define clear KPIs.

You can also go for project scheduling software that can help you assign tasks and follow their progress.

Still, bear in mind that however carefully you approach the process of crafting a productivity assessment system, you’ll never be able to use the same metrics for each department. 

Sometimes, you’ll be looking into a number of closed deals, while other times, the indicator of an employee’s efficiency will be their level of innovation. 

Tip #4: Let the office match your intention

Regardless of the number of hours employees spend working from the office after switching to a hybrid work schedule, it’s important to make that time count. 

Before setting up an office schedule, think about when and why you’d like teams to come into the office. Would you like to use that time for socialization and team bonding, or will the office hours be reserved for completing tasks? 

Whichever option you choose, think about how the work environment can match your intention to make the most out of office time. 

If you’d like to encourage team interaction and collaboration, think about reorganizing the office to leave as much open space as possible. This way, you’ll provide employees with conditions to socialize and cooperate with each other naturally.

In case you want to ensure employees spend their on-premises hours productively, try to reduce distractions, and provide them with a quiet space with plenty of natural light — to boost both their mood and productivity. 

Tip #5: Stay in touch with your team

After you’ve decided to implement a hybrid work schedule, you will need to optimize your organization’s operations, tools, and working hours. But, you’ll also need to make adjustments to your own schedule and make room for real-time communication with your team. 

Team communication needs to be more deliberate due to the physical distance involved — so make sure to voice out your working hours and availability. 

Provide your team with an option to access your calendar and encourage them to schedule a meeting with you from time to time. 

This way, not only will you be able to give each team member your undivided focus and attention, but you’ll also get an opportunity to: 

• Receive first-hand feedback about your new work schedule, 
• Hear out employees’ concerns, and 
• Make suitable adjustments when scheduling their tasks.

Tip #6: Take it one day at a time 

Before making a hybrid work schedule official, start small and make room for the adaptation period to ensure everything goes according to plan. 

If your coworkers have been working fully remotely for a while now, and you’d like to switch to an office-first hybrid schedule, start by inviting them to come into the office once per week. 

The same goes for on-the-premises workers who are about to switch to a remote-first hybrid schedule — because humans are creatures of habit.

In fact, science has already proven that human behavior is closely tied to their physical environment. So if you nudge employees to change their working environment suddenly, you might notice a significant decrease in productivity. 

To avoid this from wreaking havoc on your organization’s workflow, introduce a new work schedule gradually — and try to be understanding if it doesn’t operate like clockwork in the beginning. 

Wrapping up: Setting up a hybrid work schedule is a team effort

As you might have already noticed, implementing a hybrid work schedule is far from a one-person job. 

To make a hybrid model work, you’ll need to take into account your team’s habits and encourage them to voice their opinions and concerns along the way. 

You’ll also need to: 

• Select a set of tools that’ll work with your newly outlined schedule, 
• Think about your organization’s hybrid work guidelines, and 
• Be ready to make changes as you go, regardless of how well you might have planned the transition. 

Keep in mind that the mistakes you face along the way can help you fine-tune your new work schedule — and you’ll quickly set up your hybrid team for success.  

Has your team already switched to a hybrid work schedule? What challenges did you face along the way? Let us know at blogfeedback@clockify.me, and we might include your experience in this one or one of our future articles. And, if you liked this blog post, share it with someone you think would be interested in reading it.

Did they all speak to your soul and promise to revolutionize your day? 

From the get-go they usually all seem to work pretty well. But then, somewhere around day two or three, 5 p.m. creeps up on you, and your to-do list is still a mile long.

(I may or may not be speaking from experience.)

But, don’t we all deserve some peace of mind without our long overdue tasks secretly sabotaging our free time?

I’d say we do, but I’m not an expert.

Still, what I do know for sure is that nobody deserves to go through testing yet another time management technique only to fall right back into their old habits two days after — that’s why I’m here. 

This time, I tested the POSEC method for a week, and I’m about to let you in on whether this time management hack really works or if you should give it a pass. 

What is the POSEC method?

If you have ever googled the POSEC method (which you must have, since you ended up here), you might have noticed that there’s a veil of mystery surrounding this time management method.

When you look up other popular time management techniques, such as bullet journal time tracking, for example, you’ll notice a link or a reference leading you to the original creator of the method. 

But, that’s not the case with the POSEC method.

The Internet claims that the POSEC method was created by Steven Lam. However, you won’t find any quotes or links proving this claim.  

Still, somebody did come up with this method, and they based it on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs that instructs us to meet our basic needs first (such as food and shelter) and focus on higher-level goals second.

However, unlike Maslow’s pyramid, the POSEC method is supposed to nudge you into achieving your goals while not giving up on your personal life. 

The five principles of the POSEC method

Now that we’re clear on what the POSEC method is, you’re probably wondering how this unusual technique actually works. 

Well, POSEC is an acronym that stands for:

• Prioritizing, 
• Organizing, 
• Streamlining, 
• Economising, and 
• Contributing. 

By following each of the principles in the order they are listed, you will reach your goals and get the most out of your days. 

At least that’s what’s supposed to happen.

But let’s take a closer look at each of the POSEC method principles and see how to put this time management technique into practice. 

POSEC principle #1: Prioritize

The first principle of the POSEC method is all about breaking down your goals to detect the steps that will get you to the finish line. 

For example, if you’d like to finish a long-term project at work or learn a new language, give careful thought to the steps you should take to get to the finish line and eliminate all the tasks that feed into your day but don’t bring you any value compared to your ultimate goal. 

Long story short — set your priorities before getting down to a task. 

POSEC principle #2: Organize

Although the second principle might seem like a nickname for the first one, organizing your tasks is the step that naturally comes right after you’ve figured out what exactly needs to be done. 

Start by putting all your priorities on a list and then work your way through organizing them based on their importance.

You can decide to draft a to-do list or even plot your entire week’s schedule in detail by strategically ranking your tasks and setting aside different blocks of time for each of them. 

POSEC principle #3: Streamline

Remember all the tasks you eliminated while you were trying to list your priorities?

Now they come back to haunt you. 

OK, that might not exactly be true — but, the third principle of the POSEC method claims that you won’t be able to succeed unless you give a chunk of your time to tedious tasks (such as washing dishes or sending emails) too.

Still, the fact that you need to give your attention to chores doesn’t necessarily mean that you are not allowed to find the simplest way to deal with them — and that’s what streamlining is all about.

Think about whether there’s any task that you can:

• Delegate,
• Automate,
• Or even entirely eliminate.

For example, you might not be able to eliminate doing the dishes — but at least you might be able to come up with a cleaning schedule with your roommate. 

So, take your time to consider how you can streamline your low-priority tasks so that they don’t get in the way of your ultimate goals. 

POSEC principle #4: Economize

Now that you’ve managed to set clear priorities, create a working schedule, and figure out how to tackle even the low-value tasks, you’re finally allowed to have some fun.

Now, maybe the name of the fourth principle does not exactly scream fun.  

But, this principle actually serves as a reminder that it’s only rational to put things that bring you joy on your to-do list after you’re done with time-consuming tasks and you’ve managed to economize your time.

Even though the POSEC method urges you to put activities such as watching a movie or going shopping to the bottom of your to-do list, they actually contribute to your productivity and help you start fresh after a long day of checking off tasks. 

POSEC principle #5: Contribute

Now that you’ve managed to map out the exact plan for reaching your goals without neglecting your personal life, it’s time to give something back.

The fifth POSEC principle is there to nudge you to think about how you can contribute to your family, neighborhood, or community now that you’ve managed to reclaim your most valuable asset — your time.  

If you’re not sure where to begin, start small. Visit your grandparents and help them with chores or finally start recycling.

What matters the most is that you’re ready to make a difference and give some of your time back to the world. 

Why did I try the POSEC method? 

Even though I usually don’t have issues with structuring my work or meeting deadlines, I tend to sacrifice my free time for the sake of keeping up with chores or making up for my chronic lack of sleep.

Maybe my power naps do not seem like a big deal, especially since the proper amount of sleep is responsible for our sharp focus throughout the day. But, making up for the lack of night sleep usually leads me to disregard my social life and postpone all activities that are not tightly connected to work. 

Since I have reasons to suspect that my lack of work-life balance keeps a tight grip on both my focus and creativity, I decided to give the POSEC method a go and let it do its magic. 

Organizing my week the POSEC way

For this blog post, I decided to plot my daily schedule around actions that could help me achieve the only goal I had at the time — finish my article. 

Still, coming up with different ways to contribute to society was the toughest nut to crack, especially since I’m used to spending my workweek sheltered safely at home. 

However, I decided to figure this one out as I go since any contribution is better than none, and this is how my week went. 

Day #1: Workday turned upside down 

If I was going to remain disciplined with my experiment throughout the week, I knew I needed to take baby steps, so that’s why I decided to begin my day with a to-do list. 

However, as soon as I started planning my day, I realized that if I was going to do this experiment right, I needed to start from the very bottom of the POSEC pyramid. 

How was I going to carve out time for my life outside of work if I was supposed to think about the fun part of my day only after I’ve finished creating my to-do list? It just didn’t make sense. 

So, to prioritize my tasks the right way, I noted down all my Monday tasks as they came to my mind. 

But, just when I thought that it all came together, I realized that I didn’t think through every step of my schedule. 

I haven’t come up with the best way to streamline my household chores except for dropping my family a note that it’s their turn to clean the bathroom. 

Since I wasn’t in the mood for family arguments, I decided to pretend chores had nothing to do with my new and improved to-do list, go back to prioritizing my tasks, and do the right thing tomorrow. 

The rest of my day went according to plan. I managed to ward off all my productivity killers by time blocking my schedule, watch two episodes of my favorite TV show, and even call grandma.

Apart from the fact that I didn’t think through who’ll be in charge of cooking, so I may have had to order takeout, everything else worked out pretty well. 

I may also have intentionally avoided going outside — but the method didn’t say anything about having to go out, right?

Day #2: No bystanders allowed

Due to me intentionally skipping on household chores the day before, I woke up to a disaster.

Since I didn’t want the POSEC method wreaking havoc on my usual routine, I decided to get right into plotting a cleaning and cooking schedule before turning on my work laptop.

Making a realistic work plan came next, but I had no trouble prioritizing my work tasks, since my schedule is mostly predictable. 

I also decided to go for a more energy refueling free time activity than staring at the TV screen, so I booked theater tickets and invited a friend out. 

I may have annoyed my family by holding a long speech about recycling, which was part of my Contribution to the society plan. But, after explaining that both our planet’s future and my productivity levels were hanging by a thread, they quickly made their peace with recycling. 

As the day went by, I managed to focus on one task at a time, write 500 words, and even set aside a separate chunk of time just for team chat communication. 

But, as soon as I closed my laptop, I shuddered just by looking at the rest of my to-do list. Not used to navigating through my day with my work, home, and social life scheduled, I felt like I had too much on my plate. 

Also, as an incurable introvert, I was quite close to canceling my theater plans so I could unashamedly stay in bed. 

Luckily, my family member’s attempt to convince me to accept their share of chores after seeing me go around the room with a mop made me run out of the house at full speed. 

Day #3: Decluttering takes over

Since I went out and socialized on Tuesday — and the world didn’t end — I finally had to admit defeat. 

Wednesday morning, I woke up to a surprisingly high level of energy (quite opposite of what I have been telling myself for a long time), and then I had my ‘aha’ moment. It wasn’t the outside world draining me of my energy — it was the lack of it. 

After making myself promise to give my personal life a spin every once in a while, it was time to prioritize my tasks. 

Crafting my work-related to-do list was fairly simple. I knew I needed to continue writing, attend a meeting, and assign a new task to our illustrator.

But, coming up with fresh ideas on how to spend my free time that would involve stepping away from the monitor felt like an additional chore, so I decided to work this one out as I go and go on with my day.

I also decided to finally bring myself to declutter my home and donate every item that’s taking up space. 

Up until one moment, everything went according to my plan. I managed to write 700 words or so, attend a meeting, get in touch with the illustrator and even finish a proofreading task. Then I stepped away from my desk and jumped onto decluttering. 

You must be thinking — what could go wrong?

Well, apart from me having to resist the urge to get rid of almost everything that I own, I got so caught up in decluttering that not only did I forget about my cleaning schedule, but I also brushed aside the fact that I was supposed to have fun.

I decided not to let this one break my spirit, and made a promise to make it up to myself tomorrow.

Day #4: A change of plans

Now that I look at it, I have to admit — day 4 was a roller coaster. 

In case you like roller coasters, just pretend I used a different metaphor here. (The one that reminds you of a day gone wrong.) 

After a long day of reducing clutter, I woke up to a broken dishwasher. Insert This is fine meme here.

Although a malfunctioning dishwasher is not a reason for drama per se, the fact that I had to spend my morning making adjustments to the cleaning schedule while simultaneously calling different dishwasher repair services led me to start working later than usual.

When I finally managed to get to my home desk, I remembered that I didn’t get to prioritize my tasks at all, nor did I figure out exactly how I was going to contribute to society.

So, to avoid giving up on the POSEC method so close to the finish line, I quickly scribbled an improvised to-do list and moved on with my day.

Despite the initial stress, I did manage to finish more tasks than I intended, and ended up having more time to edit and review my draft.  

However, since I started working later, my workday wasn’t over until long after the sun went down, so I didn’t get a chance to do anything else apart from walking my dog and crawling back to bed. 

Since I decided to figure out my contribution tasks on the go, perhaps I’m the one to take the blame for not managing to do anything beneficial that day. 

Still, I hope that walking the dog counts as giving something back to my family since I owe them for putting up with my little experiment. 

Day #5: Old habits die hard

As soon as I rolled out of bed on Friday, the dishwasher saga continued. 

Even though, unlike the day before, I didn’t need to dial dozens of phone numbers, I woke up to my share of dishes, thanks to my own cleaning schedule idea. 

But, as soon as I was done with my chores for the day, I finally got to prioritizing my tasks. 

Although I knew the repairman might show up in the middle of my workday (probably during my most focused hours, at least according to Murphy’s law), my article was almost done, so I was already two steps ahead of unexpected events. 

I was also quite determined to drop the items I put aside at a donation center and grab a moment to do something that makes me happy. 

Just as I expected, my day went according to the plan — I finished my article, the dishwasher was up and running, and I even spent an hour at the park after stopping by the donation center. 

I spent the rest of the day curled up in my bed with my favorite TV show on  — just for the change of scenery. 

What are the pros of the POSEC method?

Despite my obvious struggle to balance my personal life with the ultimate goal I had set for myself, I haven’t failed to spot a benefit that has come to the surface as soon as I started organizing my days the POSEC way. 

The POSEC method is great for defeating workaholism

As you might have figured, I’m not the most balanced person in the world. 

This is especially true when it comes to ensuring that I allocate an equal amount of time and attention to both my personal and work life. I tend to overwork myself to the point where I push my personal life aside and even forget to take any breaks. 

But, by deciding to stick to a novel method of time management that promised to help me achieve my goals without sacrificing my free time, I managed to introduce some changes to my lifestyle. 

Scheduling your day ahead without leaving out non-work-related tasks not only helps in increasing awareness of the importance of taking proper rest, but it also leads you to become more intentional about how you spend your time. 

Also, when you attempt to squeeze in a recharging activity in your day, you instantly notice both your focus and your efficiency increasing, leading you to automatically speed up your work and open even more room in your schedule for free time. 

Perhaps that may not be enough to defeat workaholism once and for all, but it’s a small step towards achieving a better work-life balance. 

What are the cons of the POSEC method?

Hand in hand with the benefits of any time management method comes its share of downsides. 

Although I may not be able to guarantee that you might not face a different stack of issues while organizing your time the POSEC way, taking a glimpse at the ones that manage to spoil the fun for me can help you avoid them right from the start. 

You need to combine the POSEC method with other methods

As you might have noticed, mentally devising a plan and keeping your fingers crossed that everything will work out is not enough if you want to see the POSEC method work.

You’ll need to rely on to-do lists, different prioritization methods, and perhaps even time blocking too.

Although each of these productivity and time management methods can certainly help you transform your workflow on their own, in case you’re not familiar with them, you’ll need to do your research and try them out first before giving the POSEC method a go. 

The POSEC method might not be motivating enough

Although the POSEC method comes with a list of principles, it doesn’t exactly provide you with precise steps for achieving your goals. 

This time management technique offers a broad overview of the points you should focus on if you want to reach a goal — but it’s on you to figure out what exactly you need to do to get there.

So, if you’re not up for coming up with fresh ideas on how to spend your time week in and week out, you might even forget to include a recharging activity from time to time — or give up on the method altogether. 

I have to admit that I still haven’t discovered the best way to deal with the lack of detailed instructions for each of the POSEC principles.

But, taking more time to devise a detailed plan of activities before putting the POSEC method into practice could help with keeping you motivated enough to reach the finish line.

What is my overall rating of the POSEC method?

Now that I’m done with trying to squeeze in all the activities that a well-organized person achieves in a day, it’s time to admit that I might have had too high expectations of this time management technique.

Even before I rolled out of bed on Monday, I felt quite excited knowing that I’ll finally make the most out of my day.

Then the first stumbling block quickly brought me back to reality — the POSEC method doesn’t actually do anything revolutionary on its own. 

I was already aware that I don’t give enough attention to my life outside of work, and I wake up every day with a desire to change that.

But, what the method actually did for me was nudge me to come up with a plan to actually put things in motion.

(Guilt trips that took the wheel when I didn’t follow the initial plan came as a bonus.) 

Still, since there’s only so much a person can do in a day, the POSEC method didn’t turn out to be an easy fix to my long-lasting issues with achieving the right work-life balance. 

Apart from inspiring me to think about the ways I could give something back to the world, I didn’t notice this technique doing much for me. 

I guess I would probably think twice before going for another spin with the POSEC method. 

FINAL RATING:

Wrapping up: Plan, prepare, and give the POSEC method a spin

If you’re searching for a no-prep time management technique that will equip you with all the hacks necessary to reach your goals, you might want to sit this one out. 

But, if you’re ready to give your heart and soul to a time management method, don’t let my experience stop you from becoming the best version of yourself. 

OK, the heart and soul may be an exaggeration. But you’ll still need to put some time into scheduling just the right amount of tasks that won’t turn your workweek upside down. 

Still, just in case you end up taking the same road as I did, here’s a friendly reminder: small steps will take you a long way. Or at least spare you the guilt of not crossing everything off your to-do list — but that’s just as good. 

Have you ever tried the POSEC method before? Maybe you have already found the right time management method that helped you strike a perfect work-life balance. Let us know at blogfeedback@clockify.me so we can try out your technique next. And, if you liked this blog post, share it with someone you think would be interested in reading it.

How did the last productivity hack you tried work out for you? 

Since you ended up here today, something tells me it wasn’t the perfect match for your lifestyle, and now you’re probably willing to give the next life-changing productivity method a chance. 

But you already wasted a couple of precious seconds googling how to get more things done, and your to-do list isn’t getting any shorter.

Actually, it doesn’t even need to. 

This time, I decided to take one for the team and test one more productivity technique so that you don’t have to. 

Enters to-don’t list.  

But, what is a to-don’t list and should we let it into our lives? Will we all turn into productive geniuses after writing a lengthy list of forbidden tasks? 

Buckle up and read on, because I’m about to walk you through my personal to-don’t list experience so you’ll get a better view of whether this productivity method is worth your while.  

What is a to-don’t list?

A to-don’t list is similar to a to-do list, with one exception — it consists of the tasks you shouldn’t do. 

Unlike a to-do list where you’re likely to cross off a task once it’s finished, a to-don’t list usually consists of tasks and habits you’d like to avoid in the long run. 

So, once you write down your to-don’t items, it won’t be necessary to check them off. 

But, since you’ll still need a way to track your progress, you can either use a bullet journal tracker or a habit tracker app to measure your progress and monitor your to-don’t tasks. 

These tasks could be anything you’d wish to stop doing — from spending too much time on social media to forgetting to water your plants. 

What matters is that you’re aware of the habits that do you harm and you’re ready to kick them. 

How to make a to-don’t list?

Even if you’re not quite able to pinpoint the exact habits that might be working against your productivity, that still doesn’t mean you cannot create a to-don’t list.

You can start by imagining your worst workday ever. 

Think about all the events that lead up to your worst-case scenario. Do you frequently have to context-switch, or have a hard time ignoring digital distractions?  

My workday, for example, usually goes downhill when I don’t get enough sleep and I have to power through a headache. So, naturally, to avoid my day turning into a nightmare, I’d start by putting Don’t sleep less than 8 hours on my to-don’t list. 

So, if you’d like to give a to-don’t list a go, you’ll need to deep dive into your memory first and track down everything that wreaks havoc on your productivity — and build your way up from there. 

Now, in case you’d wish to skip the painful recollections of a workday gone wrong, you don’t need to go through the reminiscing process. 

Simply, think about all the tasks that you frequently tackle throughout the week that bring you little to no value — and put them on your to-don’t list. 

This way, you’ll skip the uncomfortable reminiscences and still set sail on the journey to becoming your most productive self. 

(At least that’s how the story goes.)

Why did I try making a to-don’t list?

As you might have figured from my rambling about my lack of sleep, I’m not really the epitome of a healthy lifestyle. I mostly get around 5–6 hours of sleep and count on large amounts of coffee to keep me up and running.

Also, to be honest, I felt quite tired of chasing after deadlines week in and week out — so I decided to dive deeper into my daily routine and track down all the damaging patterns that led me to procrastinate and not get my focus on.

Since a to-don’t list sounded like a logical productivity hack for eliminating unwanted behavior, I figured I had nothing to lose — except for my weak spots. 

Five habits I put on my to-don’t list

For the purpose of the experiment, I decided to dig deep into my memory and mentally recreate my worst workday ever. 

Turns out I didn’t need to go too far, since just the day before my experiment I suffered from a headache caused by my habitual lack of sleep. 

So, I was definitely off to a great start. 

For the rest of my to-don’ts, I can’t really say I had rock-hard evidence of their harmful effects. But, I had a hunch they were not working in my favor either — so I put them on the list. 

Since starting off by avoiding several things at the same time seemed like it could prevent me from discovering the positive and negative effects of each individual item on my list, I decided to avoid one thing at a time — or, one thing per day, to be more exact. 

So, I pinpointed five habits that I’d do better without, plotted my weekly to-don’t schedule, and sailed my way into the week. 

Day #1 — Don’t sleep less than 8 hours 

My first to-don’t might seem quite obvious. You don’t need to be a productivity guru to know that the lack of sleep can leave damaging consequences on your health. Science has already proven that time and time again.  

Still, although I was aware that sleep is the strongest productivity tool, more often than not, I chose to sacrifice my rest just so that I could squeeze in one more episode of my favorite TV show. 

You can only imagine how my morning after usually unfolds. I snooze my alarm clock one too many times, rush my way into the day, and end up taking an afternoon power nap just so that I can fight my way through all the tasks. 

I guess these were the reasons enough for the lack of sleep to earn a high place on my to-don’t list. 

So, after plotting my to-don’t list on Sunday, I set my alarm for 7 a.m. and went to bed at 11 p.m.

As you might have guessed, I had trouble sleeping. 

Since my last memory of me being in bed at 11 p.m. goes back to kindergarten, I should have expected that I wouldn’t be able to doze off as soon as I turned the lights off.

Still, I did get more sleep than I usually do, so I cannot say I didn’t notice instant benefits. 

I had little to no trouble memorizing things, made fewer mistakes, and even completed everything from my to-do list. (Yes, I did keep a to-do list alongside my to-don’t list.)

All in all — Monday flew by in an instant, and I didn’t even think about my afternoon nap. 

At least not until 8 p.m. when I dozed off in an instant. But that’s a whole different story. 

Day #2 — Don’t drink excessive amounts of coffee

Anytime that I want something done, I turn to coffee. It’s almost as if coffee is my power fuel, and I can’t get anything finished without my caffeine intake. 

Still, since I did notice I sometimes have trouble sleeping after one too many cups of coffee (I just chose to ignore it, obviously), it was time to confess I had issues with coffee. 

Also, since I couldn’t stop checking myself for the symptoms of memory loss ever since I read an article claiming that too much caffeine increases the risks of memory impairment, I just knew coffee needed to be banned. 

But, knowing myself all too well, I didn’t dare risk going about my day with zero caffeine in my body. So, I decided to limit myself to no more than two cups of coffee and started my day. 

Unsurprisingly, I reached my daily intake limit within the first three hours of my workday. 

But, I guess this one might have happened simply because I forgot about my to-don’t list and the promise I was supposed to keep. 

Naturally, I started panicking that my forgetfulness was a symptom of caffeine-induced memory loss.

Since I had an unusual number of tasks to complete that day, I went through my day without even thinking about grabbing another cup of the bitter brown liquid. Or maybe it was all due to my fear of forgetfulness — I can’t tell. 

Nonetheless, my day without an excessive amount of coffee went surprisingly well — I managed to complete all my tasks, and even finished half of my article that day. 

Yet again, I crashed on my couch at 8 p.m. sharp — but since my workday was over long before that incident, I guess we don’t need to count that one in. 

Day #3 — Don’t work like you’re at home

Maybe this to-don’t sounds unusual — especially since I really love working from home. 

But, if you ever had a chance to see me working in my natural habitat, you’d know what I’m referring to. 

I’m ashamed to admit that not only do I rarely get out of my pajamas for work, but I also tend to sit cross-legged everywhere but behind a desk. I may also like to write my articles with the all-time pop hits going loud in the background.   

Although I didn’t really see anything wrong with my work style, I wanted to check whether a slight change would bring about an improvement in my productivity. 

Now, why fix something that’s not broken? 

Well, I wasn’t one hundred percent it wasn’t broken — at least judging from the pain in my back. 

So, before rushing to turn on my laptop right after jumping from bed, I decided to put on my “work clothes.” 

Even if it turned out that my outfit didn’t have anything to do with my focus and productivity levels, I knew that if I was dressed up for work, I’d be more likely to go for a chair instead of the floor. 

I also decided to skip my usual playlist for the day and turn to a soft white noise mix. 

After a couple of hours of writing, I spotted myself sitting cross-legged and hunched over my desk like a turtle. Although I didn’t find myself automatically moving to the floor (that one would really scare me), I realized that my bad posture was a habit too hard to kick.

When it comes to the change of music, the “no lyrics sounds” might have helped me go back to my text quicker whenever I was faced with an interruption. 

Day #4 — Don’t spend too much time on the phone

Even though I like my coffee more than I like my phone and I can resist the urge to pick up my phone, ever since I tried to engage in deep work a while ago, I became aware of the harmful effects of too much screen time. 

But, despite me being aware of all the risks that come with mindlessly scrolling through social media, sometimes I tend to grab my phone as soon as my mind gets stuck on a sentence.

Usually, this habit doesn’t do anything good for my focus, since I just end up in the social media rabbit hole. But, sometimes I stumble across a post that sparks my inspiration, and I end up believing that my phone might be a magical inspiration-producing device. 

This time, I decided not to go into the rabbit hole, so I put my phone away.

Initially, I wanted to lock my phone in a drawer, but I realized that my drawer doesn’t have a lock and that there was no point in doing that since I would be able to control myself. 

Little did I know that my optimism wouldn’t last longer than my first writer’s block. 

As soon as I lost my focus in the middle of writing, I reached for my phone. Realizing it was safely secured in the drawer, I couldn’t quite figure out what my next step would be. 

Was I supposed to stare at my document until the block went away?

I decided to do just that and not let my phone overpower me. I may have had to resist the urge to turn to the team chat app and see what’s new there, though.

After ten minutes or so, my sentences began to take shape and I didn’t even notice that my fingers started gliding across the keyboard. 

All things considered: 

Me: 1

Phone: 0 

Day #5 — Don’t work without breaks

I have to admit that when times are busy, I usually forget to take a break. 

Although this habit does not negatively affect my tasks, I usually end up extremely tired at the end of the day. 

Naturally, testing a to-don’t list sounded like a perfect opportunity to try and kick this habit — so I decided to work the Pomodoro way to make sure I took plenty of breaks.

As soon as my workday began, I started a Pomodoro timer, and dove right into my tasks. 

Although I wasn’t really used to working in short 25-minute intervals, I didn’t have any issues stepping away from my desk when the timer notified me it was time for my first break. 

However, as the day went on, I found it harder to stop writing as soon as the timer went off. 

Also, even though I did my best to stick with my initial decision to take frequent breaks, most of the time I spent my five-minute breathers scrolling through social media. Naturally, my breaks flew by and I didn’t feel more energized when I needed to continue where I left off.

Still, I knew that my Friday’s to-don’t went wrong due to my lack of self-control — so I wasn’t really able to pin all the blame on the Pomodoro technique. 

I should have known better and restricted my screen time right from the start — or at least went for the Flowtime technique, which goes much better with creative tasks than the Pomodoro method. 

To-don’t list, take two — Don’t avoid one thing at a time

Since reaching a final verdict on whether a to-don’t list actually works would not be fair without trying not to do a couple of things at the same time, I decided to give my to-don’t list one more go. 

I was supposed to:

• Sleep at least 8 hours the night before, 
• Try not to reach for my kettle too many times throughout the day, 
• Get dressed and sit tight in my work chair, 
• Put my phone away, and 
• Take enough short, but meaningful breaks.

Now that I look at my list, I have to admit it sounded like an ideal workday. 

Until the moment it turned into a nightmare. 

Even though I did manage to get enough sleep, (which filled me with enough optimism for the day), trying to remember to avoid all the things from my list felt like an additional task. 

I most certainly did not sit like an adult throughout my entire 8-hour shift nor did I manage to skip my abnormal dose of coffee. As soon as I got stuck on a sentence or had to respond to a direct message quickly, I immediately forgot about my initial plans and went back to one of my old habits. 

The one thing I did manage to follow through on was not forgetting to take a break. 

Still, since this time, I decided to follow the Flowtime method and track the time I spent on each task, it was only logical that I wouldn’t find it hard to take a break from writing — as I was the one to decide when the break time was. 

Nonetheless, I ended up feeling more guilty for my workflow going wrong than I felt while crafting my to-don’t list at the beginning of the experiment. 

What are the pros of a to-don’t list?

All productivity methods come with a fair share of benefits — and, here are the ones I noticed while trying to keep my bad habits at arm’s length with a to don’t list. 

A to-don’t list leads you to discover your weak spots

Whether you work from home or cross things off your to-do list in a brick-and-mortar office, you’re probably already aware that your workflow could benefit from some tweaking. 

Still, the majority of us do not usually keep every little annoying habit in mind, much less do anything to kick them when we’re busy chasing deadlines. 

But, this is where a to-don’t list comes in. 

When you’re required to reflect on your workday gone wrong, you become able to spot all the patterns that lead up to it and know what exactly it takes to avoid them. 

A to-don’t list helps you become more honest with yourself

We usually tend to be quite optimistic when creating our to-do lists. 

At the moment of writing the lists, it seems like there’s nothing we couldn’t do — and some of us even tend to try to fit two days’ worth of tasks into a couple of hours. 

Then, when the moment to actually cross tasks off our to-do list comes, we usually fail to prioritize and get right into the simplest and least time-consuming to-dos, leaving out the more complex ones. 

In the end, we simply postpone unfinished tasks for tomorrow and decide to try all over again.  

Although you don’t need to give up on your to-do list to make sure you reach your deadlines, putting everything you shouldn’t be doing on paper (instead of focusing on to-dos only) could actually help you set more realistic goals. 

Not only does a to-don’t list prevent you from falling into the habits you’d like to avoid, but it also helps you become aware of your limits when plotting your day.

Since I’m now aware that sleeping less than 8 hours leads me to make more mistakes while writing, I’ll make sure to put Review on my to-do list. This way, I’ll minimize the chances of my text coming back to haunt me and disrupt my workflow when I least expect it. 

What are the cons of a to-don’t list?

After paying close attention to my workflow while following a to-don’t list, I’m now able to let you in on all the disadvantages you might face if you decide to try this productivity method yourself.

A to-don’t list is not a replacement for a to-do list

If you’re used to writing down every little task that you need to tackle throughout the day, you might expect a to-don’t list to reduce the paper clutter from building up.

But, unfortunately, a to-don’t list won’t replace your to-do list. 

Since a to-don’t list usually consists of habits you’d like to kick and tasks that don’t bring you any value, you’ll still need to keep a to-do list close. 

As expected, relying on a list of tasks to avoid won’t help you memorize everything you should give your attention to. 

You’ll need to remind yourself not to do things

If you’re anything like me and you feel like your bad habits are deeply ingrained in your mind, you’ll definitely need a reminder not to do things. 

Although I didn’t have a hard time remembering not to do one thing at a time, as soon as I tried avoiding several habits at once, I caught myself unconsciously repeating the unwanted behavior I was set to quit. 

To avoid this from happening to you too, you could try making your to-don’t list as visible as possible or even setting an alarm to remind you multiple times a day not to fall back into old habits.

What is my overall rating of a to-don’t list?

Although I easily buy into every new productivity method I stumble across, after a week of dissecting my flaws and doing my best to dodge them, I’d have to say it would be unfair to score this method poorly. 

In its very essence, a to-don’t list is supposed to help you recognize the harmful patterns that prevent you from becoming your most productive self. 

So, it must have worked then, right? I should be cured for good.

Well, as much as it sounds amazing, kicking a habit takes more than a workweek, not to mention kicking a long list of habits that sabotage my productivity every step of the way. 

Still, if I’m going to be completely honest here, I wouldn’t be able to pin the blame on a to-don’t list for my inability to keep all the promises I made to myself at the beginning of my experiment. 

My to-don’t list did not turn my workflow upside down nor did it make me work in my pajamas — that was all on me. 

But, what it did do for me was help me notice something was rotten in my routine and give me enough confidence and motivation to introduce some changes — and sometimes, that’s exactly the puzzle piece that’s missing. 

FINAL RATING:

Wrapping up: Don’t beat yourself up over your to-don’t list 

I’m not going to sugarcoat it — picking through your worst habits can be rough, and it might even negatively affect your self-esteem.

At least that’s what happened to me. 

Most of the time, I felt like I needed adult supervision to get through my days without repeating the same old mistakes.  

But, you know what they say — You can’t succeed if you don’t pinpoint your own errors. 

OK, I may have made that saying up. 

But the point’s there — accept your weak spots, make note of them, and let them go. 

You might just be surprised how quickly they disappear from your to-don’t list. 

Did you ever try making a to-don’t list? Did it help you kick any of your habits? Let us know at blogfeedback@clockify.me and we might include your experience in this one or one of our future articles. And, if you liked this blog post, share it with someone you think would be interested in reading it. 

Does this sound familiar? 

I know — it doesn’t sound familiar to me either.  

But, that’s exactly why I’ve decided to try and test a time management technique that promises to transform our days and boost our productivity levels straight off — and see if it really does what it says.

Fast forward to today, after spending five consecutive workdays testing out bullet journal time tracking (so that you don’t have to), I’m able to reach a final verdict and let you in on all the ins and outs of this popular time management technique. 

So, is bullet journal time tracking really worth your time and effort? 

Stay put and read on, because we’re about to uncover the true colors behind the vibrant bullet journal pages we’ve all seen on social media.  

What is a bullet journal?

A bullet journal, a.k.a. BuJo, is a dot grid notebook usually used for keeping track of to-do lists, goals, and habits. 

The inventor of the bullet journal method, Ryder Caroll, started from a minimalist design — nowadays, colorful, personalized bullet journals are quickly taking the world by storm. 

But, even if you’re not skilled at making your bullet journal aesthetically pleasing, that still doesn’t mean you can’t level up your productivity with a dot grid notebook — and that’s where the real beauty of the bullet journal method lies. 

How does bullet journaling work?

If you’re new to bullet journaling, you might be confused about getting started with this technique. 

Sometimes, even thinking about designing an artsy layout could be intimidating.

At least that’s what happened to me. 

But, it really doesn’t have to be that way.

The original idea behind the bullet journal is quite simple, and you don’t need to be a creative genius to make bullet journaling work. 

Here’s what Ryder Caroll imagined a bullet journal should consist of: 

• Index — A numbered list of everything your bullet journal consists of, including the page numbers where you can find each of the sections. 
• Collections — These are different sections you can include in your bullet journal. Although you are free to create as many collections as you need, these are the three main ones you can start from:  
  • Future log — Usually consists of your future events and plans. You can go with a 6-months spread or plan out your whole year in advance.
  • Monthly log — Lets you plan your monthly tasks in more detail than you’d do in your future log. The monthly log consists of: 
    • Calendar page — Allows you to list all the events and tasks you need to tackle within a month.
    • Task page — Lets you list all your monthly tasks, minus the exact dates for their completion.
  • Daily log — Gives you the option to keep track of your daily to-dos. A daily log looks just like a regular daily to-do list, with one exception — it includes dots, circles, and dash bullets for easier task tracking. 

So, to make a bullet journal work, you can start by creating your collections and work your way back to the index page where you’ll list everything your bullet journal consists of. 

What is bullet journal time tracking?

You’ve most likely already seen at least dozens of colorful bullet journal pages online displaying perfectly shaped columns that promise to help people keep track of their daily activities. 

But, what is this tracking all about, and how does it fit into the original bullet journal idea?

Well, as we’ve discussed before, collections can take many shapes and sizes. They can even take the form of trackers that let you keep a record of your eating and sleep habits, water intake habits, workouts — you name it. 

So, bullet journal trackers are a nifty way to keep an eye on your progress, regardless of the habit you’d like to build. 

But, if you’d like to go a step further and obtain even more data on your daily activities, that’s where the bullet journal time tracker comes into the picture. 

Bullet journal time trackers help you keep an eye on the amount of time each of your activities takes and lets you plan your future tasks accordingly. (At least that’s what the social media posts claim.)

How do bullet journal time trackers work?

All you need to do to get started with the bullet journal time tracking is to:

• Pick your time tracking layout — You can go for:
  • A horizontal bar, where one square equals one hour, 
  • A vertical bar, which works the same way as the horizontal one, but the bar goes in a different direction, or 
  • A time log, which looks like a more detailed version of a horizontal bar, allowing you to fit an entire month of time tracking in one page. 
• Create your bullet journal key list — If you’d like to color code the activities you’ll keep track of, it’s best to decide on the exact colors you’ll use for each activity right from the start (for example, blue stands for sleeping, green is for emails, red means social activities, etc.) Then, all you need to do is create a list that explains exactly what each color represents. This will help you keep your bullet journal time tracking system as neat as possible. 

Immediately after you’re done deciding on all the basics, you’ll be ready to take your time into your hands. 

Why did I test a bullet journal time tracker?

Maybe you’re wondering why an adult with zero talent for drawing would even try tracking their time the bullet journal way when there are thousands of apps out there designed just for that purpose.

Well, apart from being drawn by the beautiful pictures of bullet journal spreads I’ve seen everywhere, I was also quite desperate to kick my procrastination habits. 

With that in mind, bullet journal time tracking seemed like just the type of activity that would keep me motivated enough to get started with all the tasks I’ve been postponing for a while. 

Besides, I’ve been using an online time tracker for a while now, so I wanted to see how both options stack up against my chronic procrastination and whether the bullet journal time tracker would help me get going a bit quicker — especially on days when I’d rather leave all the tasks to my future self. 

My five-day bullet journal time tracking experience

Being a proud owner of dozens of unused notebooks, sharpies, and highlighters that had no other purpose but to wait to be used (and gather dust during the process), I was already well prepared for my bullet journal time tracking experiment. 

Also, since my work-from-home job comes with flexible working hours, I was quite sure that my little experiment would be beneficial for getting a clear overview of my most productive hours and plotting my perfect work schedule. 

Since I had no reasonable excuse to procrastinate on this idea, I decided to begin tracking my time as soon as I finished my research on it. That’s exactly why I’m able to present you with some of the main takeaways of my bullet journal time tracking experience. 

Day #1— Creativity comes to light

I have to admit — as soon as my alarm went off Monday morning, I was pretty excited to start my day. Although the nice weather was partially responsible for my excitement, I was genuinely sold on the whole idea of a fun time management technique fixing my procrastination issues. 

But, while I was waiting for my coffee to boil, it suddenly dawned on me — I was not well prepared. I didn’t even settle on a layout, so how was I supposed to start tracking my time right away?!

After a brief pep talk session with myself, I decided to draw my time tracking layout while drinking my coffee. 

So, I picked out my prettiest notebook, armed myself with dozens of sharpies, settled on a classic time log with a horizontal bar, and began drawing. 

One thing after another, I quickly found myself rummaging through drawers looking for washi tapes to decorate my layout. Actually, if I’m going to be completely honest, it wasn’t quick at all — I already spent 2 hours trying to draw a purple-colored butterfly to match my bullet journal key. 

Realizing I didn’t really think through this preparation part, I decided to stop myself right there and begin my workday at 10 a.m. sharp.

Being in the process of doing my research for an article, I decided to track my time in real time, marking the beginning and the end of a task in the horizontal bar.  

Since my research doesn’t usually consist of additional tasks, the only moment I had to shift my attention to the bullet journal was during my lunch break. 

As soon as the clock struck 6 p.m. I marked the end of my research, colored the squares, and stepped away from my home desk. 

Day #2 — Distractions out of nowhere

Since both my prep-time and my research were well behind me, Tuesday started off without the bleary-eyed chaos. 

I quickly went through all the tasks that needed to be completed, decided to sketch an outline and write my article introduction, assigned colors to each activity, and dove right into work at 9 a.m. this time.

After an hour or so of moving my subheadings around the document, my phone rang. 

It was the mailman rushing me to come outside and pick up a package — and this is where the confusion began. 

Although my unexpected rushing down the street to meet the mailman probably didn’t take away too much of my time, I realized that I did stand outside for a while, and I forgot to mark the time point I stopped working on my outline. 

I quickly colored half the square red to mark the interruption, and moved on with my outline. 

But, since half the square equals half an hour — and I was pretty sure I wasn’t away for that long — my initial excitement about the bullet journal time tracker subsided, and I have to admit I missed the option to hit the stop button that most time tracker apps come with.  

After spending 25 more minutes trying to sketch an outline, I was finally able to send it to my editor and move on to the introduction. I decided to leave half a square blank in my time tracking bar and marked the beginning of the next task. 

As soon as I finished my introduction and a couple more subheadings, it was time to call it a day. I colored all the remaining squares and put my bullet journal away. 

Okay, I might have spent my after-hours trying to finish the butterfly I started drawing on Monday. 

Day #3 — Reminders save the day

Taking into account my previous failed attempts at being consistent with tracking my time the bullet journal way, I decided to bring out the big guns — my sticky notes. 

I placed a sticky note saying “Whatever happens, don’t forget about the bullet journal” right on top of my screen, planned to move on with my article, and attend one meeting.

As soon as I logged in at 9 a.m., I marked the beginning of my writing process in the time tracking bar. Before I knew it, a couple of hours flew by, and I managed to write almost 1000 words up until the beginning of my meeting.

This time, relying on the sticky note to remind me to color the squares turned out to be a great idea — and the first half of my workday went surprisingly well. 

I spent the rest of the day editing my first draft, figuring out how to fit just one more sentence into an already lengthy paragraph, and trying to resist the urge to decorate my bullet journal and stay on schedule. 

As the end of my workday was coming near, I realized that I didn’t deviate much from my original plan, and didn’t forget to turn to my bullet journal time tracker even once. 

All in all, apart from my slight struggle to stay focused on a task at hand — which had less to do with the time tracking and more with my lack of sleep — Wednesday turned out to be dramatically more productive than my previous attempts. 

Day #4 — Interruptions take on from here

Since placing visible reminders worked out so well the day before, I glided into Thursday carefree.

I knew I was supposed to pick up where I left off with my writing and get in touch with our illustrator regarding my article’s cover image. 

It was that simple — so I armed myself with enthusiasm one more time, marked the time point I began writing in my bullet journal time tracker (9 a.m.), and actually did three and a half hours of uninterrupted deep work. 

Little did I know that just when things were going so well, a surprise was waiting for me around the corner. 

After a couple of hours of writing, my last week came back to haunt me. I discovered that some of the templates I finished on Friday were not as perfect as I thought they were. This was the moment I had to stop everything I was doing and try to figure out how to fix a formula error in a spreadsheet. 

Since I’m not exactly a math whizz, it took me quite a while to fix the spreadsheet issue — and guess what happened with my time log? 

As you might have guessed, I didn’t really pay attention to my bullet journal as soon as there was an unexpected emergency. 

At this point, I wasn’t really sure whom to point fingers at for my inability to be consistent with bullet journal time tracking. 

Maybe my faulty memory was the real culprit here. 

But then again, if that was the case, I would have failed to stick with any time tracking method, including a timer app, and that never happened.

Not being able to pinpoint the exact problem, I decided to color 8 squares — marking them all as Work — and leave this failed attempt at time tracking behind me.  

Day #5 — Time blocking might be the answer

On my last day of the experiment, I didn’t really hope for a fresh take on the bullet journal time tracking. 

I decided to do my best and mark all the changes that might occur along the way — but also not be discouraged if something unexpected comes up. 

Since, due to obvious reasons, I didn’t do a lot of writing nor get in touch with the illustrator the day before, creating my Friday to-do list didn’t require much plotting. I only needed to put on my bravest face and pick up the threads of the work I started on Thursday. 

As soon as I signed in and opened my document at 9 a.m., I marked the beginning of my writing process and buckled down to work. 

After an hour of writing, I decided to color one square, switch to a new tab, and open Plaky to create a new task and assign it to the illustrator. Since this activity didn’t take up much of my time, I decided to check my email and respond to several DMs too — and label these tasks as social activity in my bullet journal time tracker. 

Although I didn’t want to get my hopes up that I’ll remember to turn to my bullet journal in case something unexpected popped up, I tried to go back to writing without giving much thought to previous incidents.

Surprisingly, I didn’t forget to color my squares even once. 

However, the number of interruptions I had to deal with along the way was minimal, so I had enough room to set aside two separate blocks of time for writing and team communication.

After a long day of writing, I signed out at 5 p.m., colored all the squares, and put the finishing touches to the purple butterfly. 

What are the pros of bullet journal time trackers?

As is the case with every productivity and time management technique, things are never black or white, and each method requires initial tweaking to show in its best light. 

However, after five days of my trial and error experience with bullet journal time tracking, I’m able to let you in on the greatest advantages that come with this time management method. 

Bullet journal time trackers improve focus

It’s not a secret that even a simple activity such as doodling can do wonders for your brain activity. Namely, science has shown that occasional drawing sessions increase both our focus and our problem-solving abilities. 

So, when you set aside an hour or two to decorate your bullet journal (regardless of your artistic skill), you might actually be doing your mind a favor.

Instead of relying on your daily dose of caffeine to help you get ready for the day, going for a couple of colored pencils and a dot grid notebook could help you reach your peak productivity the healthy way. 

From my personal experience, after five days of tracking my time the bullet journal way, I can confirm that science was definitely right. Drawing in my bullet journal in the morning helped me ease into my day much quicker than usual, and it quickly brightened up my mornings, leaving me ready to tackle my writing tasks in no time. 

Bullet journal time trackers nudge you to plan smarter

Tracking your time in a bullet journal increases your ability to spot your workflow flaws and nudges you to adjust your schedule to fit your productivity levels.

In case you’re used to creating to-do lists, you might realize they don’t work as well when you’re faced with frequent distractions. If interruptions lead you to forget to track your time (as it was the case with me), take this as a sign to explore other task management options. 

Some productivity and task management methods, such as time blocking, give you more control over your day, requiring you to pinpoint the exact moment you’ll give your attention to certain tasks. 

Perhaps it’ll take some trial and error before you tweak your perfect work schedule — but bullet journal time trackers can be a great asset in helping you acknowledge weak spots in your plan. 

What are the cons of bullet journal time trackers?

Most of the mishaps I had to deal with along the way could easily have been avoided had I been warned that they might occur. 

So, to help you come prepared and avoid losing precious time in trial and error, I present you with a list of the disadvantages of bullet journal time tracking.

Bullet journal time tracking requires preparation

In case you’re looking for a no-prep time management solution, you’re likely to be in for a surprise if you decide to begin your workday without giving careful thought to your bullet journal time tracking system. 

Before you give this method a try, you’ll need to decide on the exact time tracking layout, spend some time drawing the tracker, and create your bullet journal key.

So, to avoid these requirements taking you by surprise and ruining your bullet journal experience, try to finish with the preparation part the day before you actually try tracking your time. 

This way, you’ll be able to make the most out of this method and figure out what works for you, right from the start.

Bullet journal time tracking doesn’t go well with interruptions

Bullet journaling is quite famous for giving you the option to migrate your tasks in case you didn’t manage to complete them as planned. But, if you’re about to track your time in a bullet journal, you’ll need to come up with a system for dealing with interruptions that goes beyond moving a task to a different bullet journal page. 

In case your job position involves constant task-switching or you’re frequently required to check your email and respond to team chat messages, it could be challenging to remember to mark each new task in your bullet journal time tracker. 

Although there’s no universal solution that’ll work for everyone, to avoid forgetting to pay attention to your time tracker altogether, it might be best to set up a reminder system until you get used to your new time tracking method. 

What is my overall rating of bullet journal time trackers?

Even though I ran into difficulties while trying to track my time in a bullet journal, I have not even once given up on the thought that it might work out in the end. 

But now that I’ve reached the finish line, I’ve noticed that I have mixed feelings about this time management technique. 

Although I genuinely liked the creative part of the technique I cannot say it didn’t feel distracting.

However, despite the urge to stop everything I was doing to go and decorate my bullet journal, this time management method actually prevented me from procrastinating. Since I was excited to color my squares in the time log, my bullet journal time tracker motivated me to get going.

Still, I’m not able to shake off the fact that this method did not go well with interruptions — when faced with an unexpected change of plans, I forgot to track my time more often than I’d like to admit. 

Also, figuring out how to design my layout took a while, and making it aesthetically pleasing led me to start working later than usual.

Still, I do think that if I tried tracking my time the bullet journal way one more time, I’d probably start off on the right foot this time. However, I’m not really sure this method would ever go well with sudden task-switching. 

With a heavy heart for giving up on my not-so-aesthetically pleasing butterfly, I’d have to say bullet journal time tracking was a one-and-done experience for me. 

FINAL RATING:

The final verdict: Are bullet journal time trackers worth your time?

Although I’d love to settle on a clear-cut response regarding the effectiveness of this time tracking method, the issues I had to tackle along the way led me to the conclusion that there’s no one-size-fits-all time management method.

Perhaps bullet journal time tracking was not my cup of tea due to my unreliable memory, while it might do wonders for your work schedule and help you break your time-wasting habits.  

But, what my bullet journal time tracking journey doesn’t tell you is how this time tracking method fits into your day. So, before you reach a final decision based on my personal experience, try bullet journal time tracking and see for yourself. 

You can always go back to your old tried and tested time tracker if things go out of hand. 

Until then, keep your sharpies close and your sticky notes closer. 

Have you ever tried tracking your time in a bullet journal? Perhaps you have a suggestion on which time management method we should try out next. Share your thoughts at blogfeedback@clockify.me for a chance to be featured in one of our future articles.

Luckily, a lot has changed in the last decade and so, and there are many new and improved methods to both track time and manage employee attendance. The magic words are — clock-in and clock-out apps.

In the following blog, we’ll be taking an in-depth look at the following topics:

• What is clocking in and out,
• Why you should get a time clock app, and
• The best clock-in and clock-out apps available at the moment.

What is clocking in and out?

As the name suggests, clocking in and out represents the process of documenting one’s time spent at work. It is most commonly preferred by employers and managers since it allows them to track employees’ progress and time spent working.

Nowadays, software has made it truly easy to clock-in/out, which is why many businesses invest in easy-to-use apps that are accessible to each and every employee. 

Also, many entrepreneurs and solo practitioners have found value in tracking work hours as it allows them to analyze and search for patterns that are affecting their productivity.

So, if you’re looking for a solution for time tracking and management, here are a few industries that have major benefits from using a clock-in/clock-out apps, as well as time kiosk:

• Education,
• Healthcare,
• Retail,
• Construction, and
• Restaurants.

Why should a clock-in and clock-out app be your first choice?

Most time clock systems do the work you set them up to do in the first place. 

But, a clock-in and clock-out app is specifically designed to: 

• Streamline your company’s payroll process, and 
• Reduce the time and effort employees invest in tracking their work hours. 

Apart from that, a great clock-in and clock-out app can help you:

• Eliminate errors when calculating employees’ work hours,
• Manage employee attendance while wasting minimum time, and
• Gain valuable productivity insights.

The list of 10 best clock-in and clock-out apps

Streamlining attendance-related processes is fairly easy once you’ve figured out which clock-in clock-out app suits your business needs. 

But, you might be unsure of what to look for in an app when making your decision, so you’re still far away from having everything figured out. 

This is why we did the research for you, put many apps under scrutiny, made our top 10 picks, and listed everything you need to know about them before choosing your favorite. 

Still, you might be wondering how these 10 tools qualified for our list. Well, we made our selection based on a variety of factors, such as:

• Quick implementation process,
• Ease of use,
• Additional time management features (scheduling, reporting, time clock kiosk), and
• Multi-platform availability (desktop, mobile, and web version).

1. Clockify — best clock-in and clock-out app overall

Clockify is a free time clock app used by businesses of all sizes all across the globe.

The app itself is designed to track time and improve productivity with the help of many handy features, such as a time clock kiosk. 

The time clock feature in Clockify helps teams of all sizes conquer piles of paperwork while not giving up on keeping accurate attendance records.

Why use Clockify for clocking in and out?

Apart from allowing users to clock in by using any device they find convenient (mobile phone or tablet), Clockify’s time clock is great for:

• Tracking employee attendance,
• Calculating billable hours,
• Tracking breaks and time off, and more. 

Clockify’s intuitive and simple-to-use interface enables its users to quickly set up their time clock kiosk — regardless of whether they’d like to clock in or out from a shared device, or they’d wish to record their attendance from a personal device. 

After they’ve integrated their new clock-in system into their company’s workflow, administrators can see who’s available but also assign work and export timesheets for payroll. 

How to clock in and clock out in Clockify?

After you’ve created an account and invited your team members, tracking time becomes just a matter of seconds.

Your team can either access Clockify from their mobile devices or via a web browser and use the timer to clock in. 

On top of the timer, Clockify comes with an even more convenient option — a free time clock kiosk that your team can use to clock in and clock out with their personal PIN.

The first thing you need to do is name your kiosk, add your team members, and set a PIN they can use to clock in whenever they start working. 

This way, everyone will be able to mark the beginning of their shift either from their own device or a device you’ve placed at the entrance for the onsite workers. 

Next, as soon as an employee clocks in, you’ll be able to notice a green dot next to their name on the kiosk list. 

Then, a time clock kiosk also allows your employees to announce their break time and clock out as soon as they reach the end of their workday. 

These options enable you to track employees’ break time, schedule work, plan projects, and assign tasks more accurately — since you have all the necessary data within reach. 

Clockify’s highlight feature

Managers and workspace administrators can use the collected clock-in and clock-out data from all the members and analyze them through Clockify’s Report feature. Then, when it’s time to see everyone’s billable time, they can export data and download reports in PDF, CSV and Excel.

2. Connecteam — the best one-touch clock-in app

If you’re looking for versatility within your clock-in app, such as a proprietary time kiosk feature — Connecteam could be the way to go.

Aside from its time tracking capabilities, Connecteam helps you:

• Perform task management operations,
• Create forms and checklists, and
• Schedule operations.

Why use Connecteam for clocking in and out?

After testing it, it seems rather obvious that Connecteam has one of the most advanced GPS tracking systems out there. Setting up the app on tablets or PCs onsite allows the employees to log in and clock in via one-touch (one click), while letting the administrators know they’re onsite.

Furthermore, employees can opt out between clocking in from their personal devices — iOS and Android — or they can use the Connecteam’s kiosk feature.

How to clock in and out in Connecteam?

Luckily for employees, most “main” operations are controlled by workspace admins, which makes clocking in and out extremely easy.

Firstly, your manager will have to create a workspace with all the necessary details, such as:

• Jobs,
• Tasks,
• Invitees, and
• Roles.

Then, you’ll access the company app via email invite — after you’ve downloaded the app — and go to the main screen. At the top of the home screen, you’ll see a quick-action button named ‘Time Clock.’

Within the option, click ‘Start Shift’, and the process is practically complete. The app will let you make adjustments to your shift, such as taking breaks or switching assignments, but everything is performed automatically.

Connecteam’s highlight feature

The one thing that’s not talked about enough is Connecteam’s digital geofence technology. By itself, it’s not revolutionary, but the precision with which it operates on a daily basis surpasses any other app we’ve seen.

This feature allows you to limit the area around your workspace or building, so that in order to clock in or out, the employees have to be inside the area, kind of like Battle Royale games.

3. Buddy Punch — the best for security

When it comes to added features and functionality, Buddy Punch has got you covered with its versatile software. 

It’s a solid all-around app that offers absolute security when it comes to clocking in, but most importantly, it offers peace of mind.

Why use Buddy Punch for clocking in and out?

The abundance of features that Buddy Punch possesses would be the main reason why you should get it. Clocking in with Buddy Punch lets you:

• Track projects for all onsite users, and
• Finish your assignments with absolute security.

Even though your workspace is secure with GPS tracking and geofencing, Buddy Punch offers administrative personnel the ability to use IP Address Locking. 

Simply put, the IP address you set as the manager will be the default one, and anyone that tries to access the workspace from a different IP location using the universal PIN will not be permitted to do so. 

Additionally, the accuracy of your timesheets will be more complete since you’ll have the exact time entries from all your employees. 

Furthermore, to use Buddy Punch as a terminal or kiosk you’ll want to decide how you’d like your employees to punch in and out. They can either use their username and password, or they can use a QR Code.

All in all, if your workspace is in a public area, and you’re worried about security breaches, or you simply want to be cautious — Buddy Punch is probably the way to go.

How to clock in and clock out in Buddy Punch?

The design itself is quite similar to other popular time trackers. If you’ve used one of them, you’ll surely work your way around this one as well.

If your job requires you to work from home or an occasional trip to the office, you’ll most likely clock in and out from your personal device — phone, tablet, or computer. The invite is regulated through work email, and you’ll be able to clock in from the home screen.

Once you log in, you’ll see the options for time entries and timesheets on the main screen and go from there.

If, however, you’re an onsite employee, you’ll enter the universal PIN code that all workspace employees are given, pass through a couple of security checks to verify that it’s really you, and simply click the “Clock in” button on your profile.

Buddy Punch’s highlight feature

Aside from using PIN codes and IP addresses, Buddy Punch software increases its security protocols by incorporating facial recognition and “Photos on Punch.” If, for some reason, the facial recognition software won’t recognize you, you can take a photo on site for an additional layer of protection.

4. TimeCamp — the best set of integrations

TimeCamp is a time clock tool that helps managers remain up-to-date with their team’s performance. 

The app allows users to see what exactly their team members are working on, track overtime, create custom reports, and more. 

Why use TimeCamp for clocking in and out?

TimeCamp offers its users automated clocking in and out but with a little help from a time tracker. The time tracker keeps an eye on computer activity and switches to idle as soon as the activity stops. 

This time clock app also comes with a GPS tracking feature, real-time reports, and automatic reminders to clock in and clock out. 

However, keep in mind that TimeCamp doesn’t offer a time clock kiosk solution — so in case you decide to go with this time clock app, your team will need to log in to the platform and manually start and stop the timer whenever they want to clock in and clock out. 

How to clock in and clock out in TimeCamp?

As soon as you’ve created an account and added your team members, they can begin clocking in and out using the timer option from the Timesheet view.

Whenever they’re about to begin their workday, employees can select the task or a project they’re working on and start the timer.

But, in case employees wish to go on a break, they’ll need to stop the timer and start it all over again when their break is over. Another option is to create a new project named ‘Break’ that they can select and start the timer. 

The same goes for clocking out. Employees are supposed to stop the timer when the workday’s over, and the system will automatically create records of the time they clocked out.

TimeCamp’s highlight feature 

Clocking in and out is much easier with ‘Attendance tracking’ — track your attendance by marking days as:

• Working day,
• Remote work,
• Vacation, 
• Sick leave and more. 

There’s no need to contact your superiors individually and bombard them with messages, simply put in the request in your time clock app, and the supervisor will get the request.

You can also add notes for additional context.

5. Zenefits — the best HR/time tracking software

If you’re looking for an app that can handle more operations at once, aside from clocking in, you should give Zenefits a try.

Although mainly designed as an HR app, Zenefits comes with an array of handy features — including scheduling, attendance tracking, and reporting. 

Zenefits also offers location tracking and a payroll administration option. 

Why use Zenefits for clocking in and out?

Zenefits helps capture employees’ clocking in and out in real-time, giving its users full visibility of the way they spend their time. 

Since this time clock app gives you a detailed overview of your team members’ work hours, it also makes customizing shifts and scheduling work much easier. 

There’s also an option to download and customize the time and attendance reports. 

How to clock in and clock out in Zenefits?

Before your employees begin clocking in and out, it’s necessary to choose and set up the time reporting option that your company will use.

Even though Zenefits doesn’t have a standard time kiosk feature, it offers two options: 

• Clocking in and out in real-time, and 
• Self-reporting. 

While self-reporting requires manually entering all the hours they’ve worked before payday, the clock in/out option records the exact moment an employee starts or finishes their shift.

If you’ve decided to set up the clock in/out option, you can either invite your team to use this option on the website, or through the mobile app.

Whichever choice employees make, they’re simply supposed to tap or click the ‘Clock in option’ to mark the beginning of their shift, and select ‘Clock out’ when their workday reaches an end.

If an employee wants to go on a break, they’re supposed to click the ‘Meal Break’ option and clock back in when their break’s over. 

Zenefits also gives employees the option to view the history of all their time records. 

Zenefits’ highlight feature

Zenefits’ ‘Time & Attendance’ can track issues, such as missing clock in or clock out times or taking longer meal breaks than determined by the administrator. By activating this feature, all employees can rest assured at the end of their shift knowing they’ve clocked in and out accordingly.

6. Time Clock Wizard — best for scheduling

With over 300+ million hours tracked, Time Clock Wizard is one of the best apps out there for both shift management and clocking in and out.

Time Clock Wizard is a time clock software that lets you:

• Get accurate employee attendance insights, 
• Streamline payroll processes, and 
• Track time spent on tasks. 

It also comes with a handy photo capture feature that helps in establishing a speedy clock-in process.  

Why use Time Clock Wizard for clocking in and out?

Time Clock Wizard helps you streamline your clock-in process by letting your employees clock in from their own devices in multiple locations. Even though it doesn’t have a time kiosk feature, you can still log in the dashboard and track your time with the rest of your team as a remote worker.

When it comes to onsite workers, the time clock app allows its users to enable location restrictions and establish different clock points, all of which is managed by the administrators.

How to clock in and clock out in Time Clock Wizard?

First, start by inviting your employees to the Time Clock Wizard app. 

After everyone has set up their accounts, you can assign your team members a clock-in location in case they’re working on-site, and set up the photo capture feature for identification. Remote workers use a shared workspace from where everyone clocks in, but it’s up to the workplace admin to determine whether the photo capture feature is required.

As soon as you’ve selected the mandatory options for clocking in, employees can begin using the time clock app. 

Similar to its competitors, Time Clock Wizard gives its users the option to clock in or out via the website or the mobile app. 

Whenever they’re about to start their workday, employees should click the ‘Clock in’ option. 

As soon as they’re ready for a break, they’re supposed to click the ‘Start a break’ option button, and ‘Clock out’ at the end of their workday. 

Time Clock Wizard’s highlight feature

Workspace administrators can activate the Alarm function to set notifications and customizable mobile alerts to all workspace members, in case they forgot to input their hours or clock in. Therefore, employees can focus on the work and not worry about clocking in and clocking out.

7. Homebase — best for team communication and team tracking in one

Homebase is one of the rare clock-in and clock-out apps that offers team collaboration and communications features within its workspace platform.

Homebase is a time clock tool that comes with plenty of features for:

• Clocking in and out,
• Automating employee scheduling, 
• Time tracking, and
• Team communication.

The app also lets its users track labor costs based on their timesheets and comes with a proprietary time kiosk feature that makes clocking in and out much easier. 

Why use Homebase for clocking in and out?

Apart from increasing the company-wide transparency, the time clock option that Homebase brings to the table also helps with simplifying the calculation of hours worked.

Also, since the app is mainly designed for shift-based schedules, it might be a bit time-consuming and hard to navigate if your company operates on a flexible schedule. 

How to clock in and clock out in Homebase?

Before you decide to invite your employees to use Homebase, make sure that you’ve allowed them to clock in/out from their preferred devices — PC, mobiles, and/or tablets. 

After they finish the registration process, employees will receive unique PIN codes that they’ll need for clocking in. 

The same goes for taking a break or clocking out. 

Every time an employee wants to change their availability status, they’ll need to enter their PIN code in the time clock app. 

Homebase’s highlight feature

Most time trackers, including some of the best ones, don’t offer options to both track time and communicate with team members on one shared platform. Any issues that might arise while clocking in can be solved immediately — just text your admin and you’ll be good to go.

8. Quickbooks — best for managing payroll

Get valuable insights, control payroll, and track attendance with the all-in-one Quickbooks Time app.

Even though Quickbooks is primarily an accounting software, it provides all the necessary features for keeping records of employees’ work hours — such as a time clock kiosk, a payroll app, and more.   

Why use Quickbooks for clocking in and out?

Quickbooks comes with a time kiosk that completely replaces old-fashioned punch cards. This time clock system can be used on different devices(tablets and PCs), allowing you to tailor it according to your business’ needs. 

Quickbooks is also easily integrated with a payroll app. So, as soon as an employee clocks in/out, they’ll be able to submit their timesheets — and the data will immediately show up in your preferred accounting software.

How to clock in and clock out in Quickbooks?

After you’ve created an account and invited your team, you can begin by installing the Quickbooks kiosk. 

You can choose your clock-in kiosk name, select whether you want employees to clock in or out using a photo (not necessary), and add everyone to the kiosk. 

Then, you’re supposed to set up PIN codes for each employee to enable them to use the time clock system. 

Once everything’s set up, employees can clock in to mark the beginning of their shift by using their assigned PIN codes and tapping the ‘Clock in’ option.

Whenever they’d wish to take a break, employees need to sign in to the kiosk once again and tap the ‘Take a break’ option. 

Clocking out is similar to clocking in — employees should use their PIN code to access the kiosk and click on the ‘Clock out’ option to wrap up the day. 

Quickbooks’ highlight feature

Aside from precise time tracking, Quickbooks allows users to track time without having a stable internet connection, or one at all for that matter. This way, all of kiosk tracked time from PCs and tablets will be stored, even if you suffer power or internet outages in a day.

9. Deputy — best for managing shift rotations

If your business employs people from around the world, you’ll surely benefit from using the best clock-in app for managing shift rotations, Deputy.

Deputy is a time clock app that comes with a set of time tracking and scheduling features specifically aimed at helping its users achieve maximum efficiency. 

The tool also includes timesheet bulk approval and a speedy report export.

Why use Deputy for clocking in and out?

Coming with a wide array of features that help its users boost efficiency and accountability, Deputy offers a time clock kiosk for keeping track of employees’ workdays.  

Since the kiosk app can be used on multiple devices — computers, mobile devices, and tablets — it contributes to speeding up the process of clocking in and out. 

How to clock in and clock out in Deputy?

As soon as you’ve finished creating your account, you can either: 

• Generate a link and send it off to your employees, or 
• Invite them one by one to join you.

After your team has successfully registered, they can begin clocking in and out in the time clock kiosk either using an on-site device or their own mobile devices. To clock in and out, they’ll have to enter the kiosk PIN code or use facial recognition.

Whenever an employee arrives at a location or their workday’s about to start, they are supposed to click ‘Start shift’, and the app will automatically keep a record of the time stamp. 

This way, the Dashboard will instantly give managers a clear picture of employee attendance, and help them adjust the schedule if necessary.

When the time for a break comes, employees are supposed to repeat the same process as with clocking in — they should tap or click ‘Start break’ and the timer will start off. 

When it comes to clocking out, the employees are supposed to click the ‘End shift’ option, and their managers will be able to see that they’re done for the day. 

Deputy’s highlight feature

Deputy’s time clock software lets users control scheduling in a way that allows for shift swapping, as well as last minute changes. 

Moreover, the GPS software improves this functionality by letting the administrator know who can cover the shift at what time by knowing where every employee is during the shift.

10. Hubstaff — best for large teams

If you’re in charge of a large team and you need a powerful clock-in app with handy features, Hubstaff could be the way to go.

A time clock tool that promises a variety of features, Hubstaff helps its users be in control of their time, stay on top of employee attendance, quickly clock in and clock out, and more. 

Why use Hubstaff for clocking in and out?

Similar to its competitors, Hubstaff offers an easy-to-use clock-in system that helps reduce the amount of time employees spend checking in. 

This time clock app also gives its users the ability to choose whether they want to: 

• Automatically clock in or out based on their location, or 
• Clock in or out on their own terms by starting the timer as soon as their workday begins.

How to clock in and clock out in Hubstaff?

After you’ve registered and sent invites to your team members, your team can start using Hubstaff to clock in and clock out in two ways, by: 

• Using a timer, or 
• Simply showing up at a job site, and they’ll automatically clock in. 

Your team members can start the timer and select a task they’re working on as soon as they begin their workday. This way, the timer will automatically start off. When they’re ready to call it a day, employees should simply stop the timer. 

In case you’d like to automate the process of clocking in and out, you can set up geofencing in Hubstaff. However, this option is mainly designed for onsite workers, so it might not be the best solution for work-from-home teams.

This way, as soon as an employee arrives at the job site, the timer will automatically set off by recognizing your location, either from your personal device or from an onsite device, such as a tablet. The same goes for their departure — whenever an employee leaves the designated location, the timer will stop running.

Hubstaff’s highlight feature

Hubstaff keeps employees worry free by incorporating an automatic clock-in process. If you allow the app to track your location and the administrator has set up a geofence grid, your clock will automatically start running the moment you enter the location.

Conclusion: The best clock-in and clock-out app is on you

Many believe that time tracking is not crucial simply due to the mantra — As long as the work is done.

Well, you’ve seen the apps, and you be the judge. Many businesses have seen both productivity and profit increase by investing in clock-in and clock-out apps, simply due to simplicity and increased organization levels they provide.

Try it for yourself and you’ll see the effects right away.

Did you ever use any of the clock-in and clock-out apps from our list? Let us know at blogfeedback@clockify.me and we might include your thoughts in this one or one of our future articles. Also, share this post with someone that needs a good time management system.

Will too many cooks spoil the soup?

Not if you ask the professionals from Ideamotive — your go-to place if you want to find the best possible tech talent within 24 hours. 

But how do they do that? Do they excel at time management?

To find the answer to this and many other questions, we’ve reached out to Ideamotive’s COO, Kamil Osiecki. 

Turns out, their extraordinary abilities did not just appear out of thin air — they are the result of a carefully thought out time management strategy, strong remote culture, and a bit of time tracking. 

Let’s find out what we can all learn about becoming as efficient as possible (even in a remote setting), by taking a look at the behind-the-scenes of this remote-first company.

What does Ideamotive do?

Whether you’re in search of an IT expert who can build your product from scratch, or you’d like to join a network of like-minded tech professionals who can help you secure your next gig, Ideamotive is your place to go.

By blending the best recruiting practices with their own background in managing a dev shop, the people behind Ideamotive came up with a unique proposition that they offer today: 

“We switched from being a classical [recruiting] agency and a classical dev shop to being a consultancy, to being kind of like a marketplace, where we, first of all, help our customers to understand what they need and what technology is best for them. 

We have this technical background that can help you out with propositions of which kind of talent to pick — we match and test developers before we present them to our customers.”

So, by taking the best out of two worlds, Ideamotive team perfected their own workflow enough to be able to offer the best possible solutions for both companies of all sizes and IT experts from all around the world. 

The balancing act of managing two remote teams

Although the experts from Ideamotive always provide the fastest possible solution to their clients, to be able to hit the mark every time, they needed to welcome the best possible people on board. 

But, in line with the nature of their business, the workshare in Ideamotive had to be equally distributed between two separate teams: 

“The first one is the Delivery team — basically, they are the talent that we provide to our customers. 

We also have a second chunk, which is a Business team that includes: 

• Operations, 
• Sales, 
• Marketing, 
• Financial, 
• Legal, etc.”

Still, things weren’t always business as usual — Ideamotive also had to adjust to the newly developed conditions of operating remotely:

“That was a bigger challenge for us — to move from being in a physical place together towards being a fully remote team. So, we had to introduce some practices — and it was a very nice management challenge for us because it was a new thing to do.”

Although the Delivery team mainly consists of programmers who used to work remotely for years, Ideamotive’s Business team needed to adapt to a new remote work reality enough to achieve maximum results — no matter where their desks were.

Ideamotive’s strategies for achieving maximum efficiency in a remote team 

According to Kamil, switching to a remote setting after years of working on-site seemed like a dream come true at first. With fewer distractions and longer hours of sleep, they were all happy to jump on the bandwagon of working from home. 

But, soon enough, making sure they’re on the same page with their miles away team members, all while retaining the same productivity levels and sneaking in more free time started to require a great deal of work. 

Still, that doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to overcome the challenges of working remotely.

Ideamotive team is the living proof that it is possible to achieve maximum productivity, while still bringing out the best in your team, regardless of your work setting. 

Since Kamil let us take a sneak peek into Ideamotive’s day-to-day remote operations, we are now able to present you with four practical strategies you can use to maximize your remote team’s efficiency like an expert. 

Strategy #1: Do your best to help remote teammates not feel lonely

It’s not a secret that remote work brings joy to millions of people, especially after they’ve waved goodbye to commuting. 

But, if we look at the saying that distance makes the heart grow fonder, it stands to reason that a lot of remote workers might feel like they are not getting what they bargained for. With their team members not being at arm’s length anymore, loneliness may quickly start to kick in: 

“When you are all together in one office, you have this kind of feeling of collaborating with people. Once you get outside of the office to have a home office, you basically mostly stay in the same place you live and you have this feeling of being alone.”

So, aware of the dangers that go hand in hand with leading a dispersed team, the management at Ideamotive decided to nurture a particular mindset to retain the connection within the team: 

“We decided to take a step back and think about people, not processes. We had this thinking process about what our values are, and the very first thing that we figured out is that we are all entrepreneurs in our company. Each and every one of us, even at the lowest level of organizational structure, is a master responsible for our field. Because of that, nobody feels like they’re alone. They’re responsible for something, adding to the company. And they know that there are other people to help them if necessary.”

Strategy #2: Establish the best times to connect

Just as we’ve welcomed the peace and quiet of working from home, the noise lurking from all our devices started to interfere with everyone’s productivity. 

Although keeping in touch with your remote team is a great way to remain connected, we couldn’t help but wonder — how much of a connection is too much?

If you’re troubled by the same question, you’ll be glad to find out that it’s possible to quiet the distracting “noise” while still keeping in touch with your team. 

The easy fix is called the best time to connect — and Kamil let us in on the details of how this strategy works: 

“When we have customers from the US, there is a seven-hour [time] difference. So, obviously, there is an overlap. This is where we say “Okay, this developer is available for three hours.” It is very important to establish [this rule] at the very beginning of corporate cooperation, because the worst thing that can happen is that a programmer is in the zone and someone pings him. That’s the most frustrating thing and it kills productivity.”

Since this strategy works like a charm for Ideamotive’s Delivery team, they decided to try out a similar thing with their Business team:  

“We use a team chat app only for purposes of having something urgent, or for an E-coffee where you can just hang out with someone and chat about non-business-related matters.

And don’t really use phones. It’s not like I will call my team and say “Okay, where are you?“ We don’t do that, it’s very disruptive. We call someone if it’s really necessary — and it happens very rarely.”

So, instead of disrupting someone’s focus whenever a new idea pops up, they try to make a note of it and use communication tools only for urgent matters.

Strategy #3: Cultivate a feedback culture

Being able to give and receive open and honest feedback is a skill that never goes out of style, regardless of the work setting. 

But, when working in a remote team, feedback becomes twice as important since it can significantly improve everyone’s performance and keep the team morale high. 

With that in mind, the management at Ideamotive decided to place a high emphasis on feedback and encourage honest talk from the very start:

“I know that feedback is a buzzword, everybody gives and receives feedback, but we introduced that in a different manner. Even in the recruitment process, at the very last stage, when there is the CEO of our company, after two hours of the interview we ask [candidates]: Okay, give us feedback.” 

Still, the process doesn’t end there, and the open talk atmosphere remains as important even after the candidate gets the job:

“Very often, we have these emotional discussions online in front of the whole team. We do that because [saying] only nice words would not work. 

So, we cultivate this feedback culture in a really cruel meaning. I can say to my CEO that he made a big mistake and I can tell him that in front of the people. I want to tell him in front of them because I want to encourage my people to tell me those kinds of things.”

Since open and transparent communication is key to strong company culture, by providing their team with opportunities to freely express their opinions, the management at Ideamotive builds a trustworthy work environment where everyone’s viewpoint is equally valued.  

Strategy #4: Don’t forget about the work-life balance

With all the perks of working remotely come the challenges of switching off and giving yourself the benefit of a break. 

Familiar with the long-term negative effects of an imbalanced work schedule, Kamil shared his view on this issue: 

“There will always be too much work. You can’t do everything, there will always be something to do. If you have this entrepreneurial mindset, you will find new tasks, and this is a big threat for the whole team — it can lead to burnout and a drop in motivation.”

So, to help their team members be in control of both their workdays and private lives, everyone in Ideamotive tries to focus on the outcome: 

“I don’t really care whether someone starts at 10 a.m. or 6 a.m. as long as she or he is delivering. Sometimes, I can only work seven hours a day, and sometimes I need to work 11 hours a day. So it’s all my decision, as long as I’m delivering results.” 

In the meantime, while trying to reach that end goal, employees are encouraged to take a break whenever they feel necessary:

“The only thing that we appreciate and cultivate is clear communication. If I want to go for a jog, I’ll just write ‘For about one hour, I will be running.’ And that’s largely fine for our team — everyone will just give you the motivation to beat your record. And, when you’re back, you say ‘I’m back’ — and just get back to work.”

Although it is possible to get carried away and continue to work long into the night — simply because there’s too much to be done — the awareness that the final outcome trumps the number of hours can be a great motivator to avoid working long hours in the long run. 

How important is time management for Ideamotive?

Whether you are trying to hire in the IT industry or you’re simply looking for the best possible tech solution for your product, chances are, you’ll have to act pretty fast. 

With the global tech market predicted to grow more than 6% in 2022 — while the tech talent shortage continues to increase — remaining ahead of the curve in the IT industry became heavily dependent on a team’s ability to manage their time.

Naturally, we wanted to hear everything people from Ideamotive had to say about this issue:

“Tech business is super agile and super quick — if you sleep on something, it’s lost. So, there are plenty of things going on both on the talent side, but also the customer side.”

So, in order not to miss any arising opportunities, experts from Ideamotive try to act as swiftly as possible:

“If a developer is very good, he or she is usually getting ten or fifteen offers every week. So, if you’re not quick enough, if you overlook something, you will lose in this market.”

But, being able to act on opportunities rapidly does not always come as easy — and this is where handy tools come into the picture: 

“When a customer needs instant help, we have a couple of hours to react. This is very immersive, addictive, and difficult to manage on time — because of the work-life balance — but there are tools that help you out — for instance, Clockify. This is very important for us and it’s the essence of our business.”

With tools specifically designed to improve team time management and provide a detailed visual overview of the hours each team member puts into a task, companies can more easily stay on top of their game — even in a quickly evolving industry. 

Why is time tracking in Clockify vital for Ideamotive?

Since Kamil has pointed out that Clockify is essential for Ideamotive’s day-to-day operations, we wanted to find out about the transformations that Clockify has brought into their workflow — as well as the reasons behind their decision to track time.

How did Ideamotive find out about Clockify?

Dealing with time-sensitive issues on a daily basis while leading two remote teams usually means that nothing can be left to chance. 

Knowing how much experts from Ideamotive value their time, we first wanted to hear how they discovered Clockify and what led them to choose this time tracking app. 

“We first heard about Clockify from the Internet — many companies recommended it as an easy way to track billable hours. We did some research on the app and found that it was very user-friendly and had a lot of great features, such as the ability to create reports, track time spent on projects, and invoice clients. We decided to give it a try and have been very pleased with the results. 

Clockify has helped us be more productive and efficient in our work, and we would recommend it to any business owner or employee looking for a time tracking app.”

As soon as they started using Clockify, they noticed how it perfectly fits their workflow:

“A very important thing for our business is logging hours. The whole business stands on it because we are very transparent and the talents log hours to get remuneration for that. 

But, the same tool gives information to our clients, because our customers can see how many hours are being logged on the developer side — and they have a straightforward calculation there as well.”

So, instead of guessing where their time went — or manually calculating the hours they’ve put in — Ideamotive decided to maximize their transparency and ensure that both their Delivery side and the Customer side operate like clockwork.

Why does Ideamotive use Clockify?

As it turns out, Clockify quickly became the core of Ideamotive’s business precisely because it gave them a clear overview of everybody’s time:  

“If we don’t have this oversight and don’t have this transparency, we cannot operate. We cannot calculate our forecasts, we cannot see what our financial results are, and we cannot assess whether a developer is above or below the budget. We cannot assess if we cannot give transparency to our clients — because they can’t see those hours logged.

And, obviously, a tool that tracks hours, which is reliable, which is easy to use, which has API and stuff like that… [It means] we can connect to our different warehouses and automations.”

Due to its ease of use, people from Ideamotive got used to logging their hours in Clockify, and now see it as a staple part of their workday: 

“Clockify is vital, in essence, [because] it’s very reliable and straightforward. What we need is a robust tool that has many plugins, is easy to use, and has great UX in which we can tag and see different people on different projects. 

And this is what Clockify delivers, for sure. Without that, we would be blind and deaf and we could not operate. It would be like without hands for us. So it’s very important.”

How did Clockify change Ideamotive’s workflow?

Since transparency is key to Ideamotive’s workflow, we were eager to find out whether Clockify had any impact in increasing the visibility of their operations.

Turns out, Clockify has brought about instant change from the very start: 

“There are a few changes that I’ve noticed since I started using Clockify. The first, and most notable, is the improvement in my overall work/life balance. Before I started using Clockify, I tracked my time manually — which was very time-consuming and inaccurate. 

With Clockify’s timer feature, it’s easy to track how much time I’m spending on each task, so I can be more conscious of where my time is going. 

Additionally, the reporting feature has made it easy for me to see where I’m spending the most time, so I can adjust my workflow accordingly. Overall, using Clockify has helped me to be more productive and efficient with my time.”

After using Clockify for a while, Kamil noticed several improvements in his communication with clients: 

“Since Clockify allows me to share detailed reports with clients, they can see exactly how much time I’ve spent on their projects — which makes it easier for them to understand my billing. Additionally, the ability to add comments to each task entry has made it easy for me to keep clients updated on my progress without having to send a separate email or report. This has resulted in fewer questions and a better understanding of my work on their behalf.”

How does Ideamotive use Clockify?

Being mindful of your time does not always come naturally if you don’t have enough data to back you up. Since Clockify enables teams of all sizes to see where exactly their time goes, we wanted to hear everything Kamil had to say about the way they use our time tracking app. 

“Basically, in the Delivery team, talents need to log their hours on a daily basis — but this depends on our customers’ needs. Some customers don’t need the hours logged, so talents just log 8 hours. But, there are small startups that are very agile or need to optimize their costs — so they need [more] detail. This is what the Delivery team knows, and they act accordingly.”

Ideamotive’s day-to-day operations heavily depend on a system that gives them enough transparency of the time and effort the Delivery team has put into each task. Because of that, they have decided to test Clockify further out and see how it fits into other aspects of their business: 

“Sometimes, on the Marketing side, we like to log [time] to see the effort that has been put and compare that to those results. So, sometimes, we use it as an ROI or just to compare AB testing and something like that in the Business team. But, it’s not for transparency — this is for analysis purposes.”

Since Clockify provides a detailed overview of everyone’s progress, obtaining an accurate analysis is a matter of seconds. 

Should you track time when working remotely?

Although remote work comes with a fair share of drawbacks — such as issues caused by physical distance and the lack of transparency — time tracking is there to bridge the connection gap. 

Whether you’re part of a remote team or you work as a freelancer, tracking your work hours can help you improve your productivity levels and build trust more easily in a remote setting.

Let’s see what people from Ideamotive had to say about staying on top of everyone’s tasks while still saving enough time for more burning issues. 

Every second matters when you work remotely

If there’s anything we’ve learned from Ideamotive, it’s that every second matters. But, they’re also aware that our productivity levels tend to decrease when every little thing we need to do to improve a remote team’s transparency has to be done by hand. That’s why they prioritize automation:

“We know that time is limited, so we rather manage tools instead of time — and, to do so, we optimize and automate things. If something is repeatable, we automate it first thing in the morning. Even though we need to report, have oversight and transparent information about something, we automate that so it creates itself.”

Luckily, time tracking is one of those activities that does not require conscious effort if done the right way. 

Final thoughts: Remote work makes the dream work if you mind your time

Taking a glimpse into Ideamotive’s workflow has shown that working in a remote setting is more than just a long stretch of trial and error. 

This IT company has managed to perfect their remote system enough to ensure their teams are as efficient as possible — but without neglecting the importance of the right work-life balance.

Still, to go past the troubles that come with the lack of team interaction, experts from Ideamotive realized they had to take good care of their time. 

So, if you ever have your concerns about how to make remote work really work, you can never go wrong with paying attention to how you spend your time. 

Although knowing how many hours it takes to respond to all the emails might not fix every little issue that remote work throws at you, it will bring you clarity, transparency, and trust — and that’s just as good.

Are you and your team operating remotely? Do you have any tips and tricks for making the most of your remote collaboration? Let us know at blogfeedback@clockify.me for a chance to be featured in this one or one of our future articles.

It does sound like a dream come true, but there must be a catch. You can’t possibly accomplish the same amount of things and grow your business if you don’t work around the clock. 

Or can you?

Well, Alex Beadon, a launch strategist, is living proof that it can be done. She has helped a great number of entrepreneurs achieve their six-figure launches, all while managing her own expanding team and maintaining a healthy work-life balance. 

But how did she manage to do it and what does time tracking in Clockify have to do with putting a practice of being ‘always-on’ to a stop? 

Stay put and read on, because we’ve reached out to our biz bestie — Alex Beadon herself, to find out how she does it all — from time tracking and work-life balance, to launch strategies and so much more. 

What does a launch strategist do?

Whether you own a small business, manage a large enterprise, work as a graphic designer or software developer, you have probably, in one way or another, participated in launching a product. 

From developing a product from scratch, researching the market, and testing it out for further improvements, a product launch involves all hands on deck even before the actual launching takes place. 

But, how does a launch strategist fit in here?

It’s quite simple, actually. 

A launch strategist is there to give a business a helping hand in devising, implementing, and starting off a successful and profitable launch — and this is precisely Alex Beadon’s zone of expertise. 

What can we learn about work-life balance from a launch strategist?

Being both the creator of Together We Launch, a 6-month program designed to take course creators and membership site owners through their first six-figure launch, and a leader to her team of seven, Alex has gained first-hand experience of how different businesses operate and perfected her own workflow accordingly. 

So, instead of prioritizing the ‘hustle harder’ mentality, Alex and her team now reap the rewards of both a four-day workweek and multiple six-figure launches. 

Naturally, we wanted to hear everything Alex had to say about focusing on your wellbeing while still remaining productive, so we present you with four main takeaways of our talk on striking that perfect work-life balance.

Learn when to disconnect

We have all, at least once, felt the terror of having to wake up early after working late into the night to finish yesterday’s project. Still, despite the dread and exhaustion, we’ve learned to keep our chin up and try to revive our already low motivation at all costs. But, is this the right path to take or a straight way to burnout? 

Alex claims it’s only natural to feel unmotivated:

“I think that it’s very common and normal for people to lack motivation, I don’t think that’s necessarily something that you need to push through.”

So, instead of feeling guilty for not having enough energy to be as productive as usual, she proposes paying close attention to what this lack of motivation might be trying to tell us:

“Whenever I have that lack of motivation, normally it’s an indicator of burnout. For someone else, that’s going to be an indicator of something different. What I recommend is trying to be a detective and figure out where the lack of motivation is coming from, and is it something that you should push through or not.”

Sometimes, these little signals are nothing else but alarms to hit a pause button: 

“Whenever I’m in that space of feeling overworked, I tend to give myself permission to do things that I wouldn’t normally do. Maybe sleep in a little bit more instead of waking up super early.

I try to give myself a little bit of breathing room to slow down.”

Have a disconnecting plan

Finishing your workday should not be so difficult. You just need to turn off your laptop and change your surroundings. But, if our notorious 24/7 work culture has taught us anything, it’s that unplugging your mind isn’t as easy as signing out of your computer. 

So we wanted to hear from Alex and see if she had any tried and tested strategies that we can turn to whenever disconnecting seems beyond reach. Turns out that unplugging comes just as challenging for her too: 

“As a business owner, my brain is always working. It’s always coming up with ideas, even when I actively try to disconnect. I find that when I disconnect, that’s when I get my best ideas.”

Still, she found a way around the constant overthinking — the secret lies in storing fresh ideas on her phone and moving on with her day:

“That way, I know my idea is there, so that I can circle back to it later during the workweek, and I don’t have to actually work on it at that moment. But it is safely captured and stored, and this is an efficient way for me to capitalize on those ideas, instead of punishing myself to work during the weekend.”

The world will keep on moving even on our days off. Sometimes we might get an unexpected revolutionary idea, other times just an emergency call. But, figuring out how to respond to surprises makes all the difference between a relaxed day off and an entirely ruined weekend.

Put your heart and soul into building a perfect team

When you’re surrounded by the right people who are there to jump in, taking a step back comes more naturally. 

Alex has made a great effort toward gathering the right people who are now there to make sure every aspect of her business runs smoothly, even when she’s not around. This is what she did first:

“I highly recommend reading a book called “Make ‘Em Beg To Work For You” by doctor Angela E. Lauria. What I learned from that book is that it’s really important that you visualize who your ideal employee is, and that you understand that it’s a transaction. They need something in their lives, and you want something in your business — so it’s an exchange.”

After settling on an ideal candidate, evaluating the benefits that come with the job comes right next:

“The fact that we work from home brings so much joy to our employees. The four-day workweek and the fact that we are a small team — so you can immediately see the impact of your work — are also massive benefits that we offer.”

Naturally, the next step would be to market the job posting and attract the right people:

“With our job description page, I wanted people to feel the energy of the business from day one. And, I think we did a great job, we’ve attracted a wonderful team of people who are very good cultural fits — people who are willing to learn and take initiative.”

Encourage your team to track time

Bringing workaholism to an end would be near impossible without proper time management.

But how do you manage your team’s time and still prioritize their wellbeing if the workload remains the same but the time frame to tackle it becomes shorter? 

This is where time tracking comes into the picture:

“When you’re used to a five-day workweek you have so much time to work. But, when you take that 20% of the week away, you notice that it’s a big percent to lose. So, we’ve been making an effort to focus on how we are spending our time.”

So, when you are keeping a close eye on both where you’re spending the most of your time and all the potential time eaters, handling the workload becomes more achievable:     

“That’s one of the main ways we use Clockify — looking at where our time is going and what we can do to solve any problems or any areas where we’re spending too much time. It’s just so beneficial.”

How does time tracking in Clockify help Team Beadon?

Since Clockify is such a vital addition to Alex and her team’s work week, we were eager to hear more about the changes that time tracking has brought about to their workflow. 

We also probed into Team Beadon’s favorite Clockify features to discover their secret of staying on top of their tasks. 

How did Clockify change Team Beadon’s workflow?

Alex has gathered a team of experts from all around the world, which means that they work in different time zones and under different schedules. But, ensuring that a dispersed team remains connected and efficient often depends on everyone’s visibility, and this is where Clockify jumps in:

“Before we started tracking our time we had no visibility. But how can you be efficient if you have no visibility? Now we can very clearly see where our time is going, and it makes us feel more connected as a team. It also reminds everyone that where you spend your time every single week contributes to this.”

So now, instead of having to jump in a quick call and waste time in meetings to remain updated on her team’s progress, she can find all the information within seconds:

“I love being able to actually go and see what everyone is working on as we speak. It’s great to be able to go in right now and get a live overview of what everyone is working on.”

 With the increased visibility came the improvements to the team’s overall workflow: 

“Clockify has changed our workflow immensely. Because you don’t know where you’re spending your time until you actually have it written down somewhere. And then, every single week we look at where the entire team’s time went, and this is what brings us clarity.”

What Clockify features does Team Beadon find the most effective?

On one occasion, Alex has pointed out that time tracking in Clockify has enabled her team to stay on target while also providing them with a rewarding insight into how much time and attention they have devoted to the company.

Knowing that, we wanted to find out what particular features Team Beadon values the most.

Projects

Alex and her team got into a habit of regularly reviewing how they spend their time. This is why the option to filter projects turned out to be quite useful to them: 

“I love the fact that you have projects and you’re able to narrow them down even further. So, for example, I have a project called ‘Development, Collaboration and Press’. But, underneath that, there’s a special task called ‘Interviews’. So, at the end of the year I could go back and check how much time I spent doing interviews, for example. I think that’s such a cool feature.”

Calendar view

Another useful feature that Alex speaks highly of is Calendar view:  

“The ability to click through and see a calendar overview of how you spent your time is great. We only just discovered that and it’s so cool to be able to see week after week what your workflow is like.”

In the screenshot above, you can see how Clockify’s calendar view can give you a quick overview of your work patterns. This is precisely what helps Alex and her team organize their workload: 

“For me, a lot of times, I would work early in the morning, work later in the afternoon and have a big break in the middle. But just having visibility around that is helpful to understanding how you work.”

Reports

The feature that received the biggest round of applause from Alex and her team is Clockify’s time reporting system:

“I also really love the reports. Oh my god, it’s beautiful! To be able to see all the numbers, and everything is color-coded… You can see them and say: “Okay, this week we spent 21,8% of our time on content creation.” That’s really helpful to us as a team.”

What are the additional benefits of using a time tracker in a remote team?

When you’re a part of a remote team, keeping a close watch on projects’ development (with a little help of a time tracker) does wonders for your business, for sure. 

But the way Alex and her remote team perfected their workflow enough to complete the same amount of tasks even after reducing the number of hours worked… Well, it made us wonder about the additional benefits of tracking everything you do. 

Time tracker helps you eliminate wasted time

With time tracking come surprising numbers. Sometimes, people are simply shocked with the amount of time they spend completing a single task. Other times, they end up taken by surprise by their yearly work statistics. Alex, on the other hand, faced a different kind of a shock:

“I was shocked with the amount of time that I was wasting. I just wasn’t very efficient with my time. Looking at how much time I was wasting and spending on things that weren’t giving me a return on my investment, I think that was super shocking to me.”

But, eliminating the time you’re wasting on irrelevant and unprofitable tasks does not seem possible when you’re not aware that it’s even happening:

“Until you have that visibility, how can you really be efficient?”

So, instead of trying to memorize everything they have accomplished throughout the day, Alex and her team got into the habit of time tracking to reduce the number of time wasted as much as possible:

“It’s a really big, important part of our team culture that we use Clockify every single day, and that we have that visibility as a team of where our work hours are going.”

Time tracker helps you get your numbers straight

Regardless of your projects’ size and complexity, you are most likely putting a great effort into completing them. But, if you are not aware of your projects’ profitability, you are potentially contributing to a great deal of hours and resources wasted. 

As a business owner, Alex is highly aware of this issue too: 

“When you’re running a business, profitability is everything. Money is oxygen to your business. So, you need to make sure that you are spending your time in areas that are giving you a return on your investment.”

And this is where time tracking can set the records straight:

“If I hired a content creator who creates an Instagram post that gives us 5 clicks to our website, I cannot know what my return on investment is unless I know how much time she’s spending in content creation. Clockify allows us this ability, to get more detailed, and really look into where we’re wasting time and how we can be better.”

When you set an estimate on all your projects and tasks, you are able to keep track of all your expenses and evaluate whether the time and resources you have invested are equivalent to your profitability rates.  

Time tracker leads you to set realistic goals

Whenever she’s about to launch her product, Alex maps out three different types of goals:

• The good goal
• The better goal
• The best goal

Although the details might vary depending on the specific product she’s about to market, the gist usually remains the same. 

The good goal ensures a decent amount of profitability, the better goal is the middle ground, while the best goal brings the highest possible achievements with the already available resources. 

But, setting goals depends on the available data:

“When you’re trying to achieve any goal, you need to look at the real data and the analytics and say: ‘Okay, what can I learn from these numbers and how can I predict what I will be capable of moving forward?’”

A similar rule applies to everyday tasks — only after we get a close look at the information on how we’re spending our time are we able to set achievable goals. Alex points that out, too:

“I usually try to get a quick overview of how much of my time went into content creation, product development, administration, and managing my team. After looking at all of these different things, I set goals based on where I’m spending my time.”

How can data help you reach your goals?

Regardless of your preferred goal strategy, setting a target usually stems from a certain base of knowledge. If you already know that you need about 3 hours to compose an article outline, you set your daily target to match your estimated time. 

But we wouldn’t even be talking about different goal strategies if it was always that simple. Quite often, we aren’t even aware of how much time our daily repetitive tasks usually take, and this is where time tracking comes in handy.

As seen above, tracking your time in Clockify gives you a clear view of how you’re spending your day. Then, after you get into the habit of time tracking, you will be able to notice certain patterns. For example, you might see that replying to emails usually takes you around 30 minutes. 

This information is there to help you better organize your schedule and map out your goals according to the time you have available. 

Although no goal strategy is fool-proof, having enough information enables you to make better estimates and reach your target with the minimum failed attempts. 

Should you track your time as a solopreneur? 

If you ask Alex — definitely yes.

But you might be wondering, how would she even know that? Isn’t she working in a team?

Well, years back, Alex was a solopreneur, and the time she invested in developing her company was the only time that counted. This is precisely why every minute became even more precious:

“A lot of times people would think: ‘Oh, I don’t need to time track, I don’t have a team.’ 

Oh, you need to time track the most if you are a solopreneur, because your time matters the most. You don’t have that much time.”

Tracking time while operating as a team brings its merits, for sure. One of them is the increased transparency that ensures that every process runs smoothly. 

But when you are the sole person in charge of your company’s progress, it’s easy to slip into time wasting, or overexert yourself, because you lack the data needed for a wake-up call. It’s crucial for the future of your business to be aware of how much time you’re investing and whether the hours you put in bring you the expected results:

“For me, now that I have a team I feel like my time’s been multiplied. There’s so many of us now and we’re moving at such a faster pace. But your time matters even more to your business success when you’re a solopreneur.”

Final thoughts: You too can do it all

As Alex and her team have clearly demonstrated — you do not have to give up on your dreams to enjoy your well-deserved break from work. 

You just need the right tools specifically designed to help you obtain the numbers, set realistic goals, and reduce the time you waste.

But, in case you are a developer trying to fix a buggy code on a Friday evening, or a business owner going over their expenses on a Saturday morning, we do understand how unthinkable it would be to shut down your computer and simply move away from your desk. 

Still, success and a well-rested mind go well together.

You just need to watch your time.

  Are you trying to strike that perfect work-life balance? Did you try time tracking to make the most out of your productive hours? Perhaps you’d like to share your views on Alex’s strategies for disconnecting. Let us know at blogfeedback@clockify.me for a chance to be featured in this one or one of our future articles.

What is deep work?

First, let’s define what deep work is. According to Cal Newport’s Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World, everything that falls under “…professional activities performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that push your cognitive capabilities to their limit” can be considered deep work. These efforts create new value, improve your skill, and are hard to replace.

Thinking up a strategy, coding, writing new content from scratch, or designing a logo are all examples of deep work.

On the contrary, there is also shallow work. It can be defined as non cognitively demanding, logistical-style tasks, often performed while distracted. These efforts tend to not create much new value in the world and are easy to replicate.

Responding to a bunch of emails, attending update meetings or texting do not require a lot of effort, so they are perfect examples of shallow work.

Why is deep work important?

According to Newport:

“…deep work is becoming increasingly rare at exactly the same time it is becoming increasingly valuable in our economy. As a consequence, the few who cultivate this skill, and then make it the core of their working life, will thrive.”

If you are able to master hard things and produce at an elite level in terms of both quality and speed, you will be very hard to replace because that’s rare. Consequently, you will be able to land the best jobs.

Many find meaning and significance through deep work, as they are challenging themselves to their intellectual limits. According to Hungarian psychologist Csikszentmihalyi:

“The best moments usually occur when a person’s body or mind is stretched to its limit in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile.”

Deep work gives a lot of personal satisfaction.
But how to do deep work?
Short answer: High-Quality Work Produced = (Time Spent) x (Intensity of Focus)
The long answer is, well, the rest of the article.

Four deep work strategies

There are four ways to incorporate deep work into your schedule. You can choose either:

• the monastic philosophy of deep work scheduling,
• the bimodal philosophy of deep work scheduling,
• the rhythmic philosophy of deep work scheduling, or
• the journalistic philosophy of deep work scheduling.

When deciding which one will work best for you, keep in mind that not every philosophy is suited for every job; each one requires a certain lifestyle and work schedule.

The monastic philosophy of deep work scheduling

Your whole workday consists of deep work, while shallow work is minimized. Those who practice monastic philosophy are pursuing a well-defined and highly valued professional goal and the majority of their professional success comes from doing that one thing exceptionally well.

An example would be a writer who spends the whole workday alone in a room, working on their book and very rarely responding to calls or emails. According to fictional writer Neal Stephenson, there are two mutually exclusive options (for him, at least): writing good novels regularly or answering a lot of emails and attending conferences, and, as a result, producing lower quality novels less often.

However, it also means you have to say “no” to new opportunities that may arise while you’re working on your main task.

How does the monastic philosophy work? 

If you are up for a challenge, then the monastic philosophy of deep work scheduling is great for you.

Pick a time frame (a month, for example) when you will be deeply engaged in deep work. This means that every task that doesn’t require a lot of mental effort, such as texting or social media, is out of the question. 

You become unavailable for everything unrelated to your major project because shallow work is strictly banned when practicing the monastic philosophy.

Who is the monastic philosophy for?

Although the results of the monastic philosophy of deep work scheduling are highly rewarding, most professions are not exactly aligned with it. If you are a social media manager, being completely MIA from social media or responding to an email after a month could probably cost you your job.

However, if you are a scientist or a writer trying to complete a novel, the monastic philosophy is your best choice. This type of scheduling helps entirely remove distractions and allows for long stretches of uninterrupted, focused work.

The bimodal philosophy of deep work scheduling

Being a combination of the monastics’ productivity and shallow work, the bimodal philosophy allows you to dedicate a chunk of your time to deep work while it leaves you with the rest of the time for everything else. 

The blocks of your deep work session can be as long or as short as you prefer, from days to an entire year. However, an optimal minimum is one full day, because a few hours are not enough to get into the deep work mode. 

After you’re done with your deep work chunk, you can give your attention to other tasks. At least that’s what Carl Jung did. He used to spend a block of his time alone, writing. For the rest of the time, he ran a clinical practice, had a social life, went to coffeehouses, and attended university lectures. 

If you want to go a step further, you can opt for dedicating an entire season to one project and leaving the rest of the year for minor tasks. 

Who is the bimodal philosophy for?

Most people cannot afford the luxury of tuning out completely for a longer period. However, if you are a teacher pursuing a Master’s degree or you’re trying to learn a new skill that requires serious focus, bimodal scheduling could be an option for you. 

You could try to fit in your deep work blocks outside of your teaching hours, such as during the summer break. In the meantime, you can devote your attention to the lesson plans, administrative tasks and teaching.

The rhythmic philosophy of deep work scheduling

If your day-to-day schedule rarely changes, you can adopt rhythmic philosophy: devoting a few hours of your day to deep work and doing the shallow work the rest of the day. For a lot of people, disappearing for a few days a week is not realistic nor doable, but dropping out of sight for a couple of hours is.

However, although the rhythmic philosophy allows for flexible scheduling, it’s still necessary to follow the same routine every day, without skipping a day. By blocking a couple of hours a day for deep work every day you get used to a certain rhythm of focus and it becomes much easier to switch from shallow to deep work throughout the day. 

How does the rhythmic philosophy work? 

If you are thinking about adopting rhythmic philosophy to work on a project unrelated to your regular job, you could wake up a few hours earlier and give your full attention to it. After this period is over, you get to move on with your day and give in to the distractions.

In case you want to implement the rhythmic philosophy into your workflow, you can choose a couple of hours throughout the day to focus on the most important tasks that require your full attention (e.g., from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.). Use the rest of the day (e.g., from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.) to respond to emails, schedule meetings, and catch up with all the low-value work.  

Who is the rhythmic philosophy for?

Since rhythmic philosophy is more adaptable than other deep work strategies, it’s a method that can work for almost everyone. Whether you are a university professor, a lawyer, or a designer, you can probably set aside a few hours for deep work without your coworkers frantically looking for you everywhere.

The journalistic philosophy of deep work scheduling

The journalist approach consists of fitting deep work whenever you can into your schedule. It may seem the most doable, but it’s not for beginners; switching from shallow work to deep work mode so quickly takes practice. It also requires a lot of confidence that what you’re doing is important and will succeed.
Deep work can take as short as 20 minutes, or however long you manage to squeeze between other tasks. It usually means taking advantage of canceled meetings and other openings in your schedule.

How does the journalistic philosophy work? 

Let’s say your workday is so unpredictable that you chose the journalistic philosophy as your deep work strategy. Since it’s almost impossible to plan your deep work session ahead, you dive into responding to emails as soon as you log in. 

However, an update meeting just got canceled so you decided to give all your attention to the blog article you need to finish. Just as you have finished writing your introduction, a coworker scheduled a last-minute meeting regarding a rebranding project, and you hopped right into the call. You’ve decided to postpone your writing until the next opening shows up in your schedule.

Who is the journalistic philosophy for?

As the very name of the strategy suggests, journalism is perhaps the only profession that requires constant switching between deep and shallow work. Journalists are, therefore, perhaps the most skillful representatives of this philosophy.  

For all the rest of us, it takes years of practice to squeeze deep work in between other shallow tasks. If you feel your schedule is already hectic as it is, (even without trying to switch from responding to DMs to deep work in an instant), go for another strategy.

Tips for engaging in deep work

Brushing aside all the time wasters and giving full attention to one meaningful task seems quite simple. However, if you have ever tried really disconnecting, you know that it’s much easier said than done. 

Yet, with proper planning, engaging in deep work can become your daily routine. 

Although you are allowed to experiment and figure out your deep work routine by yourself, here are some tips to help you get started.

Build a ritual

Before you get to work, you should build a ritual that will help you get into deep work mode faster and easier.  Determine location, duration, structure, and requirements. Where will you work and how long? How will you work once you start to work? How will you support your work?

While location and duration don’t need further explanation, here are some additional questions to determine structure and requirements.

For structure:

Will the internet be on or off?

Can you go to the kitchen to get a snack or do you need to sit at the desk the whole time?

How do you measure the success of a session?

Requirements are what you need to get into deep work mode – any specific music, beverage, or software. You may not know it right away; after a few deep work sessions, it will become clearer what works for you and what requirements you need.
Building a perfect ritual for you may take some time and experimentation.

An example of a deep work ritual

While doing my research for this blog post, I decided it would be only fair if I tried engaging in deep work myself. Unaware of the time I wasted during my day, I didn’t set any rules nor follow any particular ritual to help me get started. 

Little did I know that failure was waiting just around the corner. 

Since I work from home, I was sometimes interrupted by my chatty roommates. Other times, I simply interrupted myself by leaving my desk to grab a quick snack. Whenever I tried to go back to my work, I found it extremely hard to regain my focus and it took me longer than I expected to complete simple tasks.

After a couple of failed attempts, I learned from my mistakes and decided to start over. This time I played by the rules and decided to build my own ritual. This is what my deep work routine looked like:

I have to admit, finding enough energy to persevere with the same amount of determination every day was not an easy task for me. But, with proper organization and enough time to unwind in my free time, I think I could easily fit deep work into my regular routine.

Your deep work routine might depend on the tasks you are trying to tackle. In case you prefer longer work sessions with fewer breaks, you can tailor it according to your work style. 

Don’t be afraid to experiment with all the rituals until you find the right one. Luckily, you can always learn from my mistakes and start your deep work sessions off on the right foot.

Implement four disciplines

Newport mentioned a book that intrigued him – The 4 Disciplines of Execution by Sean Covey, Chris McChesney, and Jim Huling. It helps companies successfully implement high-level strategies, but he adapted the framework to his personal habits.

1. Focus on the wildly important

Choose a smaller number of important, ambitious goals, rather than a lot of less significant goals. It will help you focus your energy in the right direction.

2. Act on the lead measures

Once you’ve identified your big goal(s), you need to find a way to measure your success. There are two metrics to pay attention to lag measures and lead measures.
Lag measures are the measures you’re ultimately trying to improve. For example, if your goal is to earn more money, the relevant lag measure is, naturally, the amount of money you earn each month.
Lead measures track new behaviors that will drive success to lag measures – in this case, it could be an increased number of leads for the product you’re selling or how close you are to meeting promotion requirements.

To make sure you act on your lead measures, keep track of the time you spend on all the activities on your road to success. You can use a goal tracker app to see where your time goes exactly.

3. Keep a compelling scoreboard

Track how much time you spend in deep work each day and put it somewhere visible to motivate you. You can use a productivity tracker or gamify your tasks by marking off each day you spent engaged in deep work in your calendar.

4. Create a cadence of accountability

To keep yourself accountable, you should have some sort of Weekly Review (similar to GTD methodology). Analyze what went well, what went not so well, and what area you need to improve on. If you reach your weekly goals with ease, it’s time to push yourself further.

Although primarily intended for businesses, the four strategies can easily be adapted to serve your best purpose on the road to success. When you’re clear on what you want to achieve and you’re able to track your progress in detail, no goal is unreachable.

Make time to rest and recharge

Our brains can’t stay focused for an infinite amount of time — it’s crucial to let yourself rest and recharge. A tired brain is not capable of doing deep work, but even more important, forcing yourself to be productive all the time is not good for your mental health.
Don’t work after your working hours are done and don’t work instead of sleeping.

If you’re still not convinced — your unconscious mind is often better at detangling issues. You can’t force good ideas and creative solutions, they will come to you, usually at random times, like when you’re showering.

Do you know why a lot of us come up with the best ideas when we’re in the shower? Because you’re relaxed and your brain produces dopamine, which boosts your creativity. Also, research shows that we’re more likely to come up with creative solutions while we’re doing something monotonous, like showering or washing the dishes, since we’re on autopilot and our unconscious mind is free to work on something else.

Do you know why a lot of us come up with the best ideas when we’re in the shower? This is because our brain produces dopamine when we are relaxed. Dopamine, a true creativity booster, is the one responsible for all the eurekas in the shower. 

Being on autopilot can actually do more wonders for your thought process than trying hard to fit in one more hour in front of the computer. 

In his book Explaining Creativity, a professor of education at the University of North Carolina, Robert Keith Sawyer, explains this phenomenon. He says that people are more likely to come up with creative solutions while doing something monotonous, like showering or washing the dishes. 

So, by giving yourself enough room to shift focus, you also give your busy mind enough time to process and work through all the complex and challenging tasks that might trouble you throughout the workday.

Give yourself deadlines to finish the work

If you give yourself 2 weeks to finish a project, you’ll finish it in 2 weeks.

If you give yourself a week for the same project, you’ll likely manage to finish it in a week. 

It’s simple — “work expands to fill the period of time available for its completion”, it’s Parkinson’s law.

When setting a deadline, try to find a balance and give yourself just the right amount of pressure that will force you to concentrate and do the work, but will not make you too stressed out and/or panic. If you’re tracking time, it will be easier to estimate the right amount of time you need and find that balance.

What happens when people set shorter deadlines

Did you know that it’s still possible to finish your workload even when the time frame becomes shorter than usual?

A very interesting example is a software company 37signals (now Basecamp) who experimented with shortening the workweek to four days during summer. As their cofounder Jason Fried said (very wisely, if I may add), “people should enjoy the weather in the summer”. They weren’t working longer hours — they worked 32 hours a week. The only exception was customer support that worked normal hours, due to the nature of their job.
Does that work? Well, 14 years later, they still do it, so it must work.
Fried explained how:

“Very few people work even 8 hours a week. You’re lucky if you get a few good hours in between all the meetings, interruptions, web surfing, office politics, and personal business that permeate the typical workday.
Fewer official working hours help squeeze the fat out of the typical workweek. Once everyone has less time to get their stuff done, they respect that time even more. People become stingy with their time and that’s a good thing. They don’t waste it on things that just don’t matter. When you have fewer hours you usually spend them more wisely”.

Train your memory

If you need to work on your focus, you can do so by training your memory. As Newport said in the book:

“A side effect of memory training is an improvement in your general ability to concentrate”.

Leading a healthy lifestyle (especially eating a balanced diet and getting enough sleep), as well as playing memory games can improve your memory.

As a matter of fact, neuroscientific research has shown that the only difference between the brain of a memory champion and a regular human being’s brain lies in the amount of memory training they undertake. 

So, if you’re up to supersizing your focus levels, try memorizing a deck of cards, order of the stack of books, or a list of words in a foreign language. These may not be particularly fun, but they will help you with deep work.

Minimize social media – or cut it down completely

It’s no secret that social media is made to be addictive. Checking your phone again and again for a new dose of dopamine interrupts your workflow and makes doing deep work near to impossible.

Maybe you’re even unaware of doing this, but science claims that cyberloafing or cyberslacking is one of the most common ways of wasting time when we should be working. 

If you catch yourself glancing at that DM quickly or googling your dentist’s work hours when you should be deeply focused, you could be guilty of cyberslacking. 

However, it’s not all doom and gloom yet.

Try going without social media for 30 days, as an experiment. After that time passes, ask yourself would these last thirty days have been notably better if you had been able to use that service? Did people care that you weren’t using that service?
If the answers were no, you won’t lose anything by deleting social media.
If at least one answer was yes, don’t delete them, but try to minimize your social media consumption.

Try discovering other forms of entertainment and ways to pass the free time. Trying a new hobby, reading, spending more time in nature and/or with your friends and family are all great options.

Schedule your whole day, including breaks

When we don’t take a step back and think about the way we’ll spend the next day, it’s not uncommon to waste time and forget about our goals.

To avoid that, you should schedule your time ahead, having in mind the goals you are trying to achieve and making sure you have a healthy balance between work and life.
Your day probably won’t go exactly as planned, but it’s important to have a plan regardless.

Newport recommends time-blocking, which means dividing your time into blocks and assigning a task to each block. Include meals and breaks in your schedule, too. You can group similar shallow work and do it in one time block, after a block of deep work.
Other options are using timesheet templates, to-do lists, or a time tracking app.

At first, you may have trouble with estimating how much time you need for a certain task, but as time goes, you’ll get better at it. If you use a time tracking app, you can use the data you collected over time to estimate it as accurately as possible.

Schedule breaks and ban any distractions when you’re not on a break. Although your brain might get bored after a while, try to embrace that boredom and power through.

I used to schedule breaks when I was a student and preparing for exams; it was easier to stay focused when I knew I had a break coming soon and I had to study only for 30 more minutes, not until the end of time.
I have a degree now, so I can confirm it works.

Spend less time on emails

It’s true — emails are bad for us.

Linda Stone, a former executive at Microsoft and Apple, has noticed that a strange thing happens when we respond to emails. Most of us start to breathe shallowly or hold our breaths while typing. This unusual phenomenon is called email apnea and it affects our stress levels, sleep, memory and it can even trigger depression. 

Long story short, you don’t need to be responding to emails 24/7.Set expectations in advance, for example, you can state: “I respond to emails Mon–Fri from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.” or “I’ll only respond to emails that are a good match to my schedule and interests.”

You can also shorten email conversations by saying something like:

“I’d love to meet up. I’m free Mon 3–4 p.m., Wed 10–11 a.m., and Thu 2–5 p.m.. Are you available at any of those times? If so, send an invitation to my calendar for the time that works for you and I’ll see you then.”

Instead of just saying:

“I’d love to meet up. When are you free?”

See how the former is faster and straight to the point?

If you are the one writing emails to others, write them in a way that generates a response.
If you’re writing to someone who has a busy schedule, they may not be very likely to respond to

“I’d like to meet up. Are you available anytime soon?”

Instead, try writing something like this:

“I’d like to discuss X, which may interest you because of Y. Is it okay if I stop by tomorrow to see if it might complement your current project?”

Make a grand gesture

How to let your brain know you mean business? If everything else fails, make a grand gesture.
Grand gesture means making an additional effort by changing the scenery and perhaps even investing some money. By doing that, you increase the perceived importance of the task.

In 2007, J.K. Rowling was struggling to finish The Deathly Hallows. It was the final book of the Harry Potter series, so the expectations and the pressure were high. It was a project that required deep work and she just didn’t have enough concentration, distractions were everywhere.
So what did she do? She made a grand gesture — she booked a suite in a five-star Balmoral hotel in downtown Edinburgh and ended up finishing the book there.

I think investing money helps as much as changing the scenery, if not more — you are more likely to do what you came to do since you don’t want to waste your hard-earned money.
It has always worked for me: I used to study for my university exams only in the library, never at home. The combination of a distraction-free space and the fact that I paid to enter made it easier for me to concentrate and get my work done.

Conclusion

Deep work is a skill that requires time and practice, but it’s very highly rewarding. By working on it, not only you’ll be able to master hard things and produce at an elite level in terms of both quality and speed, but the work you produce will also give you a lot of personal satisfaction.

If you master the art of deep work, you will be able to master everything else.

What is your experience with deep work? Let us know at blogfeedback@clockify.me, for a chance to be featured in this or our future blog posts.

And, the gig economy was worth as much as $4.2 trillion on a global level in 2020, with a growth trend that promises an even larger share in the future — as an increasing number of people become part of the gig economy day after day.

Whether they’re in it for the side income or due to the flexibility it offers, people from all over the world have embraced the gig economy as a natural addition to the ever-changing world of work.

To help you get a full grasp of the crucial labor market, we’ve covered everything you need to know about the gig economy, from the basic definitions, its growth potential and importance, most lucrative gigs available, and the potential problems it brings to everyone involved in it.

The gig economy basics

Perhaps you’re already part of the gig economy, but you use a different term to describe your work. Maybe you have been thinking about joining this work sphere, but you aren’t exactly familiar with all the facts and figures.

No matter which group you belong to, we’ve compiled all the gig economy basics to get you started. From the meaning of the concept to the examples and its future prospects, in this section, we’ll get to the bottom of all you need to know about the gig economy.

What is the gig economy? What does the gig economy look like?

The “gig economy” involves three main components:

1. The workers are paid by the “gig” – Gig workers are paid by one-time-only specific tasks, projects, or shifts – instead of receiving hourly or salaried compensation. That’s why the “gig economy” is also often referred to as the “freelancer economy”, “independent workforce”, “agile workforce”, and “on-demand economy”.
2. The consumer requests a specific service, and the gig workers provide it – This service may be a ride to a destination, a product or food delivered, or any other similar service provided. That’s why the “gig economy” is also often referred to as the “sharing economy” or the “peer economy.
3. Specific companies connect the workers with the consumers – Specialized gig economy platforms serve as mediators between workers and consumers. That’s why the “gig economy” is often referred to as the “platform economy.”

How does the gig economy work?

The gig economy includes all professionals who are freelancers, project-based workers, part-time hires, temporary hires, or independent contractors.

Usually, the person looking for the services of such professionals posts the general description and requirements of the job on an online job board, freelance website, or even in the local newspaper.

Then, the professionals interested apply for the job.

All interested job candidates go through a combination of CV scrutinization, face-to-face, phone, or video interviews, as well as skill tests meant to help determine who has the best qualifications, experience, and predispositions to perform the requested job as required.

As an alternative, the matter of who performs the job may be on a first-come-first-serve basis — if the clients contact several professionals from a freelance website themselves, without posting the job. Or, it may simply be a matter of proximity. For example, a passenger requests a ride from a ride-hailing service platform and the driver who is currently located closest to the passenger comes to pick them up.

In light of all that, 3 main participants of the gig economy emerge:

1. The consumers – they request the services
2. The gig workers – they provide the services
3. The gig work platforms – they serve as a mediator between the consumers and the gig workers

Examples of gig economy workers

Many specific professions are a part of the gig economy:

• Musicians – Hired to play at a wedding, birthday, or at a specific venue.
• Journalists – Hired to write a specific piece for a magazine.
• Truck drivers – Hired to deliver a load from one location to another.
• Artists – Hired to paint murals, design brands, handle document layout for books or magazines.
• Tutors/teachers – Hired to tutor kids or adults for a specific test, on a specific subject, or on an area of a specific subject.
• Babysitters – Hired to supervise and take care of children while the parents or legal guardians are away.
• Care-takers – Hired to look after a building or house while the owner is absent.
• Photographers – Hired to photograph weddings, birthdays, or specific events.
• Videographers – Hired to film weddings, birthdays, or specific events.
• Landscapers – Hired to arrange a landscape or garden in an attractive manner.
• Tech repair professionals – Hired to repair a piece of tech equipment, like a printer or a laptop.
• Delivery couriers – Hired to deliver various goods (food, packages, groceries, etc.).

–

As evident, the listed professionals are usually, by definition, called to provide one-time services.

People only need a music band, photographer, and videographer for their weddings once.

When someone’s laptop breaks down, they’ll likely need just a one-time visit from the local tech repair person.

Of course, tutors and babysitters may be required once or multiple times. But, in either case, their services will still be requested for a limited time period only, considering that the children will outgrow their babysitters, or master the tutored subject, or pass the exam.

What does “gig” mean in the gig economy? When did the gig economy begin?

The mere concept of “gig economy” appeared as early as the 18th century – although it won’t be referred to as such for another two centuries.

Back in those days, the “gig economy” was a result of unpredictable employment patterns: many people had to work multiple jobs, and take every opportunity to help them earn a living.

The actual term “gig economy” originated from the name for live musical performances – in that sense, the term “gigs” was first used by jazz musicians in 1915, or even 1905, to describe musical engagement.

Nowadays, the word “gig” mostly refers to temporary, side jobs.

The term “gig economy”, however, wasn’t used until the great recession of 2009, and it was first mentioned by journalist Tina Brown.

As Brown described it, the recession urged people to pursue “a bunch of free-floating projects, consultancies, and part-time bits and pieces”, all in order to make ”the sum that allows them to hang on to the apartment, the health-care policy, the babysitter, and the school fees.”

Considering that it was the recession that drove people to take on part-time or temporary work, one could say that the post-2009 gig economy may have thrived for similar reasons to its unofficial counterparts from the 18th and 19th centuries.

In the decades following the 2009 crisis, the gig economy brought forward an increased earning potential which attracted even college-educated Americans who, at the time, earned as much as $75,000, per year as gig workers.

However, the tables turned again after the pandemic outbreak in 2020. Millions of people jumped on the bandwagon of the gig economy – some of them because they have lost their nine-to-five jobs.

With an increased number of people switching their office cubicles for their living rooms, delivery services thrived, and the gig economy peaked yet again.

How many workers make the gig economy?

Today, about 36%, or 59 million Americans, are part of the gig economy. Moreover, as many as 24.6 million gig workers from America are also employed full-time.

However, these are all rough numbers – considering that anyone from babysitters to ride-hailing drivers is considered to be a gig worker, as well as that many full-time professionals take on side gigs from time to time, the US government doesn’t have a full grasp of how large the US gig economy actually is.

Some other estimates claim that there are as many as 75 million active gig workers.

Is the gig economy growing? Why is the gig economy growing?

In recent years, there were 5 elements that triggered the growth of the gig economy.

1. The internet has made finding and organizing gigs easier

Nowadays, with an ever-growing list of freelance websites, it’s much easier for freelancers to find gigs. Moreover, the variety of available gigs is rapidly growing, and gig workers can take their pick between general and niche-specific freelance job boards, platforms, and bidding websites.

2. New technologies have made handling gigs easier

Nowadays, with new, efficient freelancer apps emerging every day to make sure freelancers track time spent on projects correctly, bill clients accurately, as well as communicate and collaborate with companies and clients remotely, the gig economy has every opportunity to thrive.

3. The crisis changed the way people work

Each time there’s a crisis, the gig economy grows.

Similar to the 2009 recession, the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated a trend of wage cuts and layoffs. As a result, people have been forced to turn to other means to make the income they need, directing their attention towards gigs.

Even before the pandemic, most gig workers had already been working from home, so the moment social distancing became standard, the gig economy rapidly grew.

4. Gig economy workers became essential to the changing society

Following the pandemic outbreak, any service that helped social distancing has proven greatly valuable. From delivering groceries and medicine to picking up restaurant orders, gig economy workers have had a great share in keeping society going.

On top of that, the number of gig workers hired in transportation-based services (TRNS) is estimated to reach 31 million by 2023. The growing numbers prove that the change we witnessed is here to stay, and the gig economy will continue to soar.

5. People’s work expectations and priorities changed

Even before the pandemic, 43% of the active workforce highlighted a flexible schedule with a better work-life balance as the No.1 expectation in their future work careers.

When the crisis took everyone by surprise, parents worldwide had to quit their full-time jobs because it became impossible to balance both 9-to-5 remote work and family. This is where the flexibility and autonomy that the gig economy brings to the table became a band-aid solution.

Why is the gig economy important?

The gig economy has proven its enormous importance in recent times: in 2020 alone, freelancers have contributed as much as $1.3 trillion to the US economy, and $4.2 trillion to the global economy.

Moreover, an MBO partners’ report shows that the overall number of Americans participating in the gig economy has increased from 38 million in 2020 to 51 million people in 2021.

Some reports even forecast that as much as 50% of the US population will be involved in the gig economy as early as 2027. So, the potential growth of the gig economy will only help it gain importance in the future.

Joining the gig economy

If you’re having second thoughts on whether joining the gig economy is worthy of your time, we’ve compiled a list of the most popular gig economy companies and platforms to help you make up your mind.

We’ve also put together a list of the highest-paid gigs together with a landing a gig checklist to ensure you’re entirely ready to dive into the gig economy as soon as you finish reading this article.

What are gig economy companies and platforms? And what does it take to join?

As mentioned, gig economy companies serve as a mediator between workers and consumers. Some of the most popular ones don’t ask for special skill sets, or even active participation – you can be a driver or simply advertise your place for vacation rentals. In any case, gig economy companies are a great solution for both the full-time employees looking for an extra income and the people searching for a new, primary job.

Gig economy platforms and companies worth checking out include giants such as Uber, Instacart, Airbnb, Etsy, TaskRabbit, PeoplePerHour, and Outschool

Uber

Uber is a taxi-like service that lets you become a private driver for destination driving or food delivery. According to their statements, in 2020, Uber had over 5 million drivers all over the globe.

To become an Uber driver, you’ll need to:

Be at least 21 years old and own a valid driver’s license

If younger than 23, you’ll need to be licensed to drive for at least 3 year

If older than 23, you’ll need to be licensed to drive for at least 1 year

Own a 4-door vehicle that meets Uber requirements

Go through a background check

Lyft and Doordash are similar alternatives.

Instacart

An online service that offers both purchasing and delivery services. By becoming an Instacart personal shopper, you can either shop and deliver items to the customers or be in charge of the shopping duty only. Both job types allow you to choose your own hours and don’t require any previous experience.

To become an Instacart Personal Shopper, you’ll need to:

Be at least 18 years old

Own a valid driver’s license

Have access to a vehicle

Be able to work in the US or Canada

Have access to a smartphone

Be able to lift 50 lbs

Similar popular alternatives are goPuff and Shipt.

Airbnb

An online marketplace that lets you offer or require lodgings around the world. As of December 2021, there are at least 5.6 million Airbnb listings across the globe.

To become an Airbnb host, you’ll need to:

Be responsive to guest requests

Accept quest requests when possible

Avoid cancelling on guests

Keep a high overall rating as a result of previous requirements

Other popular choices include Vrbo and VayStays.

Etsy

An e-commerce website that lets you offer or buy hand-made or vintage items. As of 2020, there are more than 4.3 million good sellers on Etsy, with 81.9 million active Etsy buyers.

To become an Etsy seller, you’ll need to:

Sell handmade items made by you

Sell vintage items that are at least 20 years old

Sell craft supplies that are handmade, vintage, or commercial

Make sure the items you want to sell are not prohibited elsewhere or violate Etsy policies

Similar websites include Amazon Handmade and Aftcra.

TaskRabbit

An online marketplace that lets you offer or require freelance labor work locally. There are currently 27 different types of tasks available for taskers on TaskRabbit.

To become a TaskRabbit tasker, you’ll need to:

Have a US Social Security Number

Be over 18 years old

Go through a background check

Own a valid credit card

Own a smartphone

Popular alternatives include Thumbtack and Fiverr.

PeoplePerHour

An online marketplace where you can find hourly-paid projects that fit your current skills and qualifications. There are currently 2,700+ freelance projects available on the PeoplePerHour job board.

To find gigs at PeoplePerHour, you’ll need to make the best bid and proposal for a job you’re interested in.

Upwork and Toptal offer a similar gig economy experience.

Outschool

An online education platform that offers you a chance to market your classes to students from all over the world. To become a tutor, you don’t need any teaching credentials.

However, Oustschool advises its potential tutors to consider teaching the subjects they have experience tutoring or are interested in.

To become an Outschool teacher, you’ll need to:

Be at least 18 years old

Live in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, or the United Kingdom

Have a fast internet connection (over 3Mbps both upload and download)

Be able to confirm your identity and go through a background check

Similar platforms are Varsity Tutors and Lessonface.

What are the highest-paid gig economy jobs? And how do you land such gigs?

As evident, there are a lot of gig economy opportunities for the workers But some pay much more than others – and, as expected, the higher-paying jobs and projects do require a special set of skills.

Here are the top 5 highest paying gig economy jobs you can currently find online:

1. Deep learning/Machine Learning jobs ($131.01/hour)
2. Blockchain development jobs ($109.77/hour)
3. Ethical hacking ($62.35/hour)
4. Cryptocurrency ($52.00)
5. Robotics ($44.01/hour)

1. Deep learning/Machine Learning jobs ($131.01/hour)

What’s it about: Deep Learning is a specific Artificial Intelligence (AI) function aimed at imitating the way the human brain works – your job is to develop and maintain a system that processes data, creates, and follows specific patterns involved in decision making, all similar to how the human brain handles these actions.

Qualifications and skills needed to get the gigs:

• The knowledge of certain programming languages such as Python, Java, JavaScript, Matlab, C++, and Perl.
• The knowledge of the machine learning theory
• The knowledge to use statistical inferences and decide whether a deep learning model is working or not

Places to find Deep Learning/Machine Learning jobs: Upwork, Toptal, Stack Overflow, GitHub, Scalable Path, PowerToFly, LinkedIn, Indeed, etc.

2. Blockchain development jobs ($109.77/hour)

What’s it about: Blockchain developers carry out all work related to blockchain protocols, including research, analysis, design, as well as execution, and maintenance.

Qualifications and skills needed to get the gigs:

• The knowledge of programming languages C++, Solidity, Python, and Ethereum
• Previous experience with cryptocurrency payments
• Strong analytical abilities
• The knowledge of blockchain protocols

Places to find Blockchain development jobs: Crypto. jobs, Blockchain Headhunters, Upwork, LinkedIn, Bitcoin.com, Crypti Careers, Blockew, Blockace.io, etc.

3. Ethical hacking ($62.35/hour)

What’s it about: Ethical hackers are in charge of spotting vulnerabilities in systems in order to prevent potential malicious hackers from entering and taking advantage of the said system.

Qualifications and skills needed to get the gigs:

• Bachelor’s degree in computer programming, at the least
• Special certificate to become a Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
• Attention to detail

Places to find Ethical hacking gigs: Indeed, Upwork, FlexJobs, LinkedIn, etc.

4. Cryptocurrency ($52.00)

What’s it about: Build new payment tools, or integrate already-existing payment tools into apps and websites.

Qualifications and skills needed to get the gigs:

• The knowledge of programming languages C++, Solidity, Python, and Java
• The knowledge of the Solidity programming language, in order to help you handle Ethereum blockchain
• Proven experience with setting cryptocurrency payment systems
• Attend cryptocurrency/blockchain training
• Degree in mathematics, data science, or CS

Places to find Cryptocurrency gigs: Same as the places where you’d look for Blockchain development jobs. Also, Guru, FlexJobs, Toptal, Upwork, LinkedIn, etc.

5. Robotics ($44.01/hour)

What’s it about: Robotics specialists are charged with creating concepts, crafting designs, and modelling both the mechanical and electrical components of robots.

Qualifications and skills needed to get the gigs:

• A degree in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or computer science
• Proven experience in 3D modelling

Places to find Robotics gigs: FlexJobs, LinkedIn, Upwork, SimplyHired, Indeed, etc.

How to join the gig economy – the checklist

No matter whether you’re pursuing gigs that require a special set of skills or not, you can let the following checklist help you out when looking for ways to join the gig economy:

The advantages and disadvantages of the gig economy

Choosing your own work hours does seem like a dream come true, especially if a gig is your side job.

If you are an employer on the lookout for employees, the gig workforce pool seems to offer an easy solution.

However, with all the perks comes a list of challenges. Let’s get familiar with all the advantages and disadvantages of the gig economy so that you can decide if it’s time to become part of it.

GIG ECONOMY PROS

According to gig work enthusiasts, here are the most common benefits of pursuing the gig economy – for both the gig workers and companies:

Gig economy pros for the gig workers

If you’re having second thoughts about becoming part of the gig economy, maybe the advantages that come with being a gig worker could help you work your dilemma out.

• Better flexibility
  • You can choose your work hours
  • You can choose where you work
  • You can choose how you’ll work to get the desired effect
• Higher independence
  • You can choose your jobs
  • You don’t have to work in an office
  • No one to look over your shoulder
  • You make up your own schedule
  • You choose your own priorities
• Larger job variety
  • You don’t have to settle for one type of jobs
  • You don’t have to settle for one type of projects
• Potential higher pay
  • You can choose your own hourly rate
  • You can choose your own amount of workload
  • You can charge for your time as you need

The gig economy pros for the companies

Whether you’re considering hiring on-demand or you’ve been wondering if there’s any benefit in going over a large pool of freelancers, we’ve listed all the advantages the gig economy brings to companies to help you out.

• Lower costs
  • You only pay for the work provided
  • You don’t pay for employee benefits
  • You usually don’t pay for their work equipment
  • You don’t pay for their workspace
  • You don’t have to cover onboarding costs
• Larger workforce pool to choose from
  • Find the talent you need, no matter the geographic location
  • Easier to find people to work late at night
  • Easier to find people to work early in the morning
  • Easier to find people to work during the weekends
• Quicker scaling
  • It’s easier to hire new professionals when you need them
  • It’s easier to hire people to help out on specific projects only

GIG ECONOMY CONS

In addition to the benefits, there are some disadvantages you might want to consider before embarking into the gig economy – for both the gig workers and companies:

The gig economy cons for the gig workers

Instead of leaping into the unknown, go over all the disadvantages that being part of the gig economy can bring forward.

• No employee benefits
  • You’ll need to cover your own insurance
  • You’ll need to make your own retirement plans
  • You’ll get no PTO
  • No worker safety & protection
• More expenses
  • You’ll likely need to pay for your own workspace
  • You’ll likely need to pay for your own work equipment
  • You’ll need to handle your own taxes (about 25-30% of each paycheck)
• Isolation
  • No colleagues to socialize with during break time
  • No colleagues to go to lunch with
  • No company culture to participate in
• More stress
  • More worries about expenses
  • More worries about having a steady amount of work
  • A lot of the gig arrangements are based on “at-will” statements – the employer may terminate the contract unexpectedly
  • Landing a gig has become more difficult due to the gig economy market becoming significantly competitive in the more recent times

The gig economy cons for the companies

Before you rush into hiring in the gig economy, make sure to go over all the cons we’ve listed so that you can make an informed decision.

• Less reliability
  • A higher chance that the gig workers will back out at the last minute
  • Possible less devotion to work on the part of the gig workers
  • The risk of working with people you don’t know
• Tricky contract regulations and practices
  • Understanding all the state-based contract regulations may be demanding
  • A lot of paperwork
  • A lot of the gig arrangements are based on “at-will” statements – the gig worker may terminate the contract unexpectedly

F.A.Q about the gig economy

If you’re in two minds about joining the gig economy, a bunch of questions might trouble you. We’ve covered some of the F.A.Q. to eliminate the confusion.

Are gig economy workers employees? How are they classified?

The answer to the question of whether economy workers are independent contractors or employees is still an unclear one.

By the definition of their tasks, roles, and the length of time their services are needed, economy workers are closer to independent contractors (1).

As such, they are not entitled to company benefits.

However, countries like Canada and Spain have defined a new category of gig workers – dependent contractors (2). Dependent contractors are gig workers who earn most of their income from a single source (at least 75%, in Spain, and at least 80%, in Canada).

These workers get at least some company benefits – some of these benefits include minimum rest periods and collective bargaining.

However, one US state, California, has made the effort to classify economy workers as employees (3), officially.

Namely, the California Senate passed Assembly Bill 5 on September 10, 2019, in an effort to provide a reliable test that shows whether an employee is an independent contractor (liable to 1099 tax forms) or an employee (liable to W2 tax forms).

All gig workers who pass the test to be employees are entitled to receive company benefits.

How does the gig economy hurt the gig workers and the companies?

We touched upon the problem of the gig economy in the previous subheading about the proper classification of gig workers.

Here’s the problem in more detail:

1. Classifying all gig workers as independent contractors hurts the gig workers. It means they are not entitled to any company benefits, even if they contribute to one company as much as any other full-time employee.
2. Classifying all gig workers as employees hurts the companies. For example, Uber is an unprofitable company that faced enormous costs in the wake of California’s bill. They had to treat all their drivers as employees to which they needed to pay benefits— no matter whether they were committed “full-time” or involved sporadically.

The “dependent contractor” classification is currently valid only in Canada and Spain. But, when compared to the current classifications, it seems worth the consideration on a more global scale.

The gig economy’s growth led to further changes and additions to gig worker classifications. For example, US ride-hailing services tried to undo Assembly Bill 5 by providing an alternative — Proposition 22. The primary purpose of the ballot initiative was for the drivers to remain independent contractors, with certain benefits (minimum wage, health insurance under certain conditions, etc.)

However, although California voters supported Prop 22, in August 2021, County Superior Court ruled it unconstitutional. Since the companies filed an appeal, the Proposition still remains in effect until the appeal process ends.

And how does the gig economy hurt the gig workers and consumers?

Although it may not be apparent at first, the gig economy hurts consumers as well.

Experienced specialists for deep learning and robotics, as well as qualified truck drivers, are one side of the gig economy medal.

But, there is another side to the same medal.

Namely, some gig workers may not be trained enough to successfully carry out the gigs they were hired to do.

What’s more, not all gig workers are worth the trust.

Some drivers may drive 15+ hours per day, as there are no official regulations that limit the number of hours they are allowed to drive – and, despite their best efforts, they may endanger themselves and their passengers.

Moreover, Lyft and Uber-related assaults around the globe are not uncommon – on both the side of the drivers and the passengers.

Namely, during the pandemic year, the number of carjacking incidents and physical attacks on both Uber and Lyft drivers significantly increased in the US. For example, in Oakland, California, the police department has noticed a 38% increase in carjackings compared to 2019.

Passengers have also spoken out about the issues involving ride-hailing services, filing more than 5000 complaints against Uber assaults and over 4000 complaints against Lyft drivers.

Conclusion

As all the evidence has shown, the gig economy could be worth your effort. Employers do not cease to look for quality candidates, and the gig labor market does not seem to lack experts.

However, with the continuous growth of the market, landing a gig may not be such a simple task anymore. Committing to constant skill development, regularly updating your portfolio, and creating profiles on freelance platforms could, potentially, do the trick.

But, bear in mind that with all the attempts to establish the proper classification of gig workers, followed by the efforts to undo the changes, the final status of gig workers still remains to be seen.

When the team is unorganized, unfocused, and disoriented, failure is the only logical outcome. 

In such a poor team, deadlines get missed, priorities get overlooked, and proper organization and communication are scarce. As the overall consequence of poor teamwork, the professional reputation of the business takes a hit, and the client pool starts to shrink.

If you want to make sure that doesn’t happen to you, you’ll need to improve your team’s workflow and introduce proper team management into your organization. To help you achieve just that, this guide will:

• Introduce you to the basics of team management — what it is and why it’s important,
• Cover everything you need to know about a management team,
• Give you the pros and cons of 9 team management styles,
• Explain what effective team management is,
• Shed some light on the key team management skills, and
• Provide you with additional tips on how to improve team management. 

What is team management?

Team management is the ability to perform a number of activities that ensure a group of people carry out their work as planned.

It can be performed by an individual or organization — in gist, team management involves various organization and administration activities, including:

• Activities that facilitate teamwork
• Setting team priorities
• Making sure the team priorities are carried out
• Setting objectives
• Efficient communication
• Performance appraisals

Why is team management important?

Team management is important for an organization for 5 crucial reasons:

1. It facilitates effective team building
2. It boosts productivity
3. It promotes and encourages learning
4. It improves employee satisfaction
5. It lowers employee turnover rate

1. Facilitating effective team building

“Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.” — Michael Jordan

You can never stress the importance of proper teamwork in an organization enough — and team management facilitates teamwork through effective team building.

Team management makes sure that the right person does the right job — i.e. that his or her experience, education, and skills align with the expected results of the tasks.

And, when everyone performs the job they were trained and hired to do, employees are happier and generally more willing to cooperate with each other — resulting in better teamwork on the whole.

2. Boosting productivity

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” — Helen Keller

It goes without saying that two heads think better than one — they also perform faster and are more likely to deliver quality results.

Team management and its implied chain of task allocation make sure the right people are paired up to craft new ideas and find efficient solutions to problems.

All of this results in a quicker turnover and fewer time-consuming do-overs.

3. Promoting and encouraging learning

“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” — Benjamin Franklin

A team that is constantly learning is constantly improving — and team management encourages learning, growth, and development of both the team and individuals within that team.

This is because proper team management encourages employee training, discussions, and a constant flow of information — all of which improve the teams’ knowledge and experience.

If employees work in an environment that promotes learning and growth, they even perform significantly better because they have viable proof of their management’s support. 

4. Improving employee satisfaction

“Think big thoughts, but relish small pleasures.” — Jackson Brown Jr.

Proper team management is concerned with finding the best ways to make a group of individuals work together as a team.

This may involve team building activities, appraisals where they’re due, as well as cultivating a supportive, transparent team atmosphere.

A group of individuals who feel comfortable working together in a team will be happier at work. As a result, they’ll also do their utmost and achieve more than expected. 

5. Decreasing employee turnover rate

“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” ― Thomas Edison

Hand in hand with employee satisfaction levels goes a company’s turnover rate. 

The average cost of replacing an employee ranges from half to two times their annual salary. When we look at the numbers, it becomes clear that a high turnover rate is far from ideal, and proper team management can help put a stop to this trend.

There certainly are many strategies that can reduce high turnover rates. But a transparent atmosphere where employees can learn and grow can bring the potential increasing numbers to an end even before they occur.

What does a management team do?

We’ve established what team management is, and why it’s important — now let’s see how team management works on a larger scale, in the form of a management team.

A management team is a group of managers that belong to the same organizational level. They meet up on a regular basis to share new information, make reports to their superiors, and make decisions that affect the company on the whole.

There are 5 types of management teams:

1. Staff management teams — They run individual departments. Their set of skills, abilities, and experience is specialized and tied to the department they are running.
2. Line management teams — They run specific departments, i.e. the ones that are involved in producing, delivering, and selling the company’s products (usually applies to companies that make physical products).
3. Boards — They are usually in charge of overseeing work and governance, and they meet up to make joint decisions about the subjects they’re in charge of.
4. Councils — They are usually in charge of providing advice and input, as well as coordinating company-wide activities. They also meet up to make joint decisions about the subjects they’re in charge of.
5. Teams of executives — They are the top management group in an organization, and are in charge of making company-wide decisions together.

What does a successful management team look like?

A successful management team is more than a group of managers reaching decisions together. Here’s everything that a management team needs to have to be successful: 

• The ability to define the company or organization goals precisely.
• The basic understanding of the priority activities the organization needs to focus on in order to reach the desired goals.
• Access to information is crucial for making informed decisions.
• Efficient cooperation that facilitates the process of achieving team goals.
• An efficient way of processing information is crucial for achieving team goals.
• A workflow that makes sure that decisions made get turned into concrete actions.

That’s the theory about management within an organization, but the practice is always more important.

And remember, both the management team and the individual managers have their own ways of managing teams, projects, and tasks.

This is also known as a personal team management style.

Team management styles

There are 9 main team management styles you can implement:

1. Coaching 
2. Laissez-Faire
3. Democratic
4. Visionary
5. Transformational
6. Transactional
7. Servant
8. Autocratic
9. Pace-setting

Each has its pros and cons, but some are more efficient than others:

Coaching team management style 

“Careers are a jungle gym, not a ladder.” — Sheryl Sandberg

What’s it about? This team management style is focused on maintaining the employee’s professional development in the long run.

Famous Coach leader: Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook

What are these managers like? Coaching team managers like to pass on their knowledge and then watch their teachings result in employee growth. They overlook short-term problems and failures because they expect their employees to learn from their mistakes and get better over time.

How do these managers provide motivation? Coaching team managers like to motivate their employees through a combination of rewards and trust — in the form of promotions and more responsibilities.

Pros:

• It produces a positive environment in the workplace.
• The employees always know what the managers expect from them.
• The employees grow and develop their skill sets.

Cons:

• It may take some time to prove efficient.
• The mentoring approach may not work for some employees.
• It requires specific coaching for each specific situation.

The overall level of effectiveness: 5/5

Laissez-Faire (Let do) team management style

“Not doing what we love in the name of greed is very poor management of our lives.” — Warren Buffett

What’s it about? This team management style grants employees almost complete freedom to do what they think they should do — the teams are self-directed, and there is no overseeing and interference.

Famous Laissez-Faire leader: Warren Buffett, business magnate

What are these managers like? Laissez-Faire team managers like to give their employees complete freedom in how they’ll handle their assignments. Managers only interfere if there is a problem, or if their teams specifically ask them for more directions.

How do these managers provide motivation? Laissez-Faire team managers expect their teams to find their own motivation for their work.

Pros:

• It promotes innovation and creativity.
• The employees can focus on the work they feel the most passionate about.
• It allows employees to experiment when looking for the right solution.

Cons:

• Experiments can go wrong, which results in a lot of wasted time.
• Not suitable for an inexperienced team who needs more guidance.
• Potentially risky, as the managers may not learn about huge problems until late into the project.

The overall level of effectiveness: 3/5

Democratic team management style

“I ask everyone’s opinion when they don’t speak up. And then when they have an opinion, I’ll ask others to talk about it.” — Ginni Rometty

What’s it about? This team management style pursues the notion that everyone should have a say in an organization, regardless of their title in the company. Therefore, the best idea always wins, no matter who brought it to the table. 

Famous Democratic leader: Ginni Rometty, CEO of IBM

What are these managers like? Democratic team managers like to give their employees every chance to share their ideas and contribute to the company’s growth.

How do these managers provide motivation? Democratic team managers motivate their employees by making everyone equal in terms of participation.

Pros:

• The employees feel valued and appreciated.
• It promotes innovation and creativity.
• It encourages responsibility and decision-making.

Cons:

• It may take some time to prove efficient.
• It may trigger resentfulness in employees who think their ideas are never taken into consideration.
• Not suitable if you often have to make fast decisions.

The overall level of effectiveness: 4/5

Visionary team management style

“Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason so few engage in it.” — Henry Ford

What’s it about? This team management style involves defining a vision and overall strategy and then letting the employees work the way they see fit — however, there are regular progress checkups.

Famous Visionary leader: Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company 

What are these managers like? Visionary team managers like to make sure the employees know the overall vision of the company or project — but they don’t micromanage every detail.

How do these managers provide motivation? Visionary team managers motivate employees by giving them full autonomy over the work — the employee’s self-direction takes it over from there in providing motivation.

Pros:

• The employees are encouraged to find goals and solutions that suit everyone in the team.
• It facilitates team building.
• It’s great for implementing changes in the company.

Cons:

• Great visions don’t always lead to great actions.
• Not suitable for new teams that need more direction.
• The details left unattended during regular check-ups may lead to serious problems later.

The overall level of effectiveness: 5/5

Transformational team management style

“Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” — Steve Jobs

What’s it about? This team management style emphasizes changes, innovations, and growth as the best way to cultivate an efficient organization.

Famous Transformational leader: Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple

What are these managers like? Transformational team managers like to inspire their teams to develop their skills and improve their performance — by having high expectations.

How do these managers provide motivation? Transformational team managers motivate their employees by constantly raising the bar. As a result, employees feel motivated to work harder to reach new milestones.

Pros:

• It helps you assess the company’s situation quickly.
• The constant innovations trigger passion.
• The constant innovations trigger an enthusiastic environment.

Cons:

• The bigger picture diverts your attention from the problematic details within the team.
• Some managers may abuse the transformational management style, and come to expect too much from their teams.
• Depending too much on passion may make you overestimate the realistic reach of your company.

The overall level of effectiveness: 3.5/5

Transactional team management style

“As the company has grown, we have continually worked to have an organization within an organization. Small teams can communicate efficiently and aren’t encumbered by a big structure slowing them down.” — Bill Gates

What’s it about? This team management style is focused on making results by implementing a reward-penalty system, as well as establishing a clear structure and hierarchy in the team. 

Famous transactional leader: Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft Corporation

What are these managers like? Transactional team managers like to set criteria and requirements the team needs to reach — the employees get a performance review based on whether they met the set criteria and requirements.

How do these managers provide motivation? Transactional team managers motivate their employees by providing an extrinsic reward if they do well (promotions and money rewards) and penalties if they perform subpar.

Pros:

• It gets easier to achieve short-term goals.
• Great for organizations with repetitive tasks.
• Great for overtime work.

Cons:

• After some time, the effect of such extrinsic rewards may wear off.
• Not sustainable for longer time periods.
• Not suitable for promoting innovation and creativity.

The overall level of effectiveness: 3/5

Servant team management style

“Leadership is not about your ambition. It is about bringing out the ambitions of your team.” — Cheryl Bachelder

What’s it about? This team management style implies a manager “serving” the team — this involves mentoring, supporting, and advising the team.

Famous Servant leader: Cheryl Bachelder, former CEO of Popeyes

What are these managers like? Servant team managers like to put their team first and the tasks they perform second.

How do these managers provide motivation? Keeping employees happy makes them more motivated to perform their tasks.

Pros:

• The team’s requests and ideas are discussed at length.
• Great emphasis on building a healthy team culture.
• Great emphasis on learning from one’s mistakes.

Cons:

• It may take longer to make decisions.
• The manager loses formal authority.
• No official pressure for the employees to perform well.

The overall level of effectiveness: 3/5

Autocratic team management style

“You can have your titular recognition. I’ll take money and power.” — Helen Gurley Brown

What’s it about? This team management style implies clear directions to the team and complete control over what they do and over what should be done.

Famous Autocratic leader: Helen Gurley Brown, editor in Chief of “Cosmopolitan”

What are these managers like? Autocratic team managers like to have complete power in making decisions, and they expect no advice, ideas, and input from the people they are managing.

How do these managers provide motivation? Autocratic team managers expect their employees to find motivation for their work themselves.

Pros:

• Effective in cultures that expect the managers to have higher-level power.
• May prove effective for new employees who need more guidance and direction.
• Provides clarity and structure for employees.

Cons:

• A generally demotivating team management style.
• May trigger low employee engagement — and a lack of innovative ideas great for company growth.
• Leads to micromanagement.

The overall level of effectiveness: 2/5

Pace-setting team management style

“Don’t manage ― lead change before you have to.” — Jack Welch

What’s it about? This team management style implies the manager is the ultimate leader who sets a pace for work and expects the employees to follow the said pace.

Famous Pace-setting leader: Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric

What are these managers like? Pace-setting team managers like to set high standards, as well as set a challenging pace.

How do these managers provide motivation? The high standards and fact pace motivate the employees to work hard in order to keep up with the rest of the team.

Pros:

• Great for tackling demanding challenges and short-term goals.
• The manager’s pace-setting position serves as a model to others.
• Great for new, inexperienced employees who need more guidance.

Cons:

• Not sustainable in the long run (higher risk of burnout).
• The emphasis on personal successes (rather than team efforts) may lead to resentment and unhealthy competition.
• The manager performs a lot of the work that could better be delegated to some other team members.

The overall level of effectiveness: 3/5

What is the best team management style?

Although there isn’t a clear-cut response to this question, we can look at the overall levels of effectiveness of each team management style.

1. Coaching: 5/5
2. Visionary: 5/5
3. Democratic: 4/5
4. Transformational: 3.5/5
5. Servant: 3/5
6. Laissez-Faire: 3/5
7. Transactional: 3/5
8. Pace-setting: 3/5
9. Autocratic: 2/5

The bottom team management styles may prove efficient under certain circumstances or in smaller doses but are generally too rigid (or too flexible, like in the case of the Laissez-Faire style).

They’re less motivational, and leave room for a lot of wasted time in order to be efficient over a longer period of time.

Task delegation is often side-lined, and check-ups and control are either too frequent or too infrequent to give the best team management results.

On the other hand, the higher-level team management styles are more complex, flexible, yet still enough hands-on on the part of the manager.

Proper task delegation is emphasized, and check-ups are regular without being too intrusive.

The bottom line is that each team management style brings a number of benefits, but they also come with their own drawbacks. 

So, before deciding on which team management style might be the best choice for your team, think about your team’s capabilities, responsibilities, and overall goals so that you can find that perfect balance whichever style you pick. 

What is effective team management? And what makes an effective team manager?

Some team management styles may be better than others — but, the steps and skills you need to undertake on the road to efficient team management are always fool-proof.

In gist, effective team management is a complex system you can easily acquire if you follow the right patterns.

Let’s say you have 10 people in your team that need to report to you about the progress with a client project on a regular basis.

Your responsibility as an efficient team manager is to make sure:

• The team understands their responsibilities.
• The team is happy with their responsibilities.
• You share the workload equally.
• You assign tasks to the team members who have the skills, abilities, and experience to tackle said tasks best.
• You take the team’s ideas into consideration.
• You provide incentives to help motivate the team.
• You organize team bonding activities that improve the team’s efficiency.

The listed elements are just the outcome of efficient team management you need to checkmark. Apart from that, you’ll also need to nurture certain key management skills throughout your career if you want to be efficient and successful.

What are the key team management skills?

Having the right team management skills is crucial for your success as a team manager. These skills are typically divided into three types of skills:  

• technical skills, 
• conceptual skills, and 
• human (interpersonal) skills.

Technical skills

Technical skills involve the knowledge to use a variety of techniques in order to reach the team’s goals:

• Operating software
• Operating machines
• Using production tools
• Boosting sales
• Marketing

Usually, it’s the first-level managers who need to possess technical skills. As we go down the hierarchical ladder, the need for these skills decreases.

Conceptual skills

Conceptual skills involve the ability to formulate ideas and think about:

• Diagnosing problems in a concept
• Analyzing problems in a concept
• Finding creative solutions to problems
• Predicting and preventing similar problems in the future

These skills are vital for any manager, especially those in charge of teams working on a dynamic and changeable project — for example, teams who develop apps.

Human (Interpersonal) skills

Interpersonal skills involve the manager’s “people” skills:

• Efficiently communicating with team members
• Efficiently cooperating with team members
• Relating to team members’ problems and challenges
• Motivating team members to make the most of their potential

Human and interpersonal skills are important no matter what kind of manager you are — knowing how to communicate what you want the team to achieve often proves to be the most crucial set of skills of all.

The division into technical, conceptual, and human team management skills is still just a broad one. 

In addition, there are 8 key management skills you’ll need to implement and practice in order to build an effective team management system. Pay attention to:

1. Pacing your enthusiasm
2. Setting realistic expectations
3. Defining inspiring motivators
4. Explaining the “why?” behind the “what?”
5. Encouraging your team to pursue new knowledge
6. Building a team culture
7. Providing feedback
8. Being a model to your team

Pacing your enthusiasm

Instead of diving right into new work just because you’re excited about a fresh, new start, give yourself some time to think about how best to approach said work. Then, after you have decided on the best approach you will take, you can consider: 

• Dividing the work into smaller stages.
• Defining the tasks the team needs to finish in order to make each stage successful.
• Dividing the tasks into smaller sub-tasks, to make them more manageable.

Make the effort to understand everyone’s roles in the project. Then, think about how you should best delegate tasks according to your team’s strengths, skill sets, and abilities. You can use Clockify to assign people to tasks so that everyone knows who is in charge of what.

Considering that Clockify is also a team management software,  you can also best use it to make sure the team sticks to the plan and doesn’t get side-tracked. 

One of the best ways to improve your team’s time management and make sure nobody is wasting time on tedious tasks is to instruct them to track time on the tasks they perform at work. This way, you’ll be able to track everyone’s progress and compile an archive of the tasks that have been performed thus far.

Setting realistic expectations

No matter how enthusiastic and understanding a manager everyone thinks you are, if you’re unable to define realistic goals, chances are — you’re not a realistic manager.

So, always set goals your team has the skills and abilities to reach, as well as deadlines they can beat. Additionally, make sure you have realistic expectations of the outcomes and their results throughout the project.

Before assigning any new task, always double-check your team members’ availability. 

In Clockify, you can schedule projects and manage assignments in advance. This way, when you notice that some of the employees are working late hours to get through a lengthy list of to-dos, you’ll know it’s time to adjust your expectations.

Let’s say you’re in a hurry to assign a new task. By taking a glance at your team’s schedule in Clockify, you see that Sam is available next week and decide to reach out to him. 

This way nobody from your team risks overworking, and you still get the task done. 

Defining inspiring motivators

Introducing the right motivators is a great way to inspire your team to strive for the best results — but, you’ll need to analyze the situation in order to figure out what kind of motivators would work best for your team.

Of course, raises, bonuses, and promotions are always a great reward for a job well done. When in doubt, rewards are the way to go.

But, some team members may value other types of rewards even more:

• A team member who has a long commute to work might appreciate the option to work from home from time to time the most.
• Another team member may find praise for a great performance the most inspiring motivator.
• Others may even appreciate it if you throw a pizza party or organize a fun bowling night when you finish a crucial stage of the project.

Once you understand what drives individual members of your team, it will get easier to motivate everyone out of a dead-end when times get tough.

Explaining the “why?” behind the “what?”

Defining tasks and assigning them to the members of your team is only half of the work. Furthermore, you’ll also need to make sure they all understand why their tasks are important for the project in the first place.

So, take the time at the beginning of the project to highlight the importance of each task — this way, you’ll underline the magnitude of the contribution to the project the team will make by working on said task.

Which can, in turn, serve as a great motivator.

Encouraging your team to pursue new knowledge

The right knowledge always makes the team faster and better. So, make sure you encourage your team to learn about the innovations in the industry that can help you reach your goals faster and better:

• Provide them with the right information.
• Organize team training sessions.
• Introduce your team to the productivity tools that will help you streamline your workflow.

As a result, you’ll equip your team with the right resources that ensure they’re able to make independent judgments in their work and make expected progress.

Building a team culture

If the people in your team like working together, they’ll have better results at work.

So, don’t underestimate the power of great team culture — this includes beliefs, rules, attitudes,  and values you’ll want to work by.

Great team culture is one where people:

• Support each other
• Listen to each other
• Collaborate in order to reach their goals

It’s the one that has a system for resolving disputes — a system that takes both sides of the argument into consideration.

Last, but not least, it’s a culture where people take a breather between projects to relax — and maybe even play a fun time management game or two together.

Providing feedback

You can’t expect your team to go through the project blindly, without knowing whether they’re living up to the project expectations through each project stage.

So, make sure you provide timely feedback to all the members of our team.

Some may think that managers should only speak up to point out problems in the project.

Others believe managers should focus more on giving performance appraisals where they’re due.

But, you’d be better off if you were to mix the positive with the negative feedback and be honest in your reviews:

• The positive feedback can serve as a great motivator to continue with great work.
• The negative feedback can serve as teachable moments the team member can learn from in the future.

Being a model to your team

Make sure your behavior sets a great example others are meant to follow:

• Listen to your teams’ ideas — if you want them to listen to each other and collaborate well.
• Provide help and guidance when asked — if you want them to help each other when they hit bumps on the road with their tasks.
• Aim to expand your knowledge and emphasize the importance of constant learning and improving — if you want the team to be enthusiastic about their training.

In the end, any team will be only as good as the person managing it — so, make your contribution count.

Additional tips on how to improve team management

Although possessing all the key team management skills is fundamental to successful team management, it’s still possible for unexpected difficulties to take you by surprise. 

Since it’s always better to be safe than sorry, we’ve put together additional tips on how to improve team management in case your projects stop going according to plan.

Encourage open communication

When projects too frequently go downhill because of poor information sharing, it might seem like there is little room for error correction. But, it can all be prevented with a transparent communication system. 

Apart from preventing projects from falling through, building an open communication culture can even improve employee overall performance. 

The first step to transparency lies in enabling a steady internal information flow. If your team needs to rummage through heaps of emails or wait for a response from their colleagues for a couple of days, everyone’s performance is likely to decrease.

But, when all the necessary data is at hand and there’s a possibility of receiving a crucial piece of information within seconds, each team member can tackle their tasks without delay.

Since an open communication culture springs from the very top, it’s a manager’s responsibility to create conditions for an uninterrupted communication flow. By providing your team members with a quick way to access and ask for information, you participate in increasing your team’s productivity levels up to 25%. And it’s all possible just by sparing your team the frustration of having to dig around for facts.

Know when to delegate 

There’s a fine line between helping your team and micromanaging. 

Nobody expects a team manager to be a specialist in every field. If you think that you have to do everything on your own so that you don’t overburden your colleagues, think twice. This belief might do your projects more harm than good.

But, you might wonder how to know when is the time to take a step back and delegate a task to your team.  

A leadership expert, Jesse Sostrin, offers great advice. He claims that when in doubt, you should ask yourself a simple question: Would my initiatives advance if I had to take a week off from work? 

If your answer is no, it might be time to consider letting some of your tasks go. 

Yet, turning over some duties does not mean that you as a manager need to remain out of the picture. You can still monitor the progress of your team’s projects and even create additional tasks for everyone while being less involved in the details. 

If your team is using Clockify to track their time, the manager role option allows you to see exactly what your colleagues are working on so you can remain in the loop, even from a distance.

Set clear boundaries

It’s not a secret that routines help people thrive. Since we tend to associate coherence with meaning, when faced with a structure and order, we are more likely to strive towards achieving our goals.  

Setting boundaries with your team is nothing different than providing them structure. 

When everyone in a team is aware of their responsibilities and the expectations the management might have, their productivity levels actually increase instead of the other way around. 

Apart from that, establishing clear boundaries also helps in preventing situations that might result in burnout because some of the team members had too many tasks on their plate. 

So, if unsure where to start, go through this set of questions to see whether the rules and expectations you’ve set in the beginning should be revised.

• Do you frequently have to interrupt your tasks to fix your team’s problems?
• Do you often respond to your team member’s messages for a long time instead of focusing on your own tasks?
• Do your team members contact you or each other outside of work hours?

In case you responded with Yes to any of these questions, it might be time to schedule a meeting and have a conversation with your team. 

This talk might seem stressful, especially for the new managers. But it is helpful to have in mind that once set, the boundaries are there to ensure that every team member is able to perform their best with minimal disruption. 

Embrace change 

Maybe you’re already clear on what your team management style is. Yet sometimes, different situations require different measures, so you’ll need to adapt accordingly. 

Other times a more significant change might be looming, such as complete business restructuring, and you’ll need to be able to adjust to it. 

Whatever the change be, your team members will most likely expect you to provide them with all the information about the novel situation. If their team manager is either unable to share or reluctant to accept change, the team is likely to mimic this behavior and resist any transition.

By being open-minded and tolerant in a new situation, a manager could easily inspire their team to do the same and adapt when necessary. 

Handle conflicts with care

Even when managing a small, well-aligned team, sometimes it’s impossible to prevent conflict from happening. However, the outcome of the conflict may depend on a manager’s action in these situations.

You are probably aware that ignoring the elephant in the room is not going to bring about a solution, but what to do instead?

Although there is no one-size-fits-all cure when it comes to handling team conflict, there are two solutions that go hand in hand with proper team management.

# Solution 1 — Try to initiate collaboration

In situations where team members are already familiar with each other and have been collaborating for a while, trying to mediate and lead them to collaborate on finding an adequate solution could easily settle the conflict.

#Solution 2 — Try to come to a compromise

Not every conflict can be resolved in a process of collaboration, so sometimes a compromise could be the best way to go. 

However, have in mind that working out a compromise works best when you’re looking for a quick solution. Since both sides need to give up on something in order to find a middle ground, it’s not recommended to overuse this approach.

Wrapping up…

Team management is the backbone of any business — it encompasses everything that helps your teams or the entire organization remain afloat through stormy times, and come at as winners in the end.

Proper team management gives you the following:

• It makes team building possible.
• It improves productivity.
• It promotes learning.
• It makes teams happier and thus more likely to perform well.

In gist, team management does so by providing:

• Clear plans and goals
• A comfortable, yet present team management style
• Realistic expectations
• Effective motivators
• Efficient cooperation
• An explanation about the importance of tasks within a project
• Constant learning
• Positive and negative feedback
• A manager who serves as a role model that stands behind the team’s values and beliefs

You did your part of the deal, so now you expect the same kind of accuracy from your client — paying for a job done. 

But what if your client forgets to pay? 

Or even worse, what if you don’t hear from them once you deliver the project? 

At first, you might hold good faith that your payment will get processed soon. But the longer you wait, the harder it will be to take action and get what you deserve. 

In situations like these, it’s essential that you take things into your own hands and ask for payment directly.

To help you with that, we’ve decided to devote this blog post to: 

• Discovering what’s behind our fear of asking for payment,
• Showing you how to ask for payment without being rude,
• Explaining why it’s important to have a backup plan, 
• Providing you with some useful strategies, tips, and templates that will help you get paid on time, and  
• Letting you know how to ask for payment if all the above fails. 

Let’s begin! 

Why is talking about money such a taboo?

Avoiding money talk is perhaps one of the most widespread social norms. From companies forbidding salary discussions to friends dodging earning-related topics — money has been taboo for a while now.

In fact, Insider’s Master your Money Pulse Poll has shown that most Americans avoid discussing money to the point where they’ll more happily discuss their health or politics over their finances. 

But why do we stay out of money conversations at all costs?

Well, it has something to do with our tendency to link our self-worth with the amount of money we have, so the conversations about it are almost naturally uncomfortable. If we openly shared how much money we earn, we’d be revealing how valued we are by our employers or companies. According to Cara Macksoud, Financial Behavior Specialist, the habit of avoiding money talk is, in fact, deeply rooted in our childhoods:

“First of all, we don’t practice [talking about money] enough. Nobody’s good at anything off the bat, and money has been a taboo topic from the time when we were little kids. We didn’t learn to talk about it more freely, we didn’t learn to navigate those conversations.”

Then, after we stepped into adulthood, these conversations did not get any easier. In fact, it’s completely the opposite according to Cara:

“We really have a hard time when there is pressure or added stress to something and we need to bring money into that conversation — it’s what makes us feel even worse. For instance, if you have a boss who treats you poorly, it may be even harder to ask for what you’re worth.”

Since money talk usually comes hand in hand with a fear of rejection and our deep insecurities, it’s no wonder we avoid talking about it at all costs. 

How to overcome the fear of asking for payment?

Being uncomfortable discussing money with friends doesn’t take away much from your conversation, nor does it ruin your friendships. You still have a bunch of other topics to touch on, and your friends probably don’t even notice you changing the subject whenever finances come around.

However, treating money as an off-limits topic when it comes to your payment usually comes at a greater cost. You might even twitch at the very thought of bringing up the word ‘dollar’ in a business environment, let alone ask for a raise.

But is there anything to be done? 

The solution, according to Dr. Kyle Elliott, Career Coach and Forbes Coaches Council Member, lies in assessing the risks:

“A helpful strategy to get over the fear is to write out the best-case and worst-case scenarios that may result from your request. You’ll quickly realize that the worst case is that you simply don’t get a raise, and the best case is you get more money in your pocket.”

The same goes for situations where you do the work on time and then wait months for your client to settle the invoice. When you weigh the pros and cons, you’ll realize that you have nothing to lose by reaching out to your client and asking for the money you’ve earned. 

As long as you stay professional, direct, and precise in your request — your payment reminder will most likely pay off in the end. 

When to send a payment request email to a client?

Now that you’ve successfully conquered the fear of asking for payment for your services, you might be troubled by the question of timing. 

When is the best time to ask for payment? 

Well, the truth is — you shouldn’t wait too long. 

A good rule of thumb to avoid late payments is to issue your invoice first and then send a number of shorter emails before and after the payment due date:

• Payment reminder email you’ll send a week before the payment due date,
• Payment reminder email you’ll send on the day of the payment,
• Payment reminder email you’ll send a week after the payment due date,
• Payment reminder email you’ll send 2 weeks after the payment due date, and
• Payment reminder email you’ll send 1 month after the payment due date.

If you send your emails in such regular intervals, you’ll remain polite and patient, but also show your clients that you are professional about your invoices and matters of payment. 

Moreover, you’ll present yourself as someone who values their work, prompting the client to value it as well.

To help you remain as professional as possible, we’ve made 5 different payment request email templates you can use for free.

Payment request email templates

We know how uncomfortable it can be to ask for money from clients, especially if you’re never sure how polite or rude you might sound in your email. 

Here’s how you can phrase each individual requesting payment email you send to your client. We have 6 different payment request email templates you can download and use.

Payment request email template #1: First invoice

After you’ve successfully met your agreed deadline, now would be the time to issue your invoice to the client. 

Before reaching for the send button, try to be:

• Polite,
• Brief, and
• Informative.

Additional tips for writing your first invoice email

Since the purpose of your invoice email is to provide your client with the necessary information regarding their payment, make sure the body of your email is as brief and informative as possible. 

Make sure to:

• Include the payment due date,
• List all the payment details (if not stated in the invoice already), and
• Close your email on a positive note.

Here’s an example of the first invoice email you can send to your client:

Download Payment Request Email Template #1

Also, try sending your invoice at least 2 weeks before the payment due date to ensure your client has enough time to gather and organize payment documentation usually needed when paying contractors. This way, you’ll minimize the chances of waiting to receive payment for too long. 

Payment request email template #2: A week before the payment due date

While drafting the email that you’ll send one week before the payment due date, try keeping your tone: 

• Friendly,
• Short, and
• Informative.

Additional tips for writing your payment request email 

You don’t need to ask for payment directly in the second email — you just need to make sure your client knows your payment terms and basic information beforehand. 

This way, you’ll position yourself as a professional who regularly tracks invoices and sends reminder emails if the client doesn’t pay on time.

Take a look at an example of the payment request email you can send to your client:

Download Payment Request Email Template #2

Payment request email template #3: The day of the payment due date

When the day of the payment comes, and you still haven’t been paid, you have to act on it. It’s best to do that with another payment request email reminder. 

You should make sure to write this one while remaining: 

• Friendly,
• Concise, and 
• Clear in your call to action.

Additional tips for writing your payment request email

Since this is just another polite email reminder, you should maintain a completely friendly tone with your client — the bill isn’t overdue yet. 

The most effective choice is to make this email clear and concise — with a direct call to make the payment to meet today’s payment deadline.

Here’s how you can write this payment request email reminder:

Download Payment Request Email Template #3

Payment request email template #4: A week after the payment due date

A whole week has passed, and your client still hasn’t paid you. It’s time for another payment request email reminder. When writing this one, you should: 

• Be more informative,
• Use a firmer tone,
• Emphasize the time the invoice is overdue, and
• Include a copy of the invoice in the attachment.

Additional tips for writing your payment request email 

This is your first email about the invoice being overdue — so you’ll need to maintain a firmer tone and include a straightforward CTA. 

You should also make sure to repeat the basic invoice information, such as:

• The invoice number, 
• The date it was sent to the client, and 
• The total amount due. 

You’re still giving your client the benefit of the doubt, so make sure you also include a copy of the invoice in the attachment. Perhaps you’ll find out the attachment you previously sent was faulty, and the client did not receive the invoice.

This payment email reminder can sound something like this:

Download Payment Request Email Template #4

Payment request email template #5: 2 weeks after the payment due date

It’s now 2 weeks past the payment due date, and you’re probably getting anxious. Remember that remaining professional and calm is necessary even at this point. 

So, how do you write this payment email reminder? Consider the following:

• Be as direct as possible, 
• Come up with a clear CTA, 
• Ask the client to confirm they received the invoice email,
• Emphasize the time the invoice is overdue, and 
• Include a copy of the invoice in the attachment.

Additional tips for writing your payment request email

As you send your second direct reminder email telling the client their payment is overdue, you’ll need to be even firmer and more direct. 

A clear call to action and asking the client to confirm they received the invoice email will lessen the chances that the client will ignore the email.

Although the benefit of the doubt is mostly gone by now, sending another attachment of the invoice will serve as another reminder to your client — regardless of their reason for not replying. 

This is what a good payment email reminder looks like:

Download Payment Request Email Template #5

Payment request email template #6 : 1 month after the payment due date

Before you know it, it’s already one month after the payment due date. You should plan for another payment request email reminder and make sure to: 

• Be direct and firm,
• Use a tougher approach,
• Remain professional and polite, and 
• Avoid making things personal. 

Additional tips for writing your payment request email

Considering that you’ve already sent a couple of invoice emails that have been completely ignored, you should take a firmer and tougher approach with this requesting payment letter. 

Of course, remaining as professional and polite as possible should still be your top priority. 

Avoid turning to threats and direct accusations — you’ll risk seeming unprofessional and ruining your reputation. Moreover, you’ll be less likely to get paid.

An efficient way to send this final payment email reminder would be something like this:

Download Payment Request Email Template #6

How NOT to ask for payment from clients

It’s easy to give in to frustration when you’re waiting for a payment to be issued. 

Still, it’s essential not to let your emotions overwhelm you and to keep sending professional and polite reminders to your clients. 

To help you avoid mistakes when sending our payment request email reminders, we crafted a few bad examples. 

Take a look at what you shouldn’t do when asking for payment from your clients. 

Don’t send a vague payment request email reminder

You sent a payment request reminder to your client before the due date and wrote the following:

What’s wrong with this payment request email? 

• The subject line is vague,  
• There’s no precise invoice or payment information,
• The sender didn’t include the actual due date,
• The approach and the language are too informal, and
• There’s too much irrelevant information for the client.

Instead of dispatching a vague email containing personal information unrelated to your subject, try being as clear and direct as possible. 

After a brief greeting, you should quickly state the purpose of your email — your payment request. 

Don’t send an overly personal payment request email reminder 

Your client didn’t pay you even though you agreed on a deadline. You’ve decided to write them an email reminder sometime after the due date. You write something like this:

What’s wrong with this payment request email? 

• The subject line isn’t clear enough,
• Your email is too long, indirect, and indecisive,  
• The language is too informal and personal, 
• You don’t point out the possible consequences of the late payment, 
• There’s too much beating around the bush, and
• There’s no clear call to action. 

When composing a payment request email, try to come to the point right at the beginning of your email. Make sure to include a clear subject line and an explicit call to action. 

Don’t send a threatening payment request email reminder 

It’s been a month since you finished that project and still no money? You’re so angry you can’t even think straight. You send out the following email:

What’s wrong with this payment request email? 

• It’s overly emotional and demanding,
• It’s threatening and totally unprofessional, and
• The threats are likely to prove ineffective or even counterproductive. 

Even if you’ve decided to pursue legal action against your client, threatening them is never a solution, and it could potentially even backfire on you. 

It’s always better to try to remain as polite and professional as possible, regardless of the time you’ve been waiting for their response. 

Asking for payment over the phone

In case asking for payment via email did not end up with a response, your second best option is reaching out to your client over the phone. 

Depending on the situation or your preferences, there are two things you can do: 

• Call the client directly, or
• Send them a text message.

Here’s how you can finally set your records straight.

Calling your client to ask for payment 

When talking to the client over the phone, you should make sure to: 

• Introduce yourself and explain why you’re calling,
• Be concise and polite,
• Try not to use slang words and expressions,
• Don’t make direct accusations about the client not paying you, 
• Maintain a polite tone that gives your client the benefit of the doubt, and
• Summarize all details agreed upon before the conversation ends.

If in doubt about what to say to your client, you can open up in the following way:

No matter how the conversation continues from there, you’re likely to get some answers to your questions. You may even find that: 

• The email address you’ve been sending invoice emails to is wrong and all your carefully crafted emails ended up in an inbox abyss.
• You’ve been sending your invoice emails to the wrong person altogether, especially if you’re doing business with a larger company.

Whatever the reason may be, you’ll be more likely to learn about it if you talk with your client over the phone.

You’ll also be able to polish out the details for finalizing that payment in a more brisk manner than you’d be able to via email — probably because you won’t have to wait long for the reply.

Texting your client to ask for payment 

If you’re really out of luck, your client may not answer the phone. The reasons for this can be different:  

• They’re trying to stay present and focused during an important meeting, so they’ve put their phone on silent,
• Maybe they don’t have your phone number memorized and don’t like answering phone calls from unknown numbers, or
• Perhaps talking over the phone makes them uncomfortable, and they prefer to avoid it.

In any case, if you already have your client’s number, you should text them. This might turn out to be the fastest and easiest way to get in touch. 

You can send something like this:

When you choose to send a text message, you’ll give your client more time to prepare and respond. Moreover, this way you’ll help clients who don’t like to talk over the phone feel more at ease.

Chances are, once your client realizes who you are, you’ll probably receive a call from them or a message indicating when it would be a good time to call back.

Additional tips and strategies for getting paid on time

If you’ve already had an unpleasant experience with some of your clients, or if you’re still unsure that a client you’re working with will pay you, taking steps in advance might be the smartest way to go. 

Making precautions seems like a better tactic than chasing after your clients after you’ve finished and delivered the project.

Here are a few additional tips and strategies to help you get paid on time.

Tip #1: Provide the client with precise records of your work

Getting paid on time can be a lot easier if you always have precise and transparent records of your work. This way, you can always prove that: 

• You are the one who did the work,
• You finished the work at the time you claim you did, and
• You completed the work for that particular client. 

Your best option for achieving full transparency and accountability with your clients, is to avoid relying on your memory and keeping all your records straight in a time tracker. 

In Clockify, for example, regardless of whether you are a freelancer or an independent consultant, you can: 

• Track time on your project-related work,
• Calculate your earnings automatically, based on your hourly rates, 
• Generate, save, and export time reports you can then send to your client, and
• Have a detailed overview of all your billable hours.

In addition to these features, Clockify also provides you with a free time clock app that will make clocking in and clocking out as effective as possible.

Using a time tracker to keep an eye on all your projects and tasks will definitely help you minimize the chances of not being paid on time. 

Tip #2: Draw a contract

Most of the time, it’s best to simply put your rights and obligations on paper. 

Signing a legally binding contract may be a good way to avoid not being paid in the end. 

You might not have considered this the most crucial element in your work, but having a contract may help tip the scales in your favor.

When drawing a contract, you should make sure you include the following elements:

• The parties involved in the contract,
• The precise project delivery and payment terms,
• A passage clarifying the matter of intellectual property upon project completion,
• A passage stating your work is your intellectual property until full payment is made,
• A passage about a penalty fee in case the original payment date is overdue, and
• A passage clarifying what should be done in case of a dispute.

Even if the contract cannot guarantee the clients will pay you, it may still encourage them not to delay their payment for too long. 

Finally, you can also consult a legal entity about what elements you should include in your contract to maintain professionality. This will also provide proof of everything you agreed upon with your client in case you have to turn to the law.

Tip #3: Ask for an advance deposit

Asking for an advance is another great way to ensure getting paid once you finish the project. You can even include an advance deposit clause in your contract and let your clients know this is the way you do your business. 

In essence, clients who are willing to pay part of the agreed amount in advance are the ones who are taking this entire collaboration seriously. They will most likely pay you in full at the end of the project, too. 

However, clients who frown upon this section in your contract or downright refuse to sign it will probably bail on paying once you’ve completed the project. So, it’s best not to collaborate with them in the first place — it will save you both time and money. 

Yet, if you still think that a hefty advance deposit might turn away first-time clients who may be wary of your work, you can provide them with an alternative. You can ask them to pay you smaller amounts of money when you reach certain project milestones.

Tip #4: Pick a reliable payment processor

To make the entire process of payment easier for both sides, it’s important that you find a suitable and reliable way to issue payments. 

Your chosen payment processor has to be: 

• Efficient — so you can use it without complications, 
• Simple — so your client can use it easily, and  
• Secure — so both your and your client’s data is protected. 

For example, PayPal is an efficient, standard choice, but there are also other useful payment processors you can try out. 

However, try to make your pick based on factors relevant to you and your clients, such as: 

• Your client’s convenience, 
• The region you live in, and 
• Your own preferences.

Tip #5: Invoice efficiently

A professional-looking invoice will increase the chances of you getting paid. The great thing is that the market is packed full of invoicing tools you can use for this purpose.

Invoicing tools (or tools with invoicing features) help you organize and keep in order your due payments and invoices.

In fact, if you use Clockify to stay on top of your billable hours, you can send your invoice directly from the app as soon as you’ve checked off the last task on your list. 

Also, most of the tools send you reminders when the invoice is overdue. This means that you’ll reduce the chances of forgetting your client’s payment due date, and you can reach out to them in time. 

Tip #6: Make sure you’ve clearly communicated expectations

Sometimes you could invest months in a project only to end up empty-handed because the client was not satisfied with the final outcome.

Even though this is not a legitimate reason not to pay for a service, if you haven’t drawn a legally binding contract beforehand, the time you invested could potentially go to waste. 

To avoid such a situation, it’s always best to discuss every aspect of your project with the client upfront. Hop on a quick call, discuss all the milestones, deadlines, and goals of the project you’re about to take on and make sure to ask questions if any part of the deal sounds confusing.

Also, checking in with your client to keep them updated on your progress could help you avoid having to re-do your tasks if it turns out you weren’t exactly on the same page. 

Tip #7: Agree on milestone payments

In case you’ve landed your job on a freelance platform, you might have had this payment option set up by default. 

In a nutshell, a milestone payment is made once you’ve completed a certain stage of the project. 

For example, if you are about to begin working on a 100-page translation, you could agree with your client on getting paid a certain amount out of the total budget once you send them the first 25 pages. After you’re done with the next 25 pages, the client issues the second payment, and so on. 

This way, not only do you eliminate the potential misunderstandings regarding the final outcome of the project, but you also protect your time and prevent having to deal with missed payments. 

Tip #8: Do the client research

If you haven’t had a chance to work with them before, prior to taking on any work, try finding more about your client. 

A simple step such as a Google search could potentially let you in on your client’s reputation. You might even stumble across other freelancers’ reviews on social media that could help you reach a decision on whether to work with them or not in the first place. 

Tip #9: Protect your work

Making sure you’ve inserted a watermark or limited access to your work before being fully compensated helps increase your chances of getting paid on time. 

However, this might not always be possible depending on the type of work you do. Alternatively, you could combine this method with milestone payments or an advance deposit and only release a section of your work before you receive payment. 

What to do if your client still doesn’t pay?

You’ve taken all the preventative measures and sent dozens of emails, but you still didn’t receive money for your services? Here’s what you could do next. 

Send a demand letter

If you have tried everything under the sun to ensure you get paid for your work, and your client has given you no response, your next step could be to send a demand letter. 

Most frequently used for resolving payment-related issues, a demand letter is a document that could help avoid taking a dispute to court. 

In this case, it works as a more formal reminder than emails. 

If you are considering drafting a demand letter, make sure to include all the details regarding the late payment, such as:

• Invoice number,
• Initial payment due date,
• The number of days/weeks/months that have passed since you dispatched the invoice,
• The date of your services delivery,
• The new payment deadline, and
• The action you intend to take.

Note:  Even though the content of a demand letter is pretty straightforward, it’s always best to consult with a legal advisor before dispatching the letter. Clockify is not responsible for any losses or risks incurred should this example be used without further guidance from legal advisors.

Seek legal advice

If the payment you’re owed outweighs the potential costs of seeking legal action, your next best shot is to consult with a lawyer. 

They are the ones who can give you the best advice regarding your further action and help you decide whether pursuing a lawsuit would be worth investing more of your time and money. 

In summary: Asking for payment can be done politely and effectively

For many of us, asking for money isn’t a walk in the park. But we also know it’s something that has to be done. 

Still, being ready to take action does not mean you should immediately attack your client if they don’t pay you on time. 

It means that you know:

• What steps to take if a client doesn’t pay when they should,
• How to talk to your client but remain direct, professional, and polite,
• What tools to use to remind your clients of the pending payment (email templates and text messages),
• How to achieve your goal without losing clients in the process, and
• What to do if you’ve taken all the measures and your client still hasn’t paid. 

Make sure to outweigh the pros and cons of each step and reach out to a legal advisor for further guidance. Hopefully, that’ll be enough to find common ground with your client and receive the long-awaited payment. 

Do you struggle with asking for payment professionally? What tips and tricks have you tried that work to your advantage in situations like this one? If there’s something that we haven’t mentioned here but you think could help others be more successful in being paid on time, let us know at blogfeedback@clockify.me. We might include your answer in this or future posts. Also, if you liked this blog post, share it with someone you think could benefit from it. 

If you think your commute is bad, you might change your mind after reading this guide. We will:

• Look at the commuting definition and find out why we don’t like to commute,
• Talk about different commuting options around the world, 
• Dive deeper into unusual and unusually long commutes,
• Take a look at the numbers — from 5 countries where people commute the longest to 20 cities where you’ll spend the most time stuck in traffic,
• Discuss how to make the most of your commute time, even when your commuting takes too long, and
• So much more.

Long story short, it’s everything you need to know to put your own commute into perspective. So, let’s dive right in.

What is commuting and why don’t we like it?

If you have ever searched for the meaning of the word commute, you might have seen something like this:

“To travel regularly to and from a place and especially between where you live and where you work.”

Of course, this commuting definition covers the meaning of the word, as all the dictionary definitions do. 

But, the part that we can never find in a dictionary is all the stress and anxiety lurking behind this simple word. 

When there’s piled up stress in the picture, it’s easy to understand why we dislike commuting. 

In fact, compared to all the rest of our daily activities, commuting causes the most stress. 

Apart from all the anxiety and tension, what we don’t like about commuting is the fact that we do not have any control over it. Whether you’re sitting in your car or standing on a packed up bus, chances are that you won’t be able to do more than wait if there’s a queue of vehicles in front of you slowly crawling down the lane. 

The rest of the story is quite clear — the lack of control and unpredictability further increase our stress levels and we end up despising our daily commute.

Still, despite all the frustration, the majority of people across the globe have to move around their cities to show up at work every morning.

How do people around the world commute

People in different parts of the world opt for different means of travel — they include:

• Motorbikes
• Cars
• Ferries
• Minibus taxis
• Bicycles
• Trains

But, these are only some of the popular choices.

When we take a closer look at the ways people from all over the world travel, it’s easy to see that their choices vary.

How people commute in Bangkok

For example, Bangkok (1) is reported to have 8 times more cars than its existing roads can realistically accommodate, so traffic jams are quite common.

A more pleasant alternative are boats — people who have to cross Bangkok’s canals usually opt for this way of commuting to work.

How people commute in Vietnam

Bicycles and motorbikes are a famed means of commuting in Vietnam (2) — there are more registered motorbikes than there are households.

How people commute in Istanbul

Ferries are a popular commuting option for Istanbul (3) workers — probably because some of them live in the European part of the city, and have to cross the Bosporus strait to get to their workplaces in the Asian part of the city, and vice versa.

How people commute in South Africa

People from Johannesburg (4) in South Africa often commute with minibus taxis, who pick people up along the road — people have to learn specific hand gestures that signal the driver they want to board or get off.

South Africa (5) as a whole also has an unusual taxi-related phenomenon — Taxi wars between minibus taxi drivers and regular taxi drivers are common enough to have their own Wikipedia page.

How people commute in Amsterdam

In Amsterdam (6), the cycling capital of the world with 881,000 registered bicycles, bicycle traffic jams are not an unusual sight.

Worst, unusual, and unusually long commutes

If you commute every day, it’s easy to believe you have it worse than your colleagues who instead have to endure just a short walk to work.

But, some people around the world most likely have it much worse than you do (or at least much, much weirder) — and here are their stories:

Commuting while pressed for space

In India (7), 23 million passengers commute by train every day — some by hanging onto the side of the train, as there’s usually no room for everyone on the actual train.

In Tokyo (8) alone, 6.84 million passengers every day commute to work on overpacked trains, probably with no personal space at all.

There’s even a person called a Pusher (“railway station attendant” is the more elegant term), whose job is simply to push people onto trains before they’re even able to close the doors.

Trains, metros, and subways in New York, Beijing and Madrid (9) also employ this kind of personnel from time to time.

Unusually long commutes from around the world

Everyone’s heard of Extreme sports and Extreme couponing — but fewer people have probably heard of Extreme commuting.

Probably because it’s not really something you’d want to take part in.

Extreme commuters are people who travel more than 90 minutes in one way — and many of them have intriguing (and sometimes even brutal) commute schedules to share:

Sheila James, a public health advisor from Stockton 

She wakes up at 2:15 a.m., changes 2 trains and a bus, to get to her workplace at 7 a.m. in San Francisco.

She has an 80-mile (129 km) commute to work every day.

Sam Cookney, a social media manager from Barcelona

He may live in Barcelona — but he takes 2 trains and a cheap flight in order to get to his workplace in London at 9:30 a.m. every day.

He may have to commute longer than if he chose to live in the same city (or at least in the same country) where his workplace is. But, as he claims, the rent is cheaper.

David Givens, an electrical engineer from Mariposa

He used to undertake a 372-mile (526 km) commute to work from Mariposa to Cisco every day — an endeavor which, depending on the traffic, took about 3.5 hours in one way.

For this unusually long commute, he has won $10,000 in a contest for “America’s Longest Commute”.

Musavvir Mahmud Seazon, a Research Assistant at Bangladesh University

In theory, it should take him 33 minutes to travel 16 miles (9.9 km). At least, that’s what Google Maps suggests. 

In reality, many Dhaka residents have to endure somewhere between 1.5 and 3 hours every day to cross such a small distance, due to near-impossible traffic jams.

Many, many workers from Beijing…

There are also entire cities that experience excruciating commutes. Beijing workers who live on the outskirts of town, for example, have to endure a 6-hour commute every day to-and-fro work.

Simply unusual commutes

Sometimes people just pick unusual routes to save time. Other times, they simply build their own means of transportation to travel faster. 

Abdul Mallik, a teacher from India

He chooses to swim through a river every day to get to his students — as an alternative to a 3-hour bus ride he’d have to endure otherwise.

Paul Cox, a Royal Navy overseer from North Wales

He travels for work from Gwalchmai to Holyhead Boatyard in North Wales by paramotor — and he needs to gain clearance from the Royal Air Force every time before take-off.

Frantisek Hadrava, a locksmith from one Czech village

He considered his 14-minute drive to work too demanding — so he built himself a plane to cut that commuting time in half.

Many, many workers from Bolivia…

The idea that you can avoid traffic jams by flying over them isn’t just wishful thinking.

Bolivians as a people can enjoy some wonderful sights and amazing views during commutes, considering some of them commute by cable cars.

Many workers from Wuppertal, Germany

Every day, over 80 000 people from Wuppertal, Germany, get around their city sitting on a hanging train. The suspension monorail was first opened in 1901 — and ever since its opening, it has been attracting thousands of tourists every year. 

Because of its worldwide popularity, the witty solution to traffic congestion, Wuppertal Schwebebahn, became the city’s trademark. 

What is your daily commute to work like?

So, you can probably rest assured that your own long commute isn’t the worst, or the most unusual.

You probably don’t fly a plane or paramotor to work, or spend 6 hours on the road in total every day.

But, you most likely do spend a certain amount of time on commutes.

So, here’s how average people commute to-and-fro work, what means of transportation they use, and how long it all takes — traffic jams included.

Countries where people commute the longest

We all waste time commuting. But, since our daily commute time differs depending on the country we find ourselves in, we need to look at the numbers. 

Going over the data collected by Numbeo, we’ve managed to pinpoint the exact countries that hold the unflattering title of being one of the top 5 countries with the longest average commuting time.

Nigeria is a narrow winner in this category — with 61.97 minutes, it surpasses the second country with the longest commute, Costa Rica, by 1.78 minutes.

Sri Lanka (57.1 minutes), Kenya (53.98 minutes), and Bangladesh (55.92 minutes), round up the top 5. 

Countries where people commute the shortest

Looking further into the data, it becomes clear that the global commute is not beyond all hope. There still are places where you won’t spend eternity commuting from one place to another, and we’ve listed the top 5 countries with the shortest average commute time.

Iceland is a sure winner with 19.77 minutes on average.

People from Oman take slightly longer to commute (22.76 minutes), while Cyprus (22.93 minutes), Estonia (24.51 minutes) and Austria (25.55 minutes) round up the list of the top 5 countries with the shortest commute — with no country reaching half an hour. 

Cities where people commute the longest

In case your country wasn’t among the top 5 countries where people spend the most time commuting, you can consider yourself lucky. 

But, what about your city?

We’ve looked into Numbeo’s data and listed the top 5 cities with the longest commute.

Famous for its swift development, Nigeria’s boomtown, Lagos, managed to win a sweeping victory. Since commuting in Lagos in 2021 took 66.78 minutes on average, the city surpassed San Jose by 2.76 minutes. 

Citizens of Colombo commute a bit faster (62.17 minutes). 

Although commuting in Los Angeles (61.07 minutes) and Kolkata (60.36 minutes) took slightly less compared to the top three cities, the average commute time is still over an hour — so they round up the list of the top 5 cities with the longest commute time. 

Cities where people commute the shortest

It’s not a secret that people dislike the part of their day they spend commuting, and there’s even research to back this up. 

But that still doesn’t mean that there aren’t cities where the commute time doesn’t take forever and a day. The list of the top 5 cities with the shortest commute time is proof that moving around a city can take less than 20 minutes.

Citizens of Novi Sad wasted the least amount of time commuting in 2021. Their average commute time was 16.61 minutes. Although there’s a possibility that last year’s traffic was reduced due to a lot of people working from home, which led to less time wasted commuting, the city nonetheless secured a well-deserved victory.  

It took a fantastic 17.2 minutes to move from one point to another for all the people living in Regina. 

Although it takes slightly longer to reach your destination in Limassol (19.28 minutes), Omaha (19.39 minutes) and Brasov (19.62 minutes), it’s still possible to arrive in less than 20 minutes.

Most common modes of transportation by city

As evident, cars reign supreme, with many prominent cities choosing it as a means of travel, such as:

• Miami (where a whopping 92.10% of workers commute by car)
• Houston (89.95%)
• Los Angeles (88.02%)
• Washington (64.40%)
• Melbourne (53.50%)

As expected, commuters from Tokyo (59.60%) and New York (43%) usually take the train or metro.

In Phnom Penh (56.60%) and Hanoi (57%), motorbikes are the most popular (and most practical) way of traveling to work.

Although Amsterdam is the world’s cycling capital where bicycles are the most popular means of travel (43%), 38.60% citizens of another city in the Netherlands, The Hague, prefer moving through the city by bike too.

And Helsinki is one of the rare cities that favors the bus or trolleybus (23%).

Modes of transportation in the USA

Means of transportation in the USA alone vary, according to the Statista’s Modes of transportation for commuting in the U.S. 2021 report.

Here’s what means of transportation USA workers used the most in 2021:

Most workers opted for cars, bicycles, taxis or ride-hailing services, and public transportation. 

Cars have definitely reigned supreme (84%), while bicycles took on a significantly lower share since only 12% of commuters used them in 2021. 

Public transportation, on the other hand, was a less popular choice, since only 10% of commuters decided to travel to work this way. 

Time people spend stuck in traffic

Commuting time is only half of the story.

People also spend a substantial amount of time simply stuck in traffic, sitting aimlessly in their seats, with the feeling that the long line of vehicles is never going to move. 

Here are the 20 cities with the worst traffic in the world, according to the INRIX 2021

Global Traffic Scorecard.

London “wins” 1st place, with 148 hours people have spent stuck in traffic in 2021.

Paris comes right after, with 140 hours spent stuck in traffic.

Munchen and Saint Petersburg seem to have it easiest, with 77 and 75 hours of wait-time in traffic, respectively — though this is still more than 3 days a year of being stuck in traffic.

The final commute time equation

In case you’re lucky enough to spend only 15 minutes commuting to work, you surely are better off than the people who spend hours stuck in traffic. 

But, considering that you do it for at least 260 days a year, you waste a surprising amount of time just moving from one point to another. 

Your 15-minute commute per day (30-minute round trip commute) adds up to 5 days per year you lose to commuting. 

If that number isn’t shocking enough, think about all the things you could have done instead of driving your car or sitting on a crowded train. Instead of wasting 125 hours in traffic, you could have watched over 80 movies or even slept 2 hours longer than you’re used to during your workweek.

In case you’re among the not-so-lucky workers who waste an hour traveling to work, last year you could have learned a foreign language, or just have had 500 hours at your disposal to do anything you like to do. 

Effects of long commutes to work

Not only does commuting take away from the time you could spend on more pleasant activities, it also takes its toll on other areas of your life. In short, long commute can:

• Increase costs
• Affect your family and work life
• Cause physical and mental health problems

And here are the downsides of long commutes in greater detail: 

Physical health problems caused by long commutes

It’s far from surprising that long commutes affect your physical health, and science has already proven that.  

One study in particular claims that 19% of people who commute over 30 minutes view commutes as big mental and physical burdens.

According to a study from the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, longer commutes may cause metabolic and cardiovascular health problems — you have to sit more, which leads to less time for exercise, which in turn causes your blood pressure to rise.

Your chances of becoming overweight also increase.

Another study, published in BMC Public Health, supports these findings and adds that long commutes are also likely to increase your stress and decrease your energy levels.

People who have to suffer long commutes also call in sick more often, because they are more likely to fall prey to various illnesses.

Mental health problems caused by long commutes

Long commutes are also likely to exhaust you emotionally and cause a number of mental health problems — considering that you’ll have less time for important non-work activities, such as sleep.

One UK study covering 34,000 adults states that commuting longer than 30 minutes leads to increased stress and decreased productivity levels.

Long commuters are 40% more likely to have financial worries, and also 12% more likely to suffer from work-related stress.

Depression is one other problem you may encounter — people who suffer long commutes are 33% more likely to suffer from this serious mental illness.

Anxiety is another likely problem that emerges from traveling a long way to work — The UK’s National Statistics data that covered responses from 165,000 people shows that London commuters are the most anxious people in the UK.

Looking into our overall life satisfaction and happiness, another study has found that remote work and the absence of commuting improve our wellbeing. When the time we spend commuting is reduced or completely eliminated, we tend to be more satisfied with both our jobs and all the non-work activities that we now have more time to give our attention to. 

Other issues caused by long commutes

Apart from mental and physical issues, long commutes can also cause other problems.

The most common, although not unexpected, phenomenon is that these people are more likely to get divorced, according to research from Umea University in Sweden.

And the reason?

Commuters spend even less time with loved ones, which causes couples to grow apart.

The same research states that couples who stay together for 5 years while one of them is commuting, are more likely to stay together in the future — and “weaker” relationships are likely to fall apart before the 5 years are up.

So, commutes are a great, though often unpleasant and unwelcome, way of testing a relationship.

One popular alternative to commuting

After 2020, there’s probably not a single person on this planet who doesn’t know about the alternative to commuting. It’s working from home, of course.

But, the idea of eliminating commute time did not start with the pandemic.

Just a couple of months before the pandemic outbreak, Andrew Van Dam from the Washington Post talked about the increase in the numbers of remote workers. 

“No commute”, as the fastest growing type of commute, began its slow rise in 2018. 

Then, after 557 million people started working from home in 2020, coming back to the office and the old ways of wasting hours in traffic became a thought too hard to handle for millions of people. In fact, many workers from all around the world would rather visit their dentist or do their taxes than commute to work.

But even though experiments show that people who work from home are 13% more productive than in-office workers, working remotely still comes with a fair share of downsides. 

From finding it hard to remain motivated to feeling isolated from the rest of the team, remote workers face a handful of challenges.

Still, since 50% of the American workers currently work from home, maybe the benefits outweigh the downsides.

How to productively use the time when you’re stuck in traffic

If you belong to the group of people whose jobs require them to commute every day, you might think there are no advantages to a long trip to work.

Sure, as evident, commuting to work has a lot of issues associated with it — but there are ways you can put this time to good use, and feel less pressed about going the extra mile to get to work.

But it’s not all that grim — and all you have to do is change your perspective.

From listening to podcasts to gamifying your commute hours by keeping track of them, the possibilities are aplenty.

Listen to podcasts

Whether you walk to work, cycle or drive, you can easily listen to podcasts — they’re inspirational, educational and help you grow both personally and professionally.

And, they only require a phone and a reliable pair of headphones.

The number of available podcasts seems endless, and everyone can find something to their liking — history, science, medicine, art, productivity, anything that may interest you, likely has a podcast covering it.

If you can’t decide on the topic but are interested in a number of subjects (including debunked popular myths), you can try Stuff You Should Know.

This podcast ponders intriguing topics such as the existence (or non-existence) or Robin Hood, whether the five-second-rule for food really matters, and what inventions managed to kill their inventors.

And those are just some of the tracks.

Ease your workload

You most likely have a lot of work to do when you finally get out of traffic and reach your workplace — so why not ease the workload by performing some work during commutes?

This practice is especially useful (and not at all recommended if you’re driving by yourself) for people who use public transportation to commute.

If you have a steady internet connection, you can use commutes to go through your emails and save some of the 13 hours per week you usually spend on inbox management while at the office. So, make the effort to:

• Sort and organize your mail
• Delete unwanted messages, so that they don’t clutter your inbox
• Answer some more urgent emails

In case clearing up your inbox doesn’t take as long as your commute time, you can also try to fit in a block or two of deep work while you travel. 

If you are used to jotting all your tasks down, you can turn these long hours into your advantage by going over your to-do lists, revising or tracking your goals, or thinking about all the steps you need to take to reach them. 

You can also make an overview of everything you have recently achieved, or just spend the time stuck in traffic brainstorming. 

Try mindful meditation

Commuting to work increases your stress levels, and mindful meditation decreases your stress levels and anxiety. 

So, it’s only logical to try meditating while on a commute.

YouTube offers a number of meditation videos you can use to guide you, but you can also try one of the many apps available for the purpose.

According to one research article, mindful meditation may also help you think more rationally. So, if you’re wondering about an important decision while on a commute, meditation is likely to help you.

Read books

Books are another great cure for commute-induced stress. As a matter of fact, science has shown that bibliotherapy, apart from increasing our emotional intelligence, can also help reduce stress.

If you’re looking for an interesting take on where the world is heading next in terms of innovation, try The Industries of the Future by Alec J. Ross.

You’ll get a fresh insight into the forces leading the world today, and what changes we may expect in the next 10 years, with tips on how we can adapt on time.

The War of Art is great for any professional suffering from the occasional creative block, as it can give you great guidance on how to overcome these blocks and get meaningful work done.

If you drive to work, you can try out an inspirational and educational audiobook — Storm in a Teacup: The Physics of Everyday Life is a great choice for everyone interested to learn something new about physics in an interesting and informative manner.

These books are just the tip of the iceberg — anyone can find his or her perfect book companions to help tedious commutes fly by. You just have to do your research online, in bookstores, and libraries — or simply check out our list of the best books on productivity, if you’re interested in improving your productivity at work.

Take on an online class

You’re probably interested to learn a new skill, two or ten — and again, commutes are perfect for this type of activity.

You can choose from a number of topics that interest you, as most have classes available online. If you’re looking for a new productive hobby, you can choose:

• Fashion design
• Various workshops
• Cartooning
• Hand lettering
• Scrapbooking
• And many more

But, taking an online course while commuting can also help you advance your career. You’re just a Google search away from dozens of free resources where you can learn more about Financial accounting, Digital marketing or even Robotics. 
In fact, not even the sky’s the limit anymore if you’re looking to quench your thirst for knowledge. You can even find courses in Astronomy and Space Exploration — all you need to do first is some research.

Use commutes for your personal “you” time

If you often feel stressed, overloaded with work, or in a rush, you can even use commute time to relax and work on your personal self-care.

If you travel by public transport, consider taking a nap.

It may not sound as time productively spent, but getting enough sleep is important for your productivity.

Plus, the muted, rumbling sound of traffic you’ll hear from the comforts of your train, taxi, or metro seat is perfect for naps.

If your regular commute route or means of travel is wearing you down, change things up — instead of riding the car to work, find inspiration in Amsterdam, and try out a bike.

Consider a different route to work — you may discover an interesting coffee shop or bookstore you didn’t even know was on your way to work.

Or, you may simply discover that the alternative route actually has fewer traffic jams than the one you insisted on for the last couple of years.

If you find a way to enjoy your commute and make it more interesting, you’re likely to resent it much less.

Mix it all up

If you can’t decide what to do during your commute time, you can try a bit of everything. There are no rules. 

But, if you still need a bit of guidance, this is what your ‘stuck-in-traffic’ schedule could look like: 

1. Monday — read or listen to chapter(s) from your favorite educational book (or listen to the audio version, if you’re driving by yourself).
2. Tuesday — listen to a podcast.
3. Wednesday — try to make progress with an online class of your liking.
4. Thursday — meditate.
5. Friday — wake up earlier and try out a new route while taking your time before you get to your workplace, to reflect and relax.

If your commute is a longer one, you may even have time for all of these activities. Eventually, you’ll probably learn not to view commute time as a burden, but as an opportunity to expand your horizons, relax, reflect, and get more work done.

Bonus productivity tip — Track the time you spend on commutes

You may find your commute easier if you know exactly how much time you spend on it — you can use the Clockify Mobile app, either for iOS or Android for this purpose.

Simply, start the timer on your mobile when you leave your home and stop it once you arrive at the office.

Then, analyze your results on your Clockify web account. You can even store all your commute data under one project called “Commute time to work” or “My horrific commute adventures”.

Feel free to get creative with that.

Clockify lets you see the exact time you spent commuting

After a while of tracking commute time, perhaps you’ll find that:

• Your real-time commute takes more or even less than you always thought — this information may help you plan and schedule your work days in the future better.
• You spend less time on commutes on Thursday — because the traffic jams are less severe.

You can even track your time while trying out several routes to work and find the one that gets you to your destination faster than the others.

It’s never a bad idea to try out different means of commuting, just so you can find the fastest one. Maybe you’ll notice that it takes you 45 minutes to get to work by car (because of the traffic jam), while you need only 36 minutes to arrive at the office by bike. 

Also, when you know how much time you spend travelling to work, it’s much easier to decide on how best to spend that time.

Conclusion

As much as we dislike having to give up on our precious time, commutes are usually a necessity to millions of workers around the world. 

But, some people have it better — they have surprisingly short commutes. Others, on the other hand,  are bound to undertake extremely long commutes. The rest of the people’s “commutes” last for as long as they need to get from their bedrooms to their home offices.

However, if you have no other choice but to put on your best smile and try to arrive at a brick and mortar office in time, remember: 

No matter whether you travel by car, train, metro, van, ferry, bike or paramotor, or whether your journey takes 10 minutes or 6 hours, it’s possible to find a way to commute efficiently — the one that implies you enjoy your work travel and productively make use of this time.

You just have to find what would work best for you.

How much time do you spend commuting? Do you have an unusual commute story for all the world to hear? Let us know at blogfeedback@clockify.me and we might include your experience in this one or one of our future articles.

In their battle to come to terms with the arrow of time, people have discovered different means to tame the passing of years, months, and days. They invented the clock, the calendar, and spent countless hours trying to figure out the concept of time. 

One thing after another, they put their fears into words — and we are left with a good deal of wise quotes about time.

So nowadays, whenever we struggle with scheduling our time, prioritizing, or being late, we can turn to Shakespeare’s or Leonardo da Vinci’s famous sayings — and see that similar issues troubled them, too.

Luckily, you don’t have to spend hours combing through dusty books or hidden corners of the Internet to hear what the world’s best thinkers have to say. We already did that for you!

So, we present you the 150+ best time quotes.

10 Best time quotes

Whether the FOMO makes your anxiety go through the roof or you just struggle with keeping up with your daily to-do list — the world’s greatest minds have already been there. 

We’ve selected 10 all-time best quotes to help you change your perspective on time and make the most out of your days. 

Let’s hear what the wise had to say.

1. “Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.” — Marthe Troly-Curtin

This famous line holds a true sentiment. Within “the grind” culture today, it might seem that whatever doesn’t make us money or is an investment in the future is a waste of time. 

Yet, as many as 94% of people value work-life balance and believe spending time on things that enrich us (just not financially) is just as important. 

So, instead of overworking, try going for simple activities that’ll perk you up. 

Enjoy your Netflix binge if it will ease the stress of the day. Go window shopping for hours or spend time with your loved ones. Appreciate your downtime guilt-free. 

As long as you enjoy an activity, the amount of time spent on it doesn’t matter.

2. “We must use time as a tool, not as a couch.” — John F. Kennedy

While different cultures have various perceptions of time, one thing is certain: waiting for time to simply pass you by is a waste. You should learn to use time to your advantage. 

Once we start understanding how time can be used as a tool rather than something we passively rely on, achieving goals gets much easier!

3. “Time is what we want most but what we use worst.” — William Penn

Only 12% of people have a dedicated time management system, a recent Timewatch survey shows. Despite the alarmingly low numbers, many people believe that proper time management reduces stress, increases productivity, and brings more focus and confidence at work. 

Still we tend to lose a lot of time on unnecessary things — a minute here, ten minutes there, and we end up with an entire wasted day on meaningless tasks.

Learning how to manage our time is a skill that requires constant work. So, to use time in the best way possible, it’s important to come up with a system and schedule that makes our time use more efficient.

4. “Tough times never last, but tough people do.” — Robert H. Schuller

We frequently hear “This too shall pass,” as a way of comforting ourselves during difficult times. But what we often forget is that those moments are when we truly grow, harden, and evolve.

By simply waiting for a rough period to pass, we lose out on the opportunity to learn from the experience and become stronger. See what lessons you can learn and let time make you wiser.

5. “ ‘Someday’ is a disease that will take your dreams to the grave with you.”  — Timothy Ferriss

We’ve all heard stories of people regretting not taking a chance on their dreams because they weren’t good enough yet, weren’t confident enough, or lacked the resources or support. 

When we keep promising ourselves that “someday” we’ll realize our passion, we effectively lose time.

It is better to take a risk and put in the effort to realize a dream because then we get the chance to learn and improve. Otherwise, we’re left with a perpetual “what if…”

6. “Yesterday’s the past, tomorrow’s the future, but today is a gift. That’s why it’s called the present.” — Bil Keane

This quote is a good reminder that we should appreciate the time we have now because not everyone is lucky enough to have it. Also, dwelling on the past only makes us less productive and more anxious. 

Thus, appreciating the moment you have right now does wonders for motivation and overcoming difficulties.

7. “Better three hours too soon than a minute too late.” — William Shakespeare

In this quote from The Merry Wives of Windsor, Shakespeare alluded to the benefits of doing something earlier rather than missing an opportunity. 

It is so easy to put off things like writing up an email, checking a job listing, getting a medical check-up, and so on. We get lost in other things until it becomes too late.

Combat your procrastination, even if it means doing something way before the deadline.

8. “The past always looks better than it was. It’s only pleasant because it isn’t here.” — Finley Peter Dunne

Have you noticed how each generation tends to reminisce about their past, claiming it was much better in their day? 

As it turns out, it is a very human thing to do — our brains tend to embellish good memories. In fact, researchers found that positive memories stay with us much longer than negative ones. They call this “fading affect bias.”

So, the times haven’t changed, only our perception of them.

Take your past with a grain of salt, and remember to take some pressure off the time you live in.

9. “The time for action is now. It’s never too late to do something.” — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

It’s a common saying that there are no age limits to anything in life. Morgan Freeman landed his first big role at 52, and Winston Churchill became Prime Minister at 66!

Let go of any fears or embarrassment that you are too young or too old to take up a career endeavor. The only mistake you can make is waiting so long that you give up in the end.

10. “Time will not slow down when something unpleasant lies ahead.” — Harry Potter

This is a thought from a fictional character, but an important one nonetheless. 

With this thought from the book Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,  J.K. Rowling pointed out that no matter how much we wish to stop time when hardship is on the horizon, we can’t go against it.

The biggest favor we can do ourselves is to accept the passage of time, both when good and bad things happen. The sooner we face our troubles, the sooner they’ll be over.

Time quotes on waiting for the perfect moment 

A lot of us struggle with making the right decision, and we tend to wait for a better moment to start something. 

How many times can we tell ourselves “The time is not right” or “I’m not ready yet” before it is too late to grab an opportunity?

Let’s see what some great minds had to say about that “perfect timing.”

2. “Time is a created thing. To say ‘I don’t have time,’ is to say, ‘I don’t want to.’” — Lao Tzu

3. “You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past. You don’t try to forget the mistakes, but you don’t dwell on it. You don’t let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space.” — Johnny Cash

4. “If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?” — John Wooden

5. “Any action is often better than no action, especially if you have been stuck in an unhappy situation for a long time. If it is a mistake, at least you learn something, in which case it’s no longer a mistake. If you remain stuck, you learn nothing.” — Eckhart Tolle

6. “There are two types of patience. One is exercised in hard work and the other in idleness. Patience with hard work is the one that moves mountains. Patience in idleness moves nothing, not even cobwebs.” — Israelmore Ayivor

7. “Your success will be in direct proportion to how you spend your ‘free’ time.” — Mike Dunlap

8. “If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you’ll never get it done.” — Bruce Lee

9. “You may delay, but time will not.” — Benjamin Franklin

10. “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” — Steve Jobs

11. “You will never find time for anything. If you want time you must make it.” — Charles Buxton

12. “The way we spend our time defines who we are.” — Jonathan Estrin

13. “Remember, today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.” — Dale Carnegie

14. “This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

15. “Don’t let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something stand in the way of your doing it. The time will pass anyway; we might just as well put that passing time to the best possible use.” ― Earl Nightingale

16. “If you wait for the perfect moment when all is safe and assured, it may never arrive. Mountains will not be climbed, races won, or lasting happiness achieved.” ― Maurice Chevalier

Time and work quotes

We worry a lot about time in relation to our work, as well. Sometimes, our work days seem to stretch into eternity, and other times, they fly by leaving us with little time to finish up our tasks.

Perhaps a proper habit-tracking app is the solution. 

Or maybe a motivating quote can help you acknowledge the importance of tracking your time.

The following quotes are meant to give you another view of how you use your time at work — where you may be wasting it, investing it poorly, or how to prioritize your tasks better.

17. “Don’t spend time beating on a wall, hoping to transform it into a door.” — Coco Chanel

18. “People are often so busy living that they never stopped to wonder why.” — Terry Pratchett

19. “It’s not about the paycheck, it’s about respect, it’s about looking in the mirror and knowing that you’ve done something valuable with your day.” — Dave Kovic

20. “The great dividing line between success and failure can be expressed in five words: ‘I did not have time.’” — Franklin Field

21. “Don’t watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going.” — Sam Levenson

22. “When I’m doing a movie, I’m not doing anything else. It’s all about the movie. I don’t have a wife. I don’t have a kid. Nothing can get in my way… I’ve made a choice, so far, to go on this road alone. Because this is my time. This is my time to make movies.” — Quentin Tarantino

23. “A person who has not done one half his day’s work by ten o’clock runs a chance of leaving the other half undone.” ― Emily Bronte

24. “I never look back, darling. It distracts from the now.” ― Edna Mode, The Incredibles

25. “If you trust in yourself… and believe in your dreams… and follow your star… you’ll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren’t so lazy.” — Terry Pratchett

26. “We can only see a short distance ahead, but we can see plenty there that needs to be done.”  — Alan Turing

27. “By faithfully working eight hours a day you may eventually get to be boss and work twelve hours a day.” ― Robert Frost

28. “It’s not enough to be busy, so are the ants. The question is, what are we busy about?” ― Henry David Thoreau

Time and life quotes 

Achieving a work-life balance in this day and age can be a struggle. Some are not sold on the “hustle culture” and highly value their private time, while others believe that working 120 hours a week allows them to reap rewards later.

So, whenever you start wondering how to strike the perfect balance, maybe one of these thoughts can be a reminder of how precious this time is.

29. “Have regular hours for work and play; make each day both useful and pleasant, and prove that you understand the worth of time by employing it well. Then youth will bring few regrets and life will become a beautiful success.”  — Louisa May Alcott

30. “Life isn’t a matter of milestones, but of moments.” — Rose Kennedy

31. “No such thing as spare time, no such thing as free time, no such thing as downtime. All you got is a lifetime. Go.” — Henry Rollins

32. “I always live in the present. The future I can’t know. The past I no longer have.” —  Fernando Pessoa

33. “With technology and over-scheduling, we are forgetting to invest time in simple connective moments with others.” — Michelle Gielan

34. “For disappearing acts, it’s hard to beat what happens to the eight hours supposedly left after eight of sleep and eight of work.”  — Doug Larson

35. “They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.”  — Andy Warhol

36. “At the end of your life, you will never regret not having passed one more test, not winning one more verdict, or not closing one more deal. You will regret time not spent with a husband, a friend, a child, or a parent.” — Barbara Bush

37. “Don’t live the same year 75 times and call it a life.” — Robin S. Sharma

38. “Time sometimes flies like a bird, sometimes crawls like a snail; but a man is happiest when he does not even notice whether it passes swiftly or slowly.” — Ivan Turgenev

39. “Half our time is spent trying to find something to do with the time we have rushed through life trying to save.” — Will Rogers

40. “Stop and take your time to notice things and make those things you notice matter.” — Cecelia Ahern

41. “People hurry so they can get to places faster, where they’d rather not be, so they can have more time to do things they’d rather not be doing.” — Peter Turla

42. “Free time is a terrible thing to waste. Read a book.” — E.A. Bucchianeri

43. “It’s surprising how much free time and productivity you gain when you lose the busyness in your mind.” — Brittany Burgunder

44. “You can have it all. Just not all at once.” — Oprah Winfrey

45. “Free time was the most precious time when you should be doing what you loved, or at least slowing down enough to remember what made your life worthwhile and happy.” — Amy Tan

46. “There’s only one thing more precious than our time and that’s who we spend it on.” — Leo Christopher

47. “Too often man handles life as he does the bad weather. He whiles away the time as he waits for it to stop.” — Alfred Polgar

Time management quotes

Time management is an invaluable skill every adult strives to perfect. We want to be better at using the time we are given, but it’s a lifelong learning process. 

With a little motivational boost and learning from our mistakes, we can quickly solve our poor time management problems. So long as we don’t waste time waiting to start or fretting over the process.

Here are some time management quotes to motivate you. 

48. “Time management is an oxymoron. Time is beyond our control, and the clock keeps ticking regardless of how we lead our lives. Priority management is the answer to maximizing the time we have.” — John C. Maxwell

49. “You’ve got to know what you want. This is central to acting on your intentions. When you know what you want, you realize that all there is left then is time management. You’ll manage your time to achieve your goals because you clearly know what you’re trying to achieve in your life.” — Patch Adams

50. “Don’t make the same decision twice. Spend time and thought to make a solid decision the first time so that you don’t revisit the issue unnecessarily.” — Bill Gates

51. “Once you have mastered time, you will understand how true it is that most people overestimate what they can accomplish in a year — and underestimate what they can achieve in a decade!” — Anthony Robbins

52. “Rearranging your day around when you have the most energy is one simple way to work smarter instead of just harder.” — Chris Bailey

53. “Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you.”  — Carl Sandburg

54. “The most efficient way to live reasonably is every morning to make a plan of one’s day and every night to examine the results obtained.”  — Alexis Carrel

55. “A plan is what, a schedule is when. It takes both a plan and a schedule to get things done.” — Peter Turla

56. “He who every morning plans the transactions of that day and follows that plan carries a thread that will guide him through the labyrinth of the most busy life.” ― Victor Hugo

57. “Until we can manage time, we can manage nothing else.”   — Peter F. Drucker

58. “Time management requires self-discipline, self-mastery, and self-control more than anything else.” — Brian Tracy

59. “The butterfly counts not months but moments and has time enough.” — Rabindranath Tagore

Multitasking quotes 

Only in recent years did we begin to abandon multitasking as a skill that provides positive results for one’s workflow. 

As a matter of fact, research by the American Psychological Association shows that concentrating on a single task at a time is the key to achieving great results and maintaining high productivity levels.

The following quotes only confirm this.

60. “Multitasking is overrated — I’d rather do one thing well than many things badly. Quality supersedes quantity every time.” — Stewart Stafford

61. “The irony of multitasking is that it’s exhausting: when you’re doing two or three things simultaneously, you use more energy than the sum of energy required to do each task independently. You’re also cheating yourself because you’re not doing anything excellently.” — Twyla Tharp

62. “To do two things at once is to do neither.” — Publius Syrus

63. “Multitasking is like constantly pulling up a plant. This kind of constant shifting of your attention means that new ideas and concepts have no chance to take root and flourish.” — Barbara Oakley

64. “Multitasking divides your attention and leads to confusion and weakened focus.” — Deepak Chopra

65. “Multitasking arises out of distraction itself.” — Marilyn vos Savant

66. “You can do two things at once, but you can’t focus effectively on two things at once.” — Gary Keller

67. “One cannot manage too many affairs: like pumpkins in the water, one pops up while you try to hold down the other.” — Chinese Proverb

68. “Be like a postage stamp — stick to one thing until you get there.” — Josh Billings

69. “The shorter way to do many things is to only do one thing at a time.” — Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

70. “Multitasking, when it comes to paying attention, is a myth.” — John Medina

Procrastination quotes

Procrastination, sadly, never goes out of style. 

If you were used to putting things off at college, chances are you still do it even after graduation. According to a study by Darius Foroux, 88% of employees procrastinate at least one hour a day. 

We all know how difficult it is to leave the pesky little habit of procrastinating behind, so we’ve collected some of the best sayings on procrastination to inspire you to wave it goodbye.

71. “Procrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday and avoiding today.” — Wayne Dyer

72. “We all sorely complain of the shortness of time, and yet have much more than we know what to do with. Our lives are either spent in doing nothing at all, or in doing nothing to the purpose, or in doing nothing that we ought to do. We are always complaining that our days are few, and acting as though there would be no end of them.” — Seneca

73. “Until you value yourself, you will not value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it.” — M. Scott Peck

74. “Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work in hand. The sun’s rays do not burn until brought to a focus.” — Alexander Graham Bell

75. “Begin doing what you want to do now. We are not living in eternity. We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand, and melting like a snowflake.” — Sir Francis Bacon

76. “Dare to be wise; begin! He who postpones the hour of living rightly is like the rustic who waits for the river to run out before he crosses.” — Horace

77. “Delay always breeds danger, and to protract a great design is often to ruin it.” — Miguel De Cervantes

78. “Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task.” — William James

Prioritizing your time quotes

The core of time management is learning how to prioritize. 

When you decide what is important to you and your career, scheduling suddenly becomes easier. You know what needs to be set aside, completely forgotten, or pushed to the forefront. And it’s no new science, either. 

If you need more persuading to start prioritizing, take a look at the following section.

79. “If you want to make good use of your time, you’ve got to know what’s most important and then give it all you’ve got.” — Lee Iacocca

80. “Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

81. “There is never enough time to do everything, but there is always enough time to do the most important thing.” — Brian Tracy

82. “The most important thing in life is knowing the most important things in life.” — David F. Jakielo

83. “We don’t drift in good directions. We discipline and prioritize ourselves there.” — Andy Stanley

84. “You gotta make it a priority to make your priorities a priority.” — Richie Norton

85. “ ‘I don’t have time’ is just saying it’s not a priority.” — Naval Ravikant

Using your time wisely quotes

Aside from mastering your time management, it’s important to learn how to use time wisely. Making wise moves means understanding which actions are important, and which ones have far-reaching consequences that greatly improve your life. 

Here are some quotes that might help you make better choices.

86. “Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.” — H. Jackson Brown Junior

87. “It is not enough to take steps which may someday lead to a goal; each step must be itself a goal and a step likewise.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

88. “Don’t be fooled by the calendar. There are only as many days in the year as you make use of. One man gets only a week’s value out of a year while another man gets a full year’s value out of a week.” — Charles Richards

89. “Ordinary people think merely of spending time. Great people think of using it.” — Anonymous

90. “Take care of the minutes and the hours will take care of themselves.”— Lord Chesterfield

91. “The main problem with this great obsession for saving time is very simple: you can’t save time. You can only spend it. But you can spend it wisely or foolishly.” — Benjamin Hoff

92. “One can only forget about time by making use of it.” — Charles Baudelaire

93. “As we speak, cruel time is fleeing. Seize the day, believing as little as possible in the morrow.” — Horace

Scheduling your time quotes

The only way to master our time management is to become an expert in scheduling and planning our tasks properly.  

We are all different, and each one of us has a different approach to planning our time. Still, there’s a little nugget of wisdom for everyone in the following section.

94. “I must govern the clock, not be governed by it.” — Golda Meir

95. “Starting every year, before I booked anything, or agreed to any meetings or conferences, we’d sit down with my assistant and we looked at our lives first. We planned that out first, and then what was left would be left for work.” — Michelle Obama

96. “One must work with time and not against it.“ — Ursula K. Le Guin

97. “Begin with the end in mind.” — Stephen Covey

98. “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” — Abraham Lincoln

99. “A goal without a plan is just a wish.” — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

100. “Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now.” — Alan Lakein

101. “Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have twenty-four-hour days.” — Zig Ziglar

102. “The best time to start was last year. Failing that, today will do.” ― Chris Guillebeau

Taking your time quotes 

Not everything has to be done as soon as possible. Some things just require time. 

Being patient is sometimes much better than rushing into an opportunity.

These quotes will inspire you to embrace patience. 

103. “There is more to life than simply increasing its speed.” — Mahatma Gandhi

104. “Take your time. There’s no rush to be good or renowned.” — Kathryn Budig

105. “If you’re really looking for something in particular, it helps to take your time.” — Billy Gibbons

106. “When you take the small roads you see the life that goes on there, this makes your own life larger.” ― Elizabeth Berg

107. “You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” — Martin Luther King, Jr.

108. “Fast is fine, but accuracy is everything.” — Wyatt Earp

109. “The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time.” — Abraham Lincoln

110. “The important thing is to take your time and not get stressed.” — Diane von Furstenberg

111. “Haste in every business brings failures.” — Herodotus

112. “Perfection is attained by slow degrees; it requires the hand of time.” ― Voltaire

Wasting time quotes

When you’re trying to make the most out of your time, the biggest fear is that you’re wasting precious time. Well, according to the Way We Do calculations we actually do lose a precious amount of time to little, everyday tasks. 

In fact, an average US employee wastes 36 days and 4 hours a year. Activities we waste the most time on are:

• Commuting,
• Task changing, 
• Information sourcing,
• Handling emails,
• Attending ineffective meetings, and
• Having poor computer practices. 

But, how do you know what counts as wasted time, and how do you stop dwelling on it? 

Here are a few quotes that could help.

113. “Regret for wasted time is more wasted time.” — Mason Cooley

114. “Time = life; therefore, waste your time and waste your life, or master your time and master your life.” — Alan Lakein

115. “People are frugal in guarding their personal property; but as soon as it comes to squandering time they are most wasteful of the one thing in which it is right to be stingy.” — Seneca

116. “You must have been warned against letting the golden hours slip by, but some of them are golden only because we let them slip by.” — James Matthew Barrie

117. “Make use of time, let not advantage slip.” — William Shakespeare

118. “Realize that if you have time to whine and complain about something, then you have the time to do something about it.” — Anthony J. D’Angelo

119. “You can’t have a better tomorrow if you are thinking about yesterday all the time.” — Charles F. Kettering

120. “Life is flying by. You don’t have time to waste another minute being negative, offended, or bitter. If someone did you wrong, get over it and move forward.” — Joel Osteen

121. “Time stays long enough for those who use it.” — Leonardo Da Vinci

122. “Waste your money and you’re only out of money, but waste your time and you’ve lost a part of your life.” — Michael LeBoeuf

123. “A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life.” — Charles Darwin

124. “It’s not that we have a little time, but more that we waste a good deal of it.” — Seneca

125. “Time is the one thing that can never be retrieved. One may lose and regain a friend; one may lose and regain money; opportunity once spurned may come again; but the hours that are lost in idleness can never be brought back to be used in gainful pursuits.” — C.R. Lawton

126. “Defer no time, delays have dangerous ends.” — William Shakespeare

127. “Four things come not back, the spoken word, the sped arrow, time past, and the neglected opportunity.” — Arabian Proverb

“Time is valuable” quotes 

Did you know that an average internet user spends 2 hours and 31 minutes a day on social media? 

Is an average internet user aware of the value of their time? Probably yes, but most of us still tend to waste our time aimlessly scrolling through our feeds. 

Instead of acting as an average internet user, try being better than that. The following sayings could help you reconsider the worth of your time.

128. “Time is really the only capital that any human being has, and the only thing he can’t afford to lose.” — Thomas Edison

129. “Every second is of infinite value.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

130. “An inch of time is an inch of gold but you can’t buy that inch of time with an inch of gold.” — Chinese Proverb

131. “Time is a gift that most of us take for granted. We get so caught up in the busyness of our daily lives that we rarely stop and take a serious look at how we’re spending this gift.”  — Cheryl Richardson

132. “My favorite things in life don’t cost any money. It’s really clear that the most precious resource we all have is time.” — Steve Jobs

133. “The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.” — Leo Tolstoy

134. “Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend.” — Theophrastus

“Time is passing” quotes 

We are all aware that time flies when we’re having fun, and it moves at a snail’s pace whenever we are bored to tears. 

We would all happily fast forward the minutes we spent standing in a bank queue. 

On the other hand, sometimes, we would prefer to hit the pause button and savor every moment we could. Yet, the clock still goes on. 

However, there’s no need to despair over this fact. When we are aware of time passing, we can make the most out of our days and appreciate every minute. 

Take a look at our selection of quotes in case you need a reminder.

135. “The common man is not concerned about the passage of time, the man of talent is driven by it.” — Schopenhauer

136. “Time moves slowly, but passes quickly.” — Alice Walker

137. “All our sweetest hours fly fastest.” — Virgil

138. “Time goes faster the more hollow it is.” — Carlos Ruiz Zafón

139. “I never think of the future. It comes soon enough.” — Albert Einstein

140. “Time flies over us, but leaves its shadow behind.” — Nathaniel Hawthorne

141. “The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.” — Michael Altshuler

142. “The long unmeasured pulse of time moves everything. There is nothing hidden that it cannot bring to light, nothing once known that may not become unknown.” — Sophocles

143. “Time flies. It’s up to you to be the navigator.” — Robert Orben

144. “The future is something which everyone reaches at the rate of sixty minutes an hour, whatever he does, whoever he is.” — C.S. Lewis

145. “Time is the most undefinable yet paradoxical of things; the past is gone, the future is not come, and the present becomes the past even while we attempt to define it, and, like the flash of lightning, at once exists and expires.” — Charles Caleb Colton

Funny quotes about time

Not all sayings and thoughts have to be profound or move you into changing your life from the ground up. Some, like the ones on our next list, are there to entertain. 

So, enjoy some witty and humorous quotes about time.

146. “Time and tide wait for no man, but time always stands still for a woman of 30.” — Robert Frost

147. “Never waste any time you can spend sleeping.” — Frank H. Knight

148. “Time is a great healer, but a poor beautician.” — Lucille S. Harper

149. “I’m going to stop putting things off, starting tomorrow!” — Sam Levenson

150. “Time is money, especially when you’re talking to a lawyer, or buying a commercial.” — Frank Dane

151. “So little time and so little to do.” — Oscar Levant

152. “Free time is death to the anxious, and thank goodness I don’t have any of it right now.” — Jon Stewart

153. “Enjoy life. There’s plenty of time to be dead.” — Hans Christian Andersen

154. “To achieve great things, two things are needed; a plan, and not quite enough time.” — Leonard Bernstein

155. “I am definitely going to take a course on time management — just as soon as I can work it into my schedule.” — Louis Boone

156. “Punctuality is the thief of time.” — Oscar Wilde

157. “Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately, it kills all its pupils.” — Hector Berlioz

In the end: Find the time quote that speaks to you 

Inspirational time quotes are all just clever lines unless we take them to heart.

However, every now and then, we might stumble upon at least one quote that speaks to us more than others. This is when a wise saying serves its best purpose — it brings about change.

If you have found at least one quote that led you to carefully think about how you spend your time, consider yourself lucky and seize your day!

Do you find quotes about time inspiring enough to redo your everyday routine? Are there more wise thoughts on time worth mentioning? Send us your favorite quote at blogfeedback@clockify.me for a chance to be featured in this one or one of our future articles.

This article will:

• introduce you to the basics of the famous Pomodoro technique,
• help you combat procrastination by sharing some tools and tips for using Pomodoro, and
• shed some light on the advantages and disadvantages of introducing this popular technique to your routine.

Hopefully, by the end of this article, you will start your Pomodoro tracker, and dive right into that task you’ve been procrastinating on today (instead of tomorrow).

What is the Pomodoro technique?

The Pomodoro technique is a time management system that improves productivity by helping you focus on your work and get rid of the distractions. 

The method was coined by Francesco Cirillo, who had a rough start during his first year at the university in the 1980s. 

To increase his focus and block out distractions while studying, Cirillo used a tomato-shaped kitchen timer. He set up his pomodoro (what we call tomato in English) for 10 minutes, placed his focus on the study material only, and voilà — his studying process suddenly improved! 

Since Francesco didn’t stop at 10 minutes, but gradually increased his focused time, today, Pomodoro involves using a timer to break down work into 25 minutes intervals, separated by short breaks.

These time intervals are labeled as “work sessions” or pomodoros, and the time between them is labeled as “break time”. Most practitioners spend 25 minutes working and 5 minutes on a break. The work sessions and breaks rotate regularly, and after some time, you take a longer break.

How does Pomodoro work?

Although completing your tasks with a little help of the Pomodoro technique is quite simple, we’ve listed all the steps you should take to make sure you make the most out of it.

1. Start a 25-minute timer on your phone or time tracking app.
2. Completely focus on your work for the next 25 minutes.
3. Stop once the alarm goes off.
4. Take a 5-minute break.
5. Resume working for another 25 minutes and taking a break for another 5 minutes.
6. After 4 cycles, take a 20-minute break.
7. Repeat the process until you have finished the project or your workday.

Useful Pomodoro tools and apps

There are several timer apps that work on the principle of the Pomodoro technique.

The most simple Pomodoro timers are Tomighty (free desktop app for Mac and Windows), Tomatotimers (web, Android, and iPhone), and Be Focused (for iPhone). You can also use a Chrome extension like Strict Workflow, which tracks time Pomodoro style plus prohibits you from procrastinating.

Using Clockify Pomodoro timer

If you’re already tracking time for business purposes, the Pomodoro timer in the Clockify extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge will be perfect for you.

In Clockify, you can choose both the length of your work sessions and the duration of your breaks

Once you download the right extension, set your custom work interval (e.g. 25 minutes), and your custom break (e.g. 5 minutes), and start the timer for your task.

When your 25-minute work session is done, you’ll be notified that it’s time to take a break.

Likewise, after your 5-minute break is up, you’ll get a notification saying that it’s time to resume work for another 25-minute work session.

You can also decide whether you want to go on a long break — you can define this long break (e.g. 30 minutes), and define when you want it to start (e.g. after 4 breaks).

If you’re a Mac user, you’ll be able to make the most of this technique with the Pomodoro mode in the Clockify time tracker app for Mac. While you track time for tasks, you’ll get a desktop notification once you reach the end of the Pomodoro interval so you can stop the timer for the current task and take a break.

Clockify time tracker for Mac always reminds you when it’s time to take a break

Why use Pomodoro

We have already confirmed multitasking is bad for you. 

But, giving all your attention to one task only, without pausing to catch your breath, could be as harmful as juggling several projects at the same time. 

Apart from helping ward off fatigue, one study has even shown that multiple, meaningful breaks help keep the quality of completed work. 

In case you’re still wondering whether the Pomodoro system is right for you, maybe looking at the differences this technique can make to your workflow can help you make up your mind.

Working the Pomodoro way	Working without a break
You maintain your energy levels	You quickly grow tired
You power through any distractions	You lose your focus
You produce superb quality work	The quality of your work reduces

What does science say about Pomodoro?

Although pinpointing the exact levels of productivity for every profession is not a simple task, even for science, several scientific studies have shown the benefits of the Pomodoro technique. 

Short breaks keep you focused

Apparently, “brief diversions” are good for our concentration, as a study from the University of Illinois states. 

So, when you’re working on a large task for a long period of time, it’s best that you take short breaks — this helps you retain focus once you resume working on said task. That’s how the 5 minute breaks prescribed by the Pomodoro technique actually help the quality of your work.

Breaking tasks down helps you finish them in time

The Pomodoro technique, however, is not only about managing your time, but it’s also helpful in breaking down overwhelming projects to smaller and easier to handle tasks.

Shifting your focus to a goal that is easy to achieve in a 25-minute time span instead of thinking about the faraway future accomplishments helps you finish your tasks even before the deadline. 

So, how does breaking down tasks into smaller bits help us complete all assignments in time? 

Since we tend to optimistically overestimate the time we’ll have at hand in future, we have a habit of setting unrealistic goals too. However, when you break down any project into smaller chunks, you are able to see the clear picture and estimate the exact time you’ll need to bring it to an end. 

Smaller rewards help you stop procrastinating

Breaking a larger project into more manageable tasks can also help you fight the urge to put it off until the last minute just because you have something else on your mind right now. 

Although it might seem like you don’t postpone anything without a good reason, science claims everyone procrastinates just because our brains are wired to put things on hold so that we can get the most out of the present moment.

Simply put, because of a phenomenon called present bias we tend to choose to have fun or get a reward right now at the expense of delaying even the most urgent tasks. 

Since we cannot easily connect our present self with our future image (the one that’s left to complete the tasks we delay), we feel like we are handing our work over to an entirely different person! This is the moment we choose to binge-watch a TV show simply because the urgent task is not ours to handle anymore. 

Yet, as the deadline approaches, anxiety levels increase, and we become aware once again that it is up to us to break this vicious cycle of procrastination.

Pomodoro, however, can put this tiring process to a stop. 

By promising yourself a reward that you can easily enjoy during the break time between two pomodoro sessions, you can trick your mind into thinking that fun is just around the corner, and all you have to do is stay focused for a tiny brief moment. 

Pomodoros go well with your productivity cycle

Another research in favor of the Pomodoro technique at Florida State University indicates that the human body works in cycles of about 90 minutes — everyone has a certain cycle determined in minutes when they are the most productive. Therefore, you are free to choose the length of your Pomodoro cycle — it can be anywhere from 25 to 90 minutes. 

But, once 1 cycle is over,  in order to maintain your productivity levels, you should take a break and recharge. If you don’t, you’re in danger of suffering from the Ultradian Stress syndrome — which means, when you disrupt your ultradian rhythms,  you lose mental focus, make more mistakes, and lower your overall job performance.

Pomodoro Advantages

Maybe the Pomodoro technique sounds too simple. You’re just supposed to start your Pomodoro tracker, sit down, and do your work. After a while, you become a person who’s always able to stick to their schedule, keep their promises and never miss a deadline.

Sounds too good to be true? Maybe you’re still not convinced. 

Let’s go over all the benefits this technique offers and see whether it’s truly miraculous as it sounds.

Pomodoro helps you improve your focus

When you determine the exact time you should spend focused on a task, you are actually more likely to truly focus on said task. 

In fact, Peter Hollins, the author of The Science of Powerful Focus, claims that the moment you put enough effort and energy into a task at hand, your entire perception of time transforms. 

Instead of repeatedly glancing at your watch, impatiently waiting for your workday to end, hours just flash in front of your eyes and you even start to enjoy the process. 

When you get into the habit of being entirely devoted to your tasks, you also become able to 

differentiate between the time you should spend working and the time you should be on a break. Therefore, you act accordingly.

So, whenever you start a working session, you’ll know this is the time you should focus solely on your work. 

However, try not to let anyone distract you. Only after you hear the timer alarm sound you can give in to distractions or just rest for a short while. 

After some time practicing Pomodoro, you’ll realize that you have made it your habit to focus during work sessions and unwind during breaks.Instead of continuously working without a schedule you’ll get used to associating the timer you use for the Pomodoro technique with work time. 

Pomodoro increases your ability to make estimates

Tracking your time at regular intervals will help you create better estimates.

For example, you parse your daily workload into 25-minute Pomodoros, and start working. This workload may be a small project you have to finish within a day, so you parse the project into tasks and then assign each task to one Pomodoro.

After a while, you may notice that it takes you more than 25 minutes to finish one type of task, and less than 25 minutes to finish another type of task. This revelation will help you parse your tasks better in the future, by maybe assigning two Pomodoros for the first type of tasks and grouping a few smaller tasks into one Pomodoro.

At the end of the day, you’ll know the number of Pomodoros you can finish during your work hours, and you’ll be able to create better time estimates for your clients.

Pomodoro helps eliminate burnout 

When you have a lot of work to do within a day, it can be tempting to just work continuously until you’re finished. 

But, this is a counterproductive practice that causes a decrease in the quality of your work as time goes by. You continue working with no clear schedule and no breaks, and simply burnout until the end of the day.

Microsoft’s Human Factors Lab has done research to check what actually happens in the human brain when we don’t give ourselves the benefit of a break. 

The study shows that uninterrupted work sessions, such as back-to-back meetings, increase our stress levels and lower our ability to focus. Heightened stress levels being one of the primary culprits for burnout, it all becomes clear at this point. The less we rest, the more we stress, and it’s a never-ending struggle. 

But, if you parse your time with Pomodoros, you’ll know when you’re allowed to take breaks, which can do wonders for your focus. 

Also, knowing how many Pomodoros you can do in a day helps you feel more at ease with your tasks. Instead of feeling like your workday is never going to come to an end, you’ll know that you’ve got only a couple of Pomodoros left and you’re good to go. 

Pomodoro lets you track profitability

Apart from using Pomodoro for ensuring your maximum productivity, you can also use it to keep track of your project’s budget and secure your clients’ trust.

Let’s say you finished 8 tasks within 16 Pomodoros and noticed you’ll need to work for 16 more Pomodoros to finish the project. But, you’ve seen that the estimated budget for the time you were going to spend on the project would not be enough to cover expenses and ensure you made enough profit.

As you’ll know it will take 16 more Pomodoros, or about 7 hours, to finish a project, you’ll know to contact the client to revise the budget and increase your hourly rate in the future for that type of project.

Pomodoro helps stay on track with productivity levels

The Pomodoro technique gives you a simple way to tell how productive you were, because you can always count the number of Pomodoros you have finished within a day.

Say you’re interested to see what day of the week was most productive for you. You can just count the number of Pomodoros you finished each day, and see when you had the highest score.

Pomodoro gives you time to reset

You may find the Pomodoro breaks to be “unnatural”. After all, you take them when the timer goes off, and that may not necessarily be when you’re feeling tired.

But, these “unnatural” breaks actually help you resume your work faster. When you take a break at fixed intervals, chances are you have left something half-finished, so you’ll have no problem with continuing afterward. The break may even serve you as the time to think about the matters you can tweak and be more creative with when you resume work. 

In contrast, when you take a “natural” break, i.e. when the task is most difficult, once you resume your work, chances are you still won’t have a solution to your problem, which will make you feel demoralized and unmotivated.

However, even when you take “unnatural” breaks, you still need to be wary of the way you spend them. If you still feel unmotivated and tired even when you follow the Pomodoro pattern, you could be guilty of wasting your free time. 

In case you spend your breaks scrolling through social media, it’s highly likely that you cannot reap the benefits of your free time.

As a behavioural study has shown, reaching for our smartphones during breaks does not leave enough room for our minds to recharge, so we end up being even less ready to tackle our tasks than we were before we took some time off. 

Instead of grabbing your phone as soon as the timer goes off, try resting your eyes a bit, stretching, making a cup of coffee or preparing a snack. You will feel more rested and ready to continue where you left off. 

Pomodoro Disadvantages

Maybe you’re thrilled with this time management technique and cannot wait for your next work day to begin so that you can start your Pomodoro tracker right on. 

However, before you rush into it, it’s only fair to list all the downsides of the Pomodoro technique so that you can try to turn them to your advantage. 

Pomodoro timer could disrupt your deep work

The rules state you should stop working on your task as soon as you hear the sound alarm, which can be counterproductive if you’re doing well with your work. 

But, you may want to disregard Pomodoro when you’re making progress. If you feel you’re doing especially well with a part of a project, you shouldn’t feel obligated to stop after 25 minutes; you can simply go on until you feel the time is right for a break.

A ready-to-resume intervention can also be quite helpful in case you decide to interrupt your workflow to take a well-deserved break. 

Namely, a professor of management at the University of Washington Bothell, Sophie Leroy, claims that whenever our minds wander while we’re engaged in deep work, the best solution is to jot our thoughts down so that we can turn to them later. 

This technique could also be useful when you’re about to interrupt your task. Just try to make notes of what was on your mind when the alarm went off, and you’ll be ready to take up right where you left off. 

Pomodoro schedule might be too strict

Some people may thrive with the prescribed “25-minute work sessions” and “5 minute breaks”, but others may find that other time intervals work better for them. So, you may want to tweak the rules to fit your needs.

For example, if you’re a programmer, you’ll probably have a number of smaller tasks, tasks that take you about 10 minutes. So, you’ll probably work best if you work in 10-minute Pomodoros.

Or, maybe you find that 25 minutes isn’t enough for you to engross yourself in work. You can set the timer to 45-minute Pomodoros, with longer breaks, say, 15 minutes. After you complete four Pomodoro sessions, you can take a 30-minute break. By tailoring both your Pomodoro sessions and breaks to your work style, you’ll have enough time to work and enough time to unwind. 

And maybe you feel stressed over the thought that a timer is counting down the precious seconds of your break time? You may want to choose to set off the timer when on a break and make break time more flexible.

Tips for using Pomodoro

If you are still tortured by second thoughts on how the Pomodoro technique should really look like in practice, we’ve got you covered. We bring you some actionable tips for doing your work the Pomodoro way. 

List sessions

List each 25-minute work session on a piece of paper, and then put a check mark next to each item once you are done with it. This way, you’ll always have a sense of progress, so you’ll feel motivated to continue until you’ve reached the end of your list. 

In case you’re having trouble adjusting to the new system or you tend to dive right into your tasks as soon as you log in and you forget to start the timer, you can always set an alarm to remind you. If you’re using Clockify Pomodoro timer, you can manually select your focused hours and the timer will remind you when to start tracking your Pomodoros. 

Focus on your work

Once you start the timer, it’s vital that you concentrate on what you’re doing.

This means you should refrain from checking your Facebook feed, reading new posts on your favorite Reddit topic, or staring aimlessly through the window during this period.

Have a rule for dealing with interruptions

Once you have immersed yourself in the 25-minute bubble, don’t let anyone break it. When someone addresses you during this time:

1. Inform them that you’re working at the moment.
2. Negotiate the time when you’ll be able to address their issue.
3. Call back the person in question, when you finish your work.

The Inform/Negotiate/Call back technique will ensure you stay dedicated to your 25-minute routine, without offending the person who wants to engage in conversation.

Change your environment during breaks

Use your 5-minute breaks well. Don’t just sit in your work area until the 5 minutes are up. You can take a bathroom break, refill your glass of water, or make a cup of tea or coffee. 

Hopping to your kitchen for a cup of coffee is a good old trick to gain your focus back after spending some time absorbed in a challenging task. Researchers have found that small to moderate amounts of coffee are quite beneficial for both our attention levels and memory.  

If you’re not a big fan of coffee, you can stretch yourself, go for a short walk, or engage in another similar activity.

The important detail is that you change your environment, and notify your body you’re on a break; this will help keep your productivity and motivation at optimal levels once you start the timer again.

Use Pomodoro more as a guideline and not as a strict rule

Although you might be excited to try to fit in as many Pomodoros as possible in a day, working more hours does not mean that you are going to be more productive. Even if staying overtime helped you reach your goals once, working long hours puts you at higher risk of burnout in the long run.

Try to avoid burnout by adapting the technique to your own schedule and work style instead of the other way around. If you feel that a 10-minute break would ensure your maximum productivity levels better than a 5-minute one, go for it.  

As long as you follow the “work time” — “break time” — “no disruptions” formula, you can tweak your time tracking with the Pomodoro technique the way it works best for you.

Wrapping up

As it is with most productivity techniques, there is no such thing as a magic wand to help you get started. However, the lengthy list of long-term benefits the Pomodoro technique has to offer could maybe be enough to give most of us a nudge in the right direction. 

All you need to do is sit down, set your Pomodoro tracker and see if it works for you. 

Ready, set, go? 

Have you tried the Pomodoro technique before? Did it help you increase your focus? Let us know at blogfeedback@clockify.me