Time Tracking Part 3: Slim Timer
The very first time tracker I used was Slim Timer, following the lead of Monika Mundell at Blogging Web 2.0. This free online timer is really neat.
The first step is to sign up for a free account, a simple process. You will have an opportunity to set up various projects which you wish to track, a list that can be easily maintained as projects start up and are completed.
The website suggests several ways to start timing a project. I found this slightly confusing — the process is one of my few complaints. The site directs your attention to a box on the right labelled “Open Timer.” The best way to start timing, I’ve found, is to click the inconspicuous link ABOVE the box. Bingo! You’ve got a timer pop up right in front of you. Just click on the project from the list you created, and timing begins.
One of the useful features of Slim Timer is that you can open multiple timers, one for each project you are working on at the time. This makes it easy to stop timing on one project and then start timing another project, keeping the total time worked on each in front of you all the while. For me, this was useful, as I wanted to work toward spending equal time on the blog and on my book project as well. Having both timers in front of me helped.
In each pop up window, one finds the stopwatch-like timer on the right, adding the minutes as they roll by. When you stop working, the timer reverts to zero, but the cumulative time is given on the left side of the popup. This is a handy arrangement.
One can also tag your project time, useful in categorizing your work. And you can even add a written comment about the segment of work you are doing.
As you work, say using Microsoft Word, the timers can reside under the Word window. A click will bring the timer on top. Or you can resize the Word window so that the timer is constantly in view.
All the while, your activity is recorded within your online account, somewhere out there in cyberspace, available to you in a variety of forms when you need it. For example, you can view your day’s activity and even edit the details. Perhaps you forgot to turn off a timer [a very easy thing to do], and your record shows too much time. This can be corrected. In fact, it’s a good idea at the end of each day to look at your daily report, just to make sure it’s as accurate as can be.
One can run a variety of reports. A simple, straight-forward time sheet, which you can order up for any span of time, displays a summary of your work on all tracked projects.
One can also request a timesheet reporting on a single project, handy for billing purposes.
And, finally, there is also a summary list of Active Tasks, which provides an excellent overview of everything you are working on. This report allows editing of details. One can mark projects as completed — or one can simply delete them from the database, assuming you’ve already exported the data into a spreadsheet on your computer and have printed it out for your files.
Slim Timer is obviously a very powerful program with a simple, clean interface. It may be all that a writer may need. And it’s free. The program is particularly handy for writers who move from one wireless hotspot to another. Personally, I’m very impressed with Slim Timer.
For some writers, however, it will not fit the bill. First, one must be vigilant about starting and stopping timers. This takes a lot of discipline — and the program does not prompt you to take necessary actions. Moreover, one must be online for the timers to work. Many writers go online only periodically, preferring to stay away from the temptations an online connection puts before them. Writers who prefer graphic representation in charts and graphs will be disappointed.
Ultimately, Slim Timer does not meet all of my needs. Hopefully, during the year, I will be increasingly working offline on my book, work that Slim Timer will not be able to track.
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
Did you enjoy this post? Why not leave a comment below and continue the conversation, or subscribe to my feed and get articles like this delivered automatically to your feed reader.
Loading ...
Comments
No comments yet.
Leave a comment