“How Logging Your Day Can Lead To Higher Effectiveness” plus 1 more

“How Logging Your Day Can Lead To Higher Effectiveness” plus 1 more

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How Logging Your Day Can Lead To Higher Effectiveness

Posted: 18 Jul 2011 09:00 AM PDT


From http://www.flickr.com/photos/zak/

I recently started a job as a Programmer Analyst for a large insurance company and spend most of my days fixing technical issues, programming, and creating solutions with other engineers. It’s an awesome job, yet at the same time can become extremely technical and complicated in nature. Not just because of the technical stuff that I need to remember how to do but because of the inherent business processes that I have to take in and learn on a daily basis.

After doing a little research online I found that there is the idea of the “Programmer Log”, which is simply a time and dated log of things that you have done in the day, things that you have learned that are related to your job, and even problems to watch out for as you go through your work day. Also

I started to log my days everyday at work and at home for the past month to see what this logging idea was all about. In this short period of time I have found just how much more effective you can become in work and life if you keep track of the things that you have done and encountered throughout your day.

The Premise

Starting to log your day is pretty simple stuff. You just write (or type) the date and time and explain what you have done or even something that you have learned.

For instance, I noticed that there was some small differences between a production server that I was working with compared to other development servers at work. I wrote down these differences in my log in detail and then got back to work. Doing this took a whole 20 seconds but what I gained in the long run was input to a document that I created for my entire team on subtleties between environments.

Another example is logging when you start to work on a task or project and then logging when you stop work on those things. This builds a realistic view of how long something takes to accomplish that you can use to make adjustments as well as estimates on future tasks or projects.

So, the act of logging is simple; pretty much everything you do write it down with the date and time. Of course, that in itself is the end. You have to use your logs to become more effective.

Using and reviewing your logs

Having a log isn’t enough. You have to go through and review the stuff that you have written down to see if anything needs brought up at a meeting or with other people, a project needs created, another task needs done, or you just want to see how much time it takes to do something.

In other words, if you are a GTDer, you are looking for potential “inbox items” that are hiding in your logs. Finding these can be a little difficult at first, but after a few days of reviewing your logs you can pull out meaningful content.

Let’s take my above example about the differences between two servers. At the end of the workday I noticed those differences I pulled them out of my logs and added a project to my project list:

“Create small document on differences between production and testing environments”

I then identified some next actions and proceeded to add these actions to my context lists. Pretty standard GTD stuff here. But in reality, this process isn’t “standard” for most people, and because of that potentially meaningful and needed work is missed.

Something else nice about logs is that if you are speaking to someone about a certain topic that you have been working with you can always go back and review what you have done (or even what you haven’t done) with this topic. Being able to present the things that you have done in a current team project or personal project, you can then see where to go next.

Becoming more effective

The definition of effective is:

“Successful in producing a desired or intended result.”

Keeping a detailed log helps you produce intended results in projects by tracking what you have done, the time that it took to do it, and anything that came up in the process. Being able to look at these logs when you approach a project gives you the data you need to make decisions on next actions as well as how long something will take.

In personal projects it may not be as important to decide how long something will take to complete, but if you work for “the man” or even your own business, having realistic outlooks on the time a project will take to complete is invaluable and one of the only ways to produce the intended result.

So, readers, I challenge you take a log of you day for an entire week to see the things that you may miss that are project or action related that you wouldn’t have tracked otherwise. For me, it was an eye-opening experience to track my work for the last month; something that I will continue to do because of the boost in my effectiveness. Give it a try and see how it fits.

7 Causes People Get Into Debt

Posted: 18 Jul 2011 06:30 AM PDT


Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/iandavid/

Have you ever thought of why you are in debt? Have you ever scrutinized the reasons behind your debt problems? We know that debt can lead us to disastrous consequences in our lives. It can consume our assets, bring on mental stress and even hurt our relationships. There are multiple factors that compel people into debt, this is because many are not aware of the causes behind it. Although there are effective debt elimination programs like debt consolidation, debt settlement etc, we must be aware of the causes that leads to great financial errors  so we can avoid be consumed by debt.

Understand the causes of debt below to make sure that it doesn’t take over your life in the future.

  1. Reduced Income: Often your expenses exceed your income. If you delay in taking care of handling your life with a lower income then you are sure to start to take on debt. Make sure that you understand your changed income and create a budget and a plan as soon as possible.
  2. Divorce: More than half of American marriages end up in divorce and with it comes strain on personal finances. The laws in America govern what should be done with a couple’s money during a divorce settlement. When one party demands too much, the other will be forced to go into debt to pay for attorneys as well as what their partner deems necessary as part of the settlement.
  3. Poor Money Management: Most of the time, poor budgeting invokes debt. You must have a monthly budget. Without a proper budget, you will not be able to track your expenses. If you write down your spending for an entire month you can see exactly where you money ends up. This is the best way to learn where you can cut some unnecessary expenses and help yourself avoid debt.
  4. Underemployment: People often feel that underemployment is temporary, but it can have a lasting effect on your life, especially if you have to go into debt to make ends meet. If you are underemployed, calculate your expenses and start looking for a second job. This might eliminate your chances of falling in debt.
  5. Gambling: Is one of the most beloved forms of entertainment for Americans. However in reality, it is just a guaranteed exchange of money from you to "the house". As loans are easily available today, one becomes easily addicted to the idea of “winning big” and striking it rich. In fact, gambling can easily lead to you effortlessly mortgaging your future to "the house" as you try to win back what you have lost.
  6. Medical Expenses: Lapsed policies and expensive medical treatments make this one of the easiest ways to fall into debt. Everything to do in the medical realm costs money and usually a lot of it. On top of that doctors and hospitals are becoming more and more impatient with people that don’t pay their bills on time. Because of this they tend to turn in patients that don’t have the money to collection agencies. When you don’t have the money to pay for your doctor visit it can be easy to put the bill on a credit card or even to take a loan out to avoid collections.
  7. Little Savings: If you want to avoid unwanted debt, try to be prepared for unexpected expenditures by saving some money. If you have decent savings in place you can use it for emergencies like severe illness, a job-loss or divorce without increasing your debt. Believe me, no one ever regrets saving money for emergencies.

The above mentioned causes of debt are very common for Americans and can be easy to fall into. However, if you develop good money management and budgeting skills, you can avoid them. Another thing to remember is that it is important to spend within your means, which will further prevent the reduction of your wealth. By taking prudent steps toward financial responsibility you will can greatly reduce the probability of sinking into and accruing more and more debt.

Anya Bennet is a financial writer associated with Oak View Law Group for the past three years. She counsels people with debt problems and offers them tips and advice. For more information about Anya you can view her articles at http://www.ovlg.com/.