Records to the Rescue

  • By Karen Wilson
  • September 19, 2013
  • 413
                        
How many hours of television did you watch today? How much did you spend? Where did you spend it? What did you buy? How many calories did you burn while exercising? How much time did you spend on social media? How much time did you spend reading to your children? Do you know? If you did, could you use the information? Sometimes tracking the information in our lives seems tedious and time consuming. But, if we could really use that data to improve our lives, wouldn’t it be worth it? In general, I know that I eat a good diet and exercise regularly. But, here’s the thing. If I don’t keep a written record, my brain tells me that I eat better, consume fewer calories, and exercise more than I actually do. Especially when my schedule gets jammed, it feels like I just worked out and barely ate. However, looking over my exercise log and finding empty days and finding that I haven’t written down my food consumption for a week tells a different tale. And, it usually explains why my scale is saying things that I don’t like. Also, keeping good exercise, diet, and medication records can help you find the combination that works best for you as an individual. Calorie and exercise guidelines can give you a place to start, but you may not find the perfect one for you until you have solid data to consider. Such records may also help you in discussions with your doctor if you think a medication has a part to play. Do you know how you are spending your time? Really? Again, our perception can be deceiving. If you are trying to find more time for things that are important to you, take a week or two and track how much time you watch television or use social media. The numbers may surprise you. I have read estimates that the average American watches 40 hours of television per week. That’s enough to take on an additional full-time job. Trying to stick to a budget? Making out a budget and figuring out your expenses is a great step to getting your financial house in order. However, to know if you are actually using your money where you intend, you must track where, when, how much, and on what you spend. Having the numbers in hand will help you to see where changes can and should be made. What about the ways you want to spend your time? If you want to pursue a new hobby, do you allocate time for it and track the hours? What about specific activities with your family? Sometimes we really want to include something in our lives, but don't make sure that we are dedicating adequate time to it. Perhaps you think that reading to your children is a great way to promote family time and encourage literacy. I do by the way. But do you know how much time you actually do it? Track it. You may even want to get your kids in on it. Have one of the kids keep a log of the hours you read together. If you make so many hours in a given time, reward yourselves. Cleaning. It can feel like laundry, dishes and other house chores are never ending. Then, there are the chores we really hate. It can’t be time to do them again already. Here’s two tricks. Track how many loads of laundry you need to do each day to keep up. Now, you can plan that many into your day. The same works for sinks full of dishes or dishwasher loads. For hated chores, time them. Often they take less time than you think. Also, write down each time you do that chore. You may find you put it off. Keeping to a planned interval will reduce some of the frustration and stress. So, how do you track all of this without feeling overwhelmed? Start with the thing you find most critical. Don’t try to do everything at once. And, use a system that is as simple as possible. I tend to use steno pads in a size that fits easily in my purse. I can carry them along and record things right away. An electronic device could work just as easily. The best system is one that you will use consistently. Solid data can be the key to success. Give it a try and see your life more clearly.


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