Today I want to talk about one of the four essential traits that separate sustainable, successful writers from the rest: the ability to control their time. Over my six years of coaching academics across various disciplines and all over the globe, I've observed that the most effective writers share four common practices and I will devote 4 blogs to each of these in turn. In this blog, I'll delve into the first of these practices—time management, focusing specifically on the art of time tracking.
Why Time Tracking is So Crucial (And Why No One Wants to Do It)
Time tracking is a tool that is often overlooked by many academics, but it is the cornerstone of intentional writing. Why? Because it forces you to confront reality. Without data, we can easily fall into the trap of making excuses or rationalising distractions. "I just didn’t have the time," becomes a common refrain. But once you start tracking your time, you’re no longer able to hide behind these excuses.
This uncomfortable truth is why so many writers resist time tracking. We love the stories we tell ourselves about being "too busy" or "constantly pulled in different directions." But these stories are just that—stories. Time tracking strips away the comfort of these narratives, revealing the cold, hard facts about how we are actually spending our time.
I encourage you to try time tracking for just two weeks. It doesn’t have to be a lifelong commitment but the longer you do it the more you reap the benefits. The goal is to collect data, to see how much of your time is truly dedicated to writing. The results might be uncomfortable, but they will give you the clarity you need to make intentional changes. By seeing where your time is going, you’ll be able to make more informed decisions about where your focus should be.
The Power of Intentionality and Focus
One of the key benefits of time tracking is that it fosters intentionality. When you can see exactly how much time you’ve spent on emails, meetings, or other tasks, you’ll be forced to make tough decisions and if you don’t, you’ll be admitting you don’t want to write or prioritise writing. Do you want to continue spending hours responding to emails when your primary goal is writing? Is that why you got that PhD? Time tracking puts your actions into perspective, helping you prioritise writing and other essential tasks.
Another significant shift that time tracking brings is a renewed ability to focus. When you know what your time commitments are, you're more likely to stay on task. Time tracking helps to break the habit of constantly shifting between tasks—what I call "scattered attention." By focusing on one thing at a time, you’ll find that you complete your work more efficiently and with higher quality.
Time Tracking: The Tool for Tough Decisions
Time tracking doesn’t just help with daily planning—it forces you to make real, hard choices. You’ll start asking yourself: "Is this truly the best use of my time?" As an academic, you’re often pulled in many directions, but if your goal is to succeed as a writer, you need to take control of where you direct your energy.
For many people, it’s easy to be reactive: answering emails, attending meetings, dealing with admin. But the truly successful writers I’ve coached aren’t just reacting to the flow of the day. They are actively deciding where their time goes and what to prioritise. They don’t have less to do than you –they have the same abominable workload, but time tracking makes this process easier by providing clarity and enabling you to see what’s actually happening.
The Reality Check: Moving from "Should" to "What Is"
One of the most powerful effects of time tracking is the shift from "shoulds" to "what is." Many academics spend years working in ways that they think they "should" be working—perhaps based on habits built decades ago. But the job has changed, and your working habits need to change too. Time tracking forces you to confront the present reality of your work habits and the amount of time you’re spending on each task.
Once you have the data, you can start making adjustments. Perhaps you realise you’re giving too much time to low-priority tasks and not enough to the high-impact writing that you’re supposed to be doing. This revelation can be a game changer. You’ll find yourself more decisive, more willing to say no to distractions, and better equipped to maximise the limited time you have.
The Takeaway: Start Time Tracking Today
If you take away one thing from this blog, let it be this: time tracking is the key to unlocking your productivity as an academic writer. If i had to say the ONE thing I did that changed my entire academic writing game, it was this: time tracking. Whether you’re just starting out or are well into your academic career, tracking your time will bring immediate clarity to how you’re using your day. It forces you to confront hard truths and make the necessary decisions to work with intention, focus, and purpose.
In the next part of this series, we’ll dive into the importance of developing a writer’s identity. But for now, start by taking control of your time—track it, understand it, and watch how it transforms your approach to writing.
Are you ready to take the first step towards being a more productive and intentional academic writer? Time tracking could be just the tool you need.
Stay tuned for part two of the series, where we explore the power of having a writer’s identity and how to cultivate it.