Marg RescueTime

Easy to read charts in updates delivered via email.

Looks like the application has matured since I first started up with it.

Understand I am not likely using most of it's benefits.

Would like to update knowledge/learn more, but not much time to self-tutor.

Not as intuitive to understand as I hoped it would be.

Have not found a way to split categorization of some websites that can be both distracting and productive, depending on use.

Better for in-office computer than home/office scenario.

Tracking hoe office time spent productively.

Made me more aware of how I am spending time.

I liked that I could track what I was doing automatically using the app (on Mac. The reports on how effective I was being on a day to day basis was one of the things that stood out to me and I actually quite liked! It was incredible to me that an application like this could work in the background and would report to me unbiased. I cannot imagine if I had to report about this on my own. I would lie about time spent and it would not be an honest representation of where my hours were going.

I found myself spending a lot of time reading through the analytics. This further left using up time during my day to self-analyze where I'd been spending my time via apps, social media, etcetera. I could have done this after-hours I realize, but when I'm done with work, I don't want to think about work any more!

I found the timesheets a bit cumbersome and got fed up years ago. I'm sure it's better now though! I didn't really use this feature at all after the initial try.

I would recommend only checking your analytics on weekends once a week or perhaps bi-monthly. You can get lost in reading through your hours and waste valuable company time!

I used RescueTime when I was a freelance editor, motion graphics artist, office assistant, and administrative assistant. I was trying to solve the problem of time-lost due to in-efficiencies in my own work flow and work ethic. I was losing money due to distractions online and offline and I wanted to see where I was falling short.

I realized that I was on social media a lot. Something that does not help me achieve the tasks at hand for my professional career.

I liked the way it was easy to set up and to use.

Unfortunately, because my work with special needs advocacy and sharing information to various groups involves social media and internet research, my main work distractor is also the nature of social media and browsing educational websites. Keeping personal separate from work was my reason for choosing RescueTime, and I found that the software could not pick up on whether or not my time was really productive. If I took more time to tailor it more specifically, it may be designed to do that, I don't know.

Solved problems were temporary and minimal, benefits were at least that I did receive a report now and then that said my time was a certain percentage productive. I don't feel I gave it enough of a chance to work, but I have since found that a simple app on my phone called MyWorkClock is actually more effective for me.

Rescue Time works on a variety of devices from phones/tablets to computers. It has easy to install add-ons for Browsers as well. All of those things make it easy and efficient to track how you spend your time.

I found that the tracking was not always reliable, and given that I am relying on RescueTime to track my usage, this is a major drawback. For example, it only recorded me as using Powerpoint for 40 minutes when I was giving a 3-hour presentation. This may be because I wasn't actively modifying the presentation or perhaps because my presentation was on more than one screen, but it made me doubt how accurate Rescuetime is.

Try RescueTime out for a few weeks while also tracking your time more generally. Verify that it is accurately measuring your time and determine how best you plan to use its Metrics. While the metrics are detailed and valuable, some companies may try to use it to micromanage employees. That could lead to low morale or workarounds.

Many jobs today require rapid multi-tasking and it can be difficult to understand how we spend our time. By tracking the amount of time we spend on email, various websites, etc., RescueTime makes it possible to figure out how to become MORE efficient. It is MOST useful for entrepreneurs or individuals working independently to track the amount of time they spend on productive vs. non productive websites and programs.