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"Recording your day in this journal is one of the most important things you can do to find out where your time really goes. Fill it in for at least three days (a week is even better). Each morning \u2014 or the night before \u2014 print out a clean copy and fill in your priorities, then update the bottom half throughout the day. Here, some journal-keeping tips: In the &amp;quot;Things to Do&amp;quot; section, list your most important tasks by order of priority, starting with the essential to-do at the top. No, you don&amp;#039;t have to list 10 tasks, but do try to complete at least the top three by day&amp;#039;s end. The important tasks you don&amp;#039;t complete should move to your to-do list the following day.  In the mood column, note how you felt while completing each task. Were you annoyed? Full of energy? This will help you identify your prime time \u2014 when you&amp;#039;re most productive.  In the &amp;quot;Things to Note&amp;quot; section, list patterns that keep you from maximizing your time. Examples: showing up late to appointments, spending too much time on the telephone or doing something others could have done for you.  Note all interruptions \u2014 and the source. If you discover that you&amp;#039;re spending too much time discussing small issues throughout the day with coworkers, schedule a 15-minute meeting each morning. If family and friends constantly call, disrupting your day, tell them when it&amp;#039;s best to contact you. Or learn to politely say: &amp;quot;Sorry, I can&amp;#039;t talk right now. Can you call back at [fill in the blank]?&amp;quot; Record time traps. Examples: minutes spent searching through cluttered closets and piles of paper because you&amp;#039;ve lost something important. Last-minute events and time wasted on errands should also be noted in this column. Once you&amp;#039;ve filled out this journal, pinpoint your prime time, or when you function best. Ask: Am I a morning, afternoon or evening person? Then note whether you completed your top three tasks during your prime time. If you haven&amp;#039;t, work toward clearing your schedule during your peak period: Get someone to screen your calls, hang a &amp;quot;do not disturb&amp;quot; sign on your door, establish drop-in visitor hours or have a planned &amp;quot;activity time&amp;quot; with your children. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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