Feeling Busy? You Might Be Wasting More Time Than You Think

We all know the feeling—days packed with tasks, endless to-do lists, and that constant sense of busyness. But what if I told you that, without tracking your time, you might not be as productive as you think?

That’s exactly what I realised recently.

The Wake-Up Call

Back in January, I had a chat with Sue Pember, a Perth-based business coach who specialises in helping business owners work smarter and achieve sustainable growth. Sue has built multiple award-winning businesses and knows first-hand what it takes to balance productivity with progress.

During our conversation, Sue highlighted how many business owners feel like they’re working non-stop, but when they actually track their time, they’re surprised at how much is spent on tasks that don’t move the business forward. That insight completely changed my perspective on time management.

I’ve always tracked my clients’ time—it’s second nature to me. But when I turned that same process on myself, I had a lightbulb moment.

I thought I was being incredibly productive. In reality, a huge chunk of my time was slipping away on tasks that could have been streamlined, automated, or outsourced.

What I Discovered When I Started Tracking My Time

For a whole month, I tracked every minute I spent working on my business—including writing this very blog post! ⏱️

Here’s what I found:

✅ Admin tasks were taking over my evenings. I’d find myself replying to emails, scheduling, or planning events while cooking dinner or watching TV. A lot of this time was spent on training, upskilling, or mapping out future events, important tasks, but they were creeping into my personal time instead of being scheduled properly during the workday.

✅ I was spending too much time on content creation and admin tasks that I could outsource. As a Virtual Business Support, I help my clients with these exact tasks—email management, scheduling, and social media content. But when I looked at my own business, I realised I wasn’t delegating as much as I should have been. The time I was spending writing posts, responding to non-urgent emails, and managing admin could have been better spent on strategy and growth.

✅ I wasn’t setting clear time blocks. Jumping between tasks made me feel busy, but I wasn’t always making real progress. Without dedicated work sessions, I was constantly switching between my own planning, admin, and content.

The Game-Changer: Tracking Time with Toggl

One of the most effective tools I’ve started using is Toggl—a simple, easy-to-use time tracking app that works on both your phone and web browser.

The benefits?

✔️ Tracks all your time in real-time—No more guessing where your hours went.
✔️ Generates reports—See exactly how much time you’re spending on different tasks.
✔️ Great for teams—If you have staff, they can track their time too, making it easy to see where everyone’s efforts are going.
✔️ Helps with invoicing—Perfect if you bill clients by the hour or need to justify your time spent.

By using Toggl, I could see patterns in my workflow, identify where I was getting distracted, and make smarter decisions about how to structure my day.

Making Small Tweaks for Big Results

Once I saw where my time was going, I made a few simple changes—automating repetitive tasks, outsourcing where possible, and setting clear work blocks instead of reacting to emails all evening.

The result? More focus on growth, strategy, and the bigger picture—not just keeping busy.

Are You Tracking Your Time?

If you’re not, you might be busier than you need to be. Time tracking doesn’t mean adding more work to your plate—it helps you see where your hours are actually going and make adjustments that free you up for what matters most.

So, I’m curious…

👉 How do you manage your time working on your business?
👉 What’s one change that has made the biggest impact on your productivity?

Storm Dawson

Business Owner | Virtual Personal Assistant

admin@novaxsolutions.com.au