How to Track Your Productivity While Working from Home

The ability to work from home puts you in a situation where you can remain comfortable in your own space as you get the required tasks done. However, you may be interested in knowing how to track productivity so that you can stay ahead of the game. You don't want to compromise your remote work position by working below an efficient level.

Sometimes, you are the one that needs to take note of your inefficiencies to address them adequately. Therefore, tracking performance with your methods becomes a feasible and essential strategy. So, how do you achieve this outcome? Well, the information below covers some of the best alternatives to see where you stand on the productivity spectrum as you work from home.

Software Systems to Measure Productivity

Implementing software in productivity tracking is one of the most reliable strategies there is. Even employers realize this, which leads a lot of them to invest in employee productivity tracking systems. As stated before, there are times when you need to take this process into your own hands, as opposed to waiting on someone else to highlight where you are not productive.

Time tracking is a stellar option, and many people use it to significant effect. An app such as Toggl works wonders here. Toggl does more than act as a stopwatch. You can name and save records for the projects that you wish to time. Allow the timer to run as you work through whatever tasks you want to track. Stop the timer as soon as you have completed working for the best results.

The app not only gives you insight into how long you're spending on a task, but it generates useful reports to help you to understand and analyze trends. Inadequate use of time contributes immensely to lower productivity. Additionally, you can use the information you get to design a daily schedule to remain productive. 

Project management applications also go a long way to help you remain afloat where projects are concerned. There are usually various tasks that fall under the umbrella of the project, and managing then in a smooth manner sometimes requires some intervention. Basecamp is an excellent example system that is efficient on the user management side.

So, how does becoming more organized with projects help you to measure your productivity? Planning your tasks is one piece of the puzzle, but efficient project management software also allows you to enter tracking data as things are progressing. You can use that information to tell you how productive you are where your products are concerned.

Measurable Objectives with Deadlines

Ambiguity is another one of productivity's biggest enemies. It also prevents you from tracking your progress effectively. Remember that you can't finish any successful journey without a half-decent roadmap. If you find yourself making many statements, such as "I need to start task X," you are probably compromising your productivity. 

Whatever objectives you set out to achieve must be specific and measurable for the best results. In the example stated above, how would you gain a good productivity measure from that statement? Realistically, you cannot, as you would technically achieve that objective by taking two seconds to get the task started. However, the real productivity test would come in your completion of whatever is required, followed by subsequent evaluation. 

A better statement than the one above is, "I'm giving myself one hour to get through 50% of task X." By adding this layer to the statement, you can evaluate the task completion on different levels. First, you can check if one hour is objectively a reasonable enough time to get through half of task X. Additionally, you can measure your performance based on the extent to which you managed to complete your objective.

Even short term goals hamper productivity when they're not measurable or specific. Be sure that everything you set out to do ticks those two checkboxes.

Try Summary Reporting

In some cases, the best way to measure productivity is to review what you achieved, based on what you intended to and should have achieved. It's best to wait until the workday has ended to view this kind of report and begin making the appropriate decisions based on what you see.

Waiting and doing this at the end of each work period helps you see how productive you have spent your time. If whatever way you go about this gets you a pictorial representation, that would be even better. Seeing everything in a visually appealing and understandable way makes it that much easier to interpret the data to make the necessary adjustments.

Additionally, you can use summary reporting as a point of information for those whom you report to. Supervisors, managers, and employers tend to want assurances that their remote employees are doing work during the stipulated hours.

Job Specific Measures

Depending on the field in which you work, KPIs are used to tell just how well an employee is getting the job done. Suppose you are concerned with how to track productivity. In that case, there is arguably no better way than using the numbers or other measures that are associated with the core functionality of your job description. 

For example, a customer support agent can use the number of calls taken and the call handle time. Alternatively, a sales representative could use metrics, such as customer retention percentage and conversion rate.

If you are not aware of what KPIs govern your role, the onus is on you to get that information to evaluate yourself based on the targets.

Conclusion

Tracking performance is something that you should be doing as a remote worker. It would be best if you had a vested interest in maintaining the highest possible productivity level there is. Take note of where you stand so that you can make your adjustments without needing to hear how inefficient you may be from someone else.

If you discover any gaps, it's crucial to find the causes. Many people report that upgrading their equipment contributes to their comfort and productivity. You may want to consider some new smart home office fixtures to help you to be productive continually. 

The SmartDesk 4 is one such fixture that combines the comfort and convenience of an adjustable standing desk with various smart features designed to take productivity to its highest. 

You may also want to invest in other accessories and office furniture, such as a keyboard, mouse, and an ergonomic chair.