Because you asked: Reviewing how you use your time

Welcome back to “Because you asked,” our productivity advice column featuring Laura Mae Martin, Google’s executive productivity advisor. She’ll answer your questions about how to work smarter with Google Workspace. If you missed our last post, check out “Managing life — in and out of the office.”

Our question comes from Tommy, a Google Workspace administrator: “I’d like to know your strategies around using Google Calendar to block out time for tasks. Do you add a label to each task so you can review it later with Google Calendar Time Insights?”

Thanks for your question, Tommy. Google Workspace tools help me visualize how I spend my time and see if the hours I work align with my priorities. Then I adjust my schedule as needed to accomplish my personal and professional goals.

These steps can help you make the most of your time.

Label your time commitments

First, categorize your meetings. For quick visualization, I recommend color-coding by work priority, project, or area of focus. I add both personal and professional meetings to the same calendar. That makes it easier to prioritize the right tasks and see where I’m spending my time.

Google Time Insights can then help get the data on exactly how you’re spending your time. Time Insights will analyze Google Calendar meetings that meet all of these criteria:

• Show you RSVP’d “Yes” to attend

• Have at least one other guest

• Are marked as “Busy” on your calendar

• Run shorter than eight hours

Audit your schedule

I use Time Insights to analyze how many hours I’m spending on key activities. That might include time:

• Managing direct reports

• Focusing on strategic work

• Handling tasks like email, reports, research, and planning

• Hosting or attending meetings

• Taking care of personal priorities like exercise or errands

• Enjoying dinner with friends or family

Clear the decks

I help clients review their schedules so they can use their time more effectively. As we run through these questions, they discover ways to reduce their time commitments. Try this exercise by asking yourself: 

• Am I spending most of my time on my top priorities?

• Should I be spending twice as much time on project A as project B?

• Is this recurring meeting still relevant?

• Do I need this number of check-ins with my direct reports?

• Can I shorten or combine any meetings?

Generative AI (gen AI) tools like Gemini for Google Workspace can help you reduce your meeting load. For example, Gemini can automate status reports that cover progress against milestones, challenges, and next steps. Distribute the reports before the meetings and reduce your meeting time.

Make use of focus time

What are your daily “Power Hours” when you have the most energy? For me, it’s mid-morning. Set this time aside for strategic or analytical projects by scheduling “Focus time” events in Calendar. This tells colleagues that you don’t want to be disturbed — so you can do your best work more efficiently.

Stay on track

Our calendars are constantly changing. Be sure to check Time Insights every few weeks to stay on track. And consider doing a quarterly or yearly audit to ensure your calendar accurately reflects your latest goals and priorities.

Read my piece “How Google Calendar can help boost your productivity” for more on scheduling for success.

If you’re already part of the Workspace Community Forum, submit your own questions at the Google Workspace Q&A. Or contact Laura directly.

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