Orrin
I have conversations about accounting for your work time -- tracking, recording, analyzing -- at least monthly. Over the years, I've realized that
- keeping track of the time you spend on various work tasks is a good idea, especially when you're starting out. You may--people frequently--find that they have completely misjudged how long things take. Having a record will help you improve your next estimate.
- for better or worse, your time sheets are one kind of legitimate proof of work--if your client questions the amount of time you claim to have spent on her/his job they are important justification. I use my time sheets to track non-email conversations with clients, noting details of any order I place on a client's behalf and other information that I'll want in one place.
- the best time-tracking or time-recording system is one you will use. I've tried all sorts of programs and discussed others with clients. I keep coming back to a log sheet or small notebook (college exam book) for each assignment. I use paper because I I've been too lazy to convert to electronic but that, as I said, is personal preference. On the other hand, I seldom charge by the hour (per-diem or per project is more typical) and so the time tracking is mostly for my own benefit.
Whether you write the program yourself, or use someone else's think first about what you need the result to tell you. How many minutes (or hours) it took you to do this job? Why this job took so long and that one ...didn't? How much time you spend talking on the telephone each workday? How long you can work before taking a break? What is a reasonable price (for your needs) for this or that task?