Time Tracking in Emacs

Org-mode really is the endgame life system. With time tracking and clocktables, one can track where all that time is going quite easily. If you are at all familiar with org, you will know that there is the :PROPERTIES: feature where you can add infinite metadata to any org heading you wish. But, more than that, you have the :LOGBOOK: tag - this is where the magic happens. Simply start org-clock-in on a heading, and this log will show up with the time you entered the task. Run org-clock-out, and you will have a handy CLOCK that will show you how much time you worked on that task:

CLOCK: [2025-06-09 Mon 06:03]–[2025-06-09 Mon 06:19] => 0:16

Well, my friends, we now have a way to track our lives!

What this looks like for me is as follows: I have a tracking.org file in my root /org directory, I create a heading of the current date, and a clocktable block that looks like this:

In setting this up, I made sure all my files in my org directory I want tracking applied to are tracked by my org-agenda. I have my inbox.org, calendar.org, projects.org, and tracking.org (which is my clocktable file) tracked by my agenda, so any time tracking in any of those files will appear in the master tracking.org file.

Then, I find something I want to work on! All I have to do is go to that task, clock-in in emacs using Doom's SPC m c i , and the timer is started (I am currently at 17 minutes on this current writing piece!)

When I finish a task, I clock-out in emacs using Doom's SPC m c o keybind. I can do this globally in emacs, so wherever I am, I can stop the clock. Then, I move onto the next thing, and repeat the whole day long!

Not only this, let's say I need to run to the washroom or take a call. I clock out using the above, and then SPC m c I (capital I) to re-clock into whatever it was that I was previously doing. Nice.

At the end of the work day, I simply create a table with the things that I have done that day, and review.

The Clocktable looks like this (note this was at 7am this morning):

And, while I don't have a boss to show my timetable to, I audit this very closely.

Within my tracking.org file, I have a list of things I want to spend time on, and stuff I would rather not do:

The greatest impact this has had on my life nearly immediately is that I am now looking directly into the day's activities, and I am conscious of when I get off track, wasting time. I have a timer running almost all the time I am on a screen, and that timer is either getting me closer to where I want to be, or further from it.

If I am "scrolling", I have to track that. If I am being productive, learning something, etc. then it too is tracked. This creates a little game where the time I spend is quantified where it can slap me right in the face. Each day, I want to spend more time on positive tasks, while all but eliminating the time wasters.

Sure, I can lie to myself and not track these things, but there will be obvious gaps in my day which were not spent on the things that I want to be spending them on, and I have to account for that each evening I review my clocktable.

I even show this to the Time-Nazi herself, my business and life partner, to account for what my day looked like.

For too long, I have not known where my time is going, and this means that the most important unit of life is just thrown around willy-nilly. This system (if I stick to it) has the potential to really alter the trajectory of the things I want to do in this life.

Are you using a time tracking method? How do you keep track of where your time goes daily? Comment below or send me an email!

As always, God bless, and until next time.

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