Do you ever feel that there aren’t enough hours in a day? If so, then you may need some rescuing from the various time-eating activities out there. Introducing RescueTime—a tool that lets you monitor and maximize productivity by helping you save time.
Users install RescueTime in their computers, and the program tracks which software and which sites are actively being used—no installation required. It’s ideal for both individuals and businesses who wish to optimize their productivity.
RescueTime for Individuals
Whether you’re a student, or someone who works from home, RescueTime can help you keep track of your day. If you’ve ever asked the question “Where did my day go?” consider RescueTime as your one-stop shop for answers.
The program offers “RescueTime Focus Mode” where you’re allowed to voluntarily block distracting sites and activities. For instance, if you want pure focus for 30 minutes, you can configure RescueTime to block distracting websites for 30 minutes.
You also benefit from automated time tracking wherein RescueTime runs in the background and measures the various activities that you do on your computer, including applications, websites, and documents. You choose when tracking takes place, and you can also pause RescueTime if you wish.
Need to ensure that your projects get completed on schedule? Enter the information in RescueTime and it can track your progress as you go along. Document individual tasks with just a few clicks and see how far you are in an instant. “Projects are tracked by keyword matching and you can manually assign blocks of your day to specific projects and let RescueTime fill in the details. If you forget to assign project time, RescueTime gives you an easy overview of your time to help you fill in the blanks.”
Of course, like any great “tracking” program, RescueTime generates analytics and reports to let you see how you’re spending your time. The data can be presented through graphs and charts allowing you to get a quick overview of your productivity.
RescueTime is pretty smart too, as it lets you track offline work such as meetings and phone calls. “When your machine goes idle, a message pops up asking you what you’ve been up to (you can configure these options however you see fit).”
RescueTime for Businesses
RescueTime Team Edition offers a lot of the features in the personal edition, but at a bigger scale. It allows companies to monitor groups of people and set up certain goals for each team member. RescueTime can actually replace time cards for businesses and works seamlessly, since little to know data-entry is required.
RescueTime is extremely flexible. Mangers can customize how the program works for each individual. For instance, RescueTime can block Facebook on the accounting department’s computers, while keeping the site open for the marketing department.
Additionally, companies can choose to operate in “Restricted Mode” where managers are informed about how employees are spending their time. For those who value transparency, there’s “Open Mode” where employees are free to see and edit their own data, as well as compare them with their peers.
