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Time tracking solutions are proven to increase productivity and improve performance.

It seems like everyone understands that, but not everyone uses time tracking apps. So, what stops freelancers, entrepreneurs, and small business owners from applying solutions that can take their work to the next level?

The thing is, many people encounter psychological barriers with tracking time and don’t know how to overcome them. Today, we will talk about these mental barriers and provide tips on how to get rid of them.

The Fear of Micromanagement

People have negative attitudes toward time tracking. They tend to associate it with overbearing micromanagement and a lack of trust between employees and employers.

What are the roots of time tracking stigma? Unfortunately, some unethical businesses do use time tracking to micromanage and control their employees. It makes people believe that all time tracking tools are designed for that purpose.

But the truth is that the main purpose of time tracking tools is not to worsen but to improve employee-employer relationships. If used right, such tools can boost your team’s profitability, productivity, and creativity, and increase employee satisfaction.

Are you an employer? Don’t be afraid to offer your employees to use a time tracking tool—your offer will not evoke a negative reaction. Explain why time tracking is important and how it can benefit your team. Talk about business processes optimization and fixing the problem with unpaid evening or weekend work.

Are you an employee? Don’t be afraid to use the time tracking app as required. It doesn’t devaluate your work in any way. Vice versa, it will help you better understand your productivity pattern and define the tasks and processes that slow you down. Time tracking is exactly what you need to make your work more effective and more enjoyable, and ensure that your work is fairly paid.

Threat to Creativity

Another popular misconception is that time tracking is an enemy of creativity. In reality, people can track time and still be creative and productive.

Harvard’s researchers found out that low to medium levels of time pressure has a positive impact on creativity. Only extremely high levels of time pressure are proved to decrease creativity levels.

So, if you are a creative person and have a fear that time tracking will “kill your creativity,” you should understand that your fear is irrational. Seriously. You have nothing to worry about. If you start tracking how many hours you spend on different activities during the day, it will not make your ideas less innovative.

You can expect that the use of time tracking will have quite the opposite effect. Low time pressure will make your work a bit more challenging and spark your creativity.

This is just the statement the Best Writers Online agree with. Academic writing-savvy personalities do their best to supply students with top-notch assignments delivered on time.

The Fear of Not Being Good Enough

We live in an age where people think of productivity and success as top priorities. We see on social media that other people manage to complete dozens of tasks every day while we struggle to tackle at least a few tasks.

Sometimes, it makes us feel miserable. We start doubting whether we are good enough and productive enough. We don’t want to leverage time tracking solutions because we have an irrational fear—we are afraid to find out that we are less dedicated than our colleagues and that we work fewer hours than needed.

The truth is that most of us work more, not less than required. We spend many hours solving extra tasks without even noticing that. Eventually, it results in severe burnouts and productivity drops.

To overcome this psychological barrier, you just need to start using a time tracking app. Once you see how many hours you spend on important and not-that-important tasks, you will get rid of your fears and self-doubt. You will get that feeling of value and define the actual productivity issues you can fix.

Self-Doubt and Negative Thinking Patterns

Many people out there want to become more productive and achieve outstanding success in life but do nothing to make it happen. They doubt their abilities and skills, and they follow negative thinking patterns. They have thoughts like these:

>> I have poor time management skills. Nothing can help me. This time tracking app will not improve my skills.

>> I have tried to install a time tracking app a year ago and it didn’t work. Time tracking solutions are not right for me.

Does it sound familiar to you? Have you ever based your decisions exclusively on your past negative experiences? You should overcome negative thinking patterns and start thinking rationally.

Time management skills are not something you are born with. If you want to improve your skills, you should try out various approaches, including the use of time tracking apps. Believe in yourself. You can improve your productivity. Don’t hesitate to take the first step and try out new tech solutions.

The Consequences of Childhood Trauma

Some people have negative attitudes toward time tracking because of their childhood traumas.

The sad truth is that many parents choose the wrong parenting tactic—they always tell their kids to hurry up. They yell at kids for every reason: “You have five minutes to make your bed!” or “Why does it take you so long to clean the table?” or “We have arrived late again because of you.”

When kids grow up, they get stressed out every time they feel time pressure. They feel like they need to hurry up, even where there is no actual need for that.

Do you have bad childhood memories associated with time tracking? It’s time for you to recognize that you are not a kid anymore, and you are capable of managing your time in the way you like it. By using time tracking solutions, you can understand how fast you can complete various tasks and optimize your performance. Time tracking apps have nothing to do with the pressure you experienced in your childhood.

Psychological barriers to time tracking are a real thing. But the good news is that these barriers are easy to overcome.

Once you recognize the issues you encounter, you will find a way to deal with them. The sooner you will try out innovative time tracking solutions, the sooner you will solve your problems and improve your productivity.

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