Grindstone

Organizing and timing your tasks can make all the difference between efficiency and dragging your feet. Charging your work by the hour is one of many good reasons why you should take a better look and see what takes longer to complete and where you should make up for lost time. The market is full of software which can help you in this regard, but it is hard to find one as flexible and user friendly as Grindstone. Unlike other similar software, you will not have to find your way through endless menus and options. Instead, you only have to specify your task and start timing it. The software can also calculate hourly rates, generate accurate reports, invoices and more. In short, you will have a much better view on how you spend your time.

Grindstone is free and it will not take long to download. The 5.65 Mb setup package will launch a straightforward wizard, with standard steps, like setting up an installation path or selecting what components you want installed. Overall, the installation process should take less than a minute, even on outdated computers.

The interface consists of two lists. The one on the upper half is where you can add new tasks by clicking the Create Task button beneath it. This will bring up a small window where you can name your new task, specify the date on which it is due, add personal notes, and more. Alternatively, you can just type the name of the task in a dialog box, also found beneath the first list. Thus, the task will be added immediately and no new windows will appear.

To start timing a task, simply select one from the list and click the Start Timing button on the bottom edge of the interface. A small timer will appear on your screen, which will count the seconds, minutes and hours you spend on a specific task. Grindstone can run as a system tray icon, meaning that you can close the main interface at any time if it gets in your way.

The timer should not hinder you in any way. Its window is small and it can be moved anywhere by clicking and dragging it. Furthermore, it is possible to work only with the timer. It features buttons for starting and stopping it, you can select a new task from a drop menu and it will be timed automatically and you can even create a new task by typing its name in the same drop menu.

A second list, on the lower half of the main interface, will display the starting times and lengths of each task, in chronological order. If you spend a few seconds looking at the top menus, you will find many useful features. Reports can be generated as pie charts, summary tables or timesheets and it is even possible to create an invoice for billing your clients. The hourly rates can be adjusted from a small window, when creating a new profile.

A very useful function is Grindstone's autopilot, which can be enabled in the Time menu. While active, the software will create tasks automatically and time them, according to the programs and applications you switch to in Windows. You can find many other features which will help you work with greater efficiency. If you need to work on the road, a portable version of the software can be set up on a removable device. The option can be found in the Grindstone menu and it only requires specifying a destination path.