The Problem.

If only you worked more efficiently, you would do better at work, not have to catch up at home, and maybe even find time for your money-making side project.

The Solution.

Maximize your computer hours by tracking your productivity.

The Action.

Download RescueTime, a free program that tracks what screen you have open at any given time—both web pages and applications. Then it generates charts and graphs demonstrating what you actually do with your computer time.

The program divides your activities into categories: productive, distracting, and neutral. It’s all automatic, so you don’t have to do anything except act normal. Excel time counts as productive, whereas categorizing your music collection in iTunes is distracting. You can tweak the rules, too. (So, if you work at Hulu, make sure it knows you’re not slacking off online.)

Our favorite part? RescueTime can also give you a kick in the butt. You can schedule an email and/or a pop-up to nag you when you spend too much time on distracting activities.

Go forth and be productive!