Time Tracker for Hobonichi Weeks & A6 (Free Download)

If you’re a Hobonichi Weeks user, you already know how much joy and structure a well-designed planner can bring. But what if you could take it a step further and track your time daily and weekly with a printable insert made to fit your Hobonichi Weeks? That’s exactly what I created, and the best part—it’s a free download you can start using right away. While I designed it to perfectly fit the Hobonichi Weeks note section (6.5 cm x 12 cm), it also works great for A6 planners, so you don’t have to be a Hobonichi user to enjoy it.

In this post, I’ll walk you through what this time tracker is, why I made it, how you can use it in your planner, and who might benefit from it. At the end, you’ll find the free download link to get started today.

What Is a Time Tracker?

A time tracker is exactly what it sounds like: a tool that helps you record how you spend your hours throughout the day. The printable I designed has these key features:

• Monday Start – I set this tracker to begin on Monday because I designed it while using the Hobonichi Weeks, which follows a Monday-start layout. It keeps everything aligned with the planner’s natural flow.
• 5 AM to 11 PM Coverage – 18 hours of daily tracking for both early birds and night owls.
• Weekly Layout – All seven days on one sheet, making it easy to compare.
• Compact Size – 6.5 cm × 12 cm, it slides perfectly into the Hobonichi Weeks note section without covering your planning pages. It also works well with A6 planners, which share a similar width.
• Efficient Printing – Four trackers per A4 sheet, almost a month’s worth of tracking on a single page, saving paper and cutting time.
• Excel-Based – Editable if you want to adjust hours, fonts, or colors.
• Portable – Small enough to tuck into your planner without bulk.

This balance of structure and simplicity makes it a practical tool for anyone serious about time management. For planner lovers, it adds another layer of clarity—turning your Hobonichi or A6 notebook into a daily record of how you actually live your plans.

Why Use a Time Tracker in Your Planner?

Planners are already excellent for scheduling and organizing, but a time tracker goes deeper. Instead of just writing what you intend to do, you can see how you actually spend your time. This gap between planning and reality is where many productivity breakthroughs happen. Here are some reasons you might want to add a time tracker:

1. Understand Your Habits
   By logging your day hour by hour, you’ll spot patterns. Maybe you’re most productive in the morning, or perhaps you lose focus after lunch. Recognizing this helps you restructure your schedule.
2. Improve Time Management
   A time tracker makes it obvious if you’re overcommitting or neglecting rest. Seeing where your hours go helps you rebalance your priorities.
3. Stay Motivated
   When you look back at a filled-out tracker, it’s satisfying to see how much you accomplished—or even to notice that you rested when you needed it. Both are wins.
4. Accountability
   Having a clear record discourages time-wasting habits. It’s harder to ignore endless scrolling when you know you’ll have to write it down.
5. Better Work–Life Balance
   For those of us who tend to overwork, a tracker highlights whether rest is truly part of your routine.

My Personal Story: Why I Made This Tracker

The idea for this tracker came from pure frustration. I loved using Hobonichi Weeks, but drawing a weekly time log by hand every single week was draining. I wanted to see how efficiently I used my time, but ironically, creating the tracker itself was eating into my schedule.

At the time, I was balancing a lot:

• Studying for the JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test)
• Setting up my blog
• Keeping a consistent workout routine
• Enjoying hobbies like knitting and crochet

I realized that without a clear time log, I was overcommitting and often neglecting rest. That’s why I set up this Excel-based printable—to free myself from repetitive drawing and instead focus on living the plan.

Interestingly, making time for rest became just as important as making time for work. I’m the type who keeps pushing myself, so seeing blank “rest” slots in my tracker reminded me that downtime is part of productivity too.

Who Can Benefit from This Time Tracker?

Even though I created it for myself, I quickly realized that anyone can benefit. Here are a few examples:

• Students
  Track how much time you dedicate to each subject, prep for exams, and balance study with breaks.
• Working Professionals
  Understand how you use your non-work hours. Perfect for side projects, hobbies, or simply making sure you’re not always working.
• Creators and Bloggers
  Manage your creative projects while protecting downtime. See how much time goes into content creation, editing, and promotion.
• General Planner Users
  If you already love planning, tracking your hours adds another layer of insight and motivation. Every filled-out week becomes a snapshot of your life.

How to Use the Hobonichi Time Tracker

Getting started is simple. Here’s a quick step-by-step:

1. Download the File
   Use the Google Drive link at the end of this post. It’s free and ready to print.
2. Print on A4 Paper
   Each page contains four trackers. Choose lightweight paper if you want to paste it in, or heavier paper if you prefer using it as a removable insert.
3. Cut to Size
   Trim along the lines to create individual inserts. Each one covers a full week.
4. Attach to Your Planner
   • For Hobonichi Weeks: paste or tape into the note section.
   • For A6 planners: slot into a clear pocket or tape onto a blank page.
5. Fill It In Daily
   • Write down what you actually did each hour.
   • Use highlighters or color-coding to categorize (work, study, rest, exercise).
   • Review at the end of the week to spot trends.

Free Download Link

Here’s the part you’ve been waiting for:

👉 Download the Time Tracker for Planner (Free Excel File)

It’s completely free! You can print as many as you need for personal use. Please note that it’s intended for personal use only, not for resale.

Final Thoughts

The Time Tracker was born out of my desire to stop redrawing weekly logs and start using my time more wisely. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or a creative, this simple insert can help you visualize your week, stay motivated, and even ensure you’re resting enough.

Although I designed it for Hobonichi Weeks, the size also makes it a perfect fit for A6 planners, which means you can use it regardless of your preferred system.

If you’re serious about time management—or just curious about how your days really unfold—give this tracker a try. Sometimes the simple act of recording your hours can transform the way you live them.

👉 Ready to try it? Download your free printable time tracker here and start managing your time with clarity today.