Sep 06 2008
Home Office - Clear desktop stops procrastination
Procrastination is a side effect of organizing a home office. It is a great excuse not to work. “That report really needs to be completed and the bills really need to be paid – but this place is a mess and I have to clean it now”. Have you ever been guilty of this phenomenon?
Working on a clean desktop is so good. Several times today I tried to get some writing done but just could not get started. I kept telling myself “quit procrastinating” but I continued to clean my desk. One advantage I have it that I recognize what I am doing and I know tips and tricks to speed the process.
My desk was beginning to show signs of neglect. A couple of magazines, a catalog, some business cards and some bills were beginning to encroach into my workspace. I needed to take action on each item so I finally took the time to get it done.
· I thumbed through the magazine to make sure I wanted to discard it. There was a short article and a recipe that I wanted to keep so I tore those pages out and tossed the magazine.
· The catalog had a shelving unit I like so I tore those pages out of the catalog. I stapled the picture, the description and price page and the back cover of the catalog together. Why keep the back cover? The customer number and source code is found there. If I decide to place an order later I have all of the information I need.
· I do not have a business card scanner so I manually entered the contact information into my iPhone then tossed the cards. Business cards, wedding or party invitations and even sales can be entered on your calendar and into your contact list to reduce paper clutter.
· The bills are still not paid but they are gathered together and tomorrow I will pay them all at the same time. I use QuickBooks software for my business and my personal accounts. My checks get printed so they look very professional. Once they are entered into QuickBooks I do not have to keep track of them – my computer does.
I feel so much better. My desk is clean and everything is sorted, filed and tossed. Procrastination is over and the working has begun. Do you have any tips that would help the rest of us get past procrastination?
