For those who work from home whether it is full time (SOHO) or part time as a small business owner, sales professional or even C-Level executive, there is a tendency to become a pack rat because of this specific attitude - procrastination. Piles of paper grow almost magically while the desire to reduce them declines at a similar rate.

So what is a busy, time stressed, productive individual supposed to do? The answer is simple just do it through small bites instead of attempting to complete the entire overwhelming task in just one session.

Yesterday afternoon, I finally reached a level of no return specific to one work area. However, as I stared at several years of accumulation, I began to retreat from my initial just do it attitude. Then I stopped the procrastination attitude and focused on just one corner. Wouldn’t you know it in less than a couple of hours the corner was cleared?

Today, I returned to my accumulation of years gone by and again took one corner at a time. Within several hours, I had 90% of that pile of procrastination sorted, reorganized and what needed to go to the trash was in the trash. Hip, Hip, Hooray!

For those who work from home there is a tendency to save a lot of paper because one never knows when one might need that one article or file. However, I realized most of what I was saving was already a word file on my computer and could be easily retrieved when needed. This realization actually spurned me to continue with the task at hand.

I must say scanning the once cluttered floor that is now cleared and even vacuumed creates a profound sense of accomplishment. There is still that other 10% and that will be done in the next 2 days. Then my next goal is to clean my main office. Boy, will the recycling bin be full when that task is completed!

Procrastination is an attitude or what Zig Ziglar called a “habit of thought.” This time and productivity waster can be reversed with this new or returning habit of thought - just do it using one small action at a time. And any way, who wants to be a pack rat?

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Executive Coach and consultant Leanne Hoagland Smith helps you to achieves your organizational or personal goals because the real issue is not do they or you know it (Knowledge), but do they or you want to do it (Attitudes)? Check out her first sales book on how to be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits.

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